Factors contributing to making the learning of statistics an enjoyable experience

Abstract

The findings of the study reported in this paper are based on an investigation into more effective methods of teaching and learning statistics. This investigation was a part of a formal research project funded by the Faculty of Business, University of Southern Queensland. The study was conducted by surveying year-12 students of ten High Schools in and around Toowoomba in Queensland. Both public and private schools were included in the study. The sample comprised 133 randomly selected students. Despite the importance of statistics in tertiary education and professional activities, the majority of the students did not think that they would have any use for or exposure to it in the future. Having someone with a strong mathematics background at home, students’ level of fear of statistics and their mathematical inclination appear to be amongst the main factors which contribute to making statistics an enjoyable subject to learn. The findings also demonstrated that most High School students have a preference for visual learning with regard to statistics. This finding indicates that learning via multimedia, with interactive animations, appears to be an attractive approach in' new times'.