Teachers' curricular knowledge about analysis of data in the early middle school: which expressions of statistical literacy?

Abstract

This article aims to characterize the curricular knowledge that mathematics teachers from the grade 6 reveal, relating to organization and data processing when teaching accordingly to the Program in Mathematics for Basic Education approved in 2007 (ME, 2007) and to discuss to what extent this knowledge reflects the concern for the development of statistical literacy of the students. The notion of statistical literacy includes the capacity to interpret and understand statistical information, to appreciate and evaluate it critically and to express opinion about the value and implications of statistical studies in the context of situations contextualized in relevant reality. Methodologically, we assume an interpretive approach, implemented through case studies of three teachers. For each of them, we characterize their curricular knowledge in terms of aims and objectives, content and approach, and tasks for the classroom. We conclude that teachers do not explicitly refer to the concept of statistical literacy although they include their less sophisticated aspects in the characterization of the teaching purposes of the Organization and Data Processing. They all reveal to choose contextualized tasks, but the contexts do not necessarily relate to situations that could contribute significantly to the development of statistical literacy. The study shows that the teachers who know the mathematics program of 2007 are more sensitive and aligned with the ideas for the development of statistical literacy than the teacher who is unaware.