Banca de DEFESA: LEONNY GEORGE

Investigative tasks for teaching statistics in high school

 Investigative tasks; Teaching Statistics; High school; Investigative cycle.

The present research aimed to understand how the use of investigative tasks can enhance the processes of teaching and learning statistics in high school. To achieve this understanding, our research was developed through four specific objectives, namely: to investigate how high school students plan, organize, collect, analyze, and produce a report on sample research; to analyze how students use statistical concepts in producing sample research with contextual reference to reality; to analyze students' performance before and after an investigative task involving sample research with contextual reference to reality; to produce a guidebook for teachers on working with investigative tasks for teaching statistics. We observed that, in their inquiries, students initially ask direct questions related to the research question. Without an interest (or knowledge of the importance of understanding a sample), they do not include delimiting questions for understanding the sample. However, the investigative task proposed to the students allowed for a diverse range of responses and patterns analyzed by them. In their processes of report writing, these students apply some transnumerative techniques such as constructing tables and graphs, calculating summary measures, and classifying variables, in addition to integrating statistics with the context in which they live. Despite the diagnostic tasks not showing significant advancement, we noticed a percentage improvement in performance when comparing the diagnostic tasks before and after the investigative task. The investigative practice facilitated the development of the investigative cycle, aiding in these students' statistical literacy. Practices are necessary for students to attribute meaning to the content worked on, as we propose in our study.