It is difficult to get feeling of variation in comparison of center of data. Even for getting feeling of center, median is more difficult to visualize in comparison of average. For giving better feeling of data, different scatter plots of data should be shown and students should identify groups in terms of `less- more’. Teacher can judge sensitivity of students towards variation for different type of tools used for Measuring Variation (see ..)
Latter on plot (scatter) mixture data of two or three type of groups and ask possible number of groups.
Five types of thinking that are considered as fundamental elements in Statistical Thinking are: recognition of the need for data, trans numeration, consideration of variation, reasoning with statistical models, and integrating the statistical with the contextual.
Are there particular ways of teaching that can elicit such thinking? How does the teacher draw students’ attention to notice and to attend to this thinking? How is such a habit of thinking communicated in a curriculum document?
Some teaching tips for Teaching of Statistical Thinking may be obtained from note by Maxine Pfannukch
Pedagogical issues concerned with Statistical Thinking is in not matured yet, a framework based on three core issue may be considered- (1) The teachers and the researcher need to come to a common consensus of what they mean by the term statistical thinking and thus be able to communicate. (2) The teachers need to reflect critically on their current teaching and identify areas which are acting as barriers to the development of their students statistical thinking. (3) The constraints that are imposed externally on teaching need to be recognized and acknowledged. In this regard, one can get help from case study by Maxine Pfannukch and Chris Wild.
