Students’ Successes and Challenges Applying Data Analysis and Measurement Skills in a Fifth-Grade Integrated STEM Unit

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research

Moore, Tamara J.¹  Guzey, Selcen¹  Glancy, Aran W¹  Smith, Karl A² 

[1] Purdue University;University of Minnesota

关键词: Data Analysis;    Measurement;    STEM Integration;    Engineering Design;   

DOI  :  10.7771/2157-9288.1159

学科分类：地球科学(综合)

来源: Purdue University

【 摘 要 】

An understanding of statistics and skills in data analysis are becoming more and more essential, yet research consistently shows that students struggle with these concepts at all levels. This case study documents some of the struggles four groups of fifth-grade students encounter as they collect, organize, and interpret data and then ultimately attempt to draw conclusions or make decisions based on these data. The activities in which the students engaged were part of an integrated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) unit that had students collecting and analyzing data both in the context of learning science concepts and in the context of evaluating prototypes for an engineering design challenge. Students were observed to struggle in a variety of ways, specifically having difficulty (1) properly using certain measurement devices, (2) coordinating quantitative data with the phenomenon being measured, and (3) properly interpreting the significance of variation, uncertainty, and error in the data. Implications for teaching and curriculum design are addressed.

【 授权许可】

CC BY-NC-ND