Teaching statistics in a new era- factors affecting students’ learning and aligning technology with how we teach

Abstract:

This thesis investigates the factors that affect psychology students’ ability to learn statistics in a new era of technological advancements and the effects post-Covid on education. Historically, teaching statistics to psychology students has been one of the most challenging tasks for statistics educators worldwide. Previous research has been conducted around the theme of social science students’ statistics anxiety and the varied survey designs developed to measure it. However, little has been done to reduce statistics anxiety, with the aim of increasing the performance of students with a non-mathematical background, particularly in this technological age.

The aim of this research is to i) conduct multiple regression and sub-group analyses using the R software package to investigate whether the blended delivery of a 12-week statistics subject to first-year psychology students had any effect on performance compared to face-to-face teaching only; ii) design a mindfulness intervention, together with a step-by-step methodological approach for teaching statistics to first-year psychology students;  iii) develop a survey based on the technology acceptance model to measure students’ anxiety which included testing the validity and reliability of the adopted survey tool. To do so, the structural properties of the survey were investigated. For this stage of the research, jamovi and the IBM SPSS AMOS software package were utilized to obtain Cronbach’s alpha and the exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis output. This thesis finds that the web-based mindfulness intervention had a significant positive effect on students’ statistics anxiety and therefore performance. Moreover, five constructs were identified which affect students’ statistics anxiety and therefore their performance, namely attitude, confidence, student’s awareness of their mental state, independent learner belief, and dependent learner belief. The findings of this research may assist and inspire statistics educators internationally in their approach to the design and development of their teaching material to non-mathematical students for whom statistics is a core subject in their study.

===================

Join from a PC, Mac, iOS or Android: https://latrobe.zoom.us/j/98357628534

Or iPhone one-tap (Australia Toll):  +61280152088,98357628534#

Or Telephone:

Dial: +61 2 8015 2088

Meeting ID: 983 5762 8534

International numbers available: https://latrobe.zoom.us/u/acAxlLgAVI

Or a H.323/SIP room system:

Dial: 98357628534@zoom.aarnet.edu.au

or SIP:98357628534@zmau.us

or 103.122.166.55

Meeting ID: 98357628534

Or Skype for Business (Lync):

SIP:98357628534@lync.zoom.us