Statistics Education Research Groups

University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Faculty Members Involved in the Research Group

Cliff Konold
Alexander Pollatsek
Arnie Well

Description of Research

This group's research initially focused on how adults reason about statistics and probability before receiving any formal instruction. Mostly in-depth clinical interviews were used in these studies. More recently, the group has been focusing on younger students' learning of data analysis and how their understanding develops over instruction. They have been using various methods to study these, including group interviews and analysis of classroom interactions and student artifacts.

Website

Statistics Education Research Group Homepage
www.umass.edu/srri/serg

Selected Publications

• Konold, C. & Pollatsek, A. (2004). Conceptualizing an average. In D. Ben-Zvi & J. Garfield (Eds.), The challenge of developing statistical literacy, reasoning and thinking (pp. 169-199). Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
• Konold, C. & Higgins, T. L. (2003). Reasoning about data. In J. Kilpatrick, W. G. Martin, & D. Schifter (Eds.), A research companion to Principles and Standards for School Mathematics (pp. 193-215). Reston, VA: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
• Konold, C., & Pollatsek, A. (2002). Data analysis as the search for signals in noisy processes. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 33, 259-289.
• Falk, R., & Konold, C. (1994). Random means hard to digest. Focus on Learning Problems in Mathematics, 16, 2-12.
• Konold, C., Pollatsek, A., Well, A. D., Lohmeier, J., & Lipson, A. (1993). Inconsistencies in students' reasoning about probability. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 24, 392-414.
• Hardiman, P., Pollatsek, A., & Well, A. (1986). Learning to understand the balance beam. Cognition and Instruction, 3, 63-86.
• Pollatsek, A., Lima, S., & Well, A. (1981). Concept or computation: Students' misconceptions of the mean. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 12, 191-204.