Mathematics Explained for Primary Teachers
Section H: Statistics and Probability
Derek argues that understanding statistics is important because this is where we apply mathematics to other areas of the curriculum and because it is so widely used in the media to present information. The aims for this section are for students to be able to interpret pictorial representations of data and recognise the misuse of statistical processes. Derek gives the bad use of statistics in the daily newspaper as an example of this misuse.
Derek states that the first chapter of this section is about how children might learn to present numerical data using various forms of pictorial representation. The main idea is that we use a form of picture or graph to represent data clearly and with impact. This chapter explains how children can be involved in the different stages of data-handling. Derek then gives an example of this being conducted in a classroom and the ways in which children present data.
The second chapter is explained briefly in how statistics can be used to make comparisons between sets of data. Derek gives examples that show how this knowledge is useful for the professional development of teachers. There is an addendum at the end of the video to outline the topics that Chapter 29 on Probability covers, including the meaning of probability as a measurement applied to events.