Statistics in Elementary Education: diagnosed weaknesses

Abstract

This work presents a section of a dissertation research conducted in a 9th-grade class of Elementary School. Through a questionnaire with 10 questions, we aimed to investigate which skills related to statistical literacy the students developed during the years that make up Elementary School. The evaluated skills were selected as proposed by the National Common Curriculum Base (BNCC), in the subject of mathematics. The research adopts a mixed approach and is justified by the need to understand which weaknesses need to be overcome in the teaching and learning process of statistical concepts in Basic Education. In this way, we promote the continuous pursuit of improvement through the application and adaptation of new methodologies, activities, and strategies. The results obtained indicated that the majority of the surveyed class developed skills related to interpreting bar charts, pie charts, and simple table interpretation. However, they encountered difficulties when using measures of central tendency (mean and mode), interpreting line graphs, double-entry tables, and interpreting statements. As a possibility to assist in overcoming the identified weaknesses, the use of a Potentially Meaningful Teaching Unit (UEPS) is suggested, which includes the development and execution of a statistical research project with students, as well as the use of digital spreadsheets, adopting an interdisciplinary perspective.