Developing statistical literacy with Year 9 students: a collaborative research project

Advances in technology and communication have increased the amount of statistical information delivered through everyday media. The importance of statistics in everyday life has led to calls for increased attention to statistical literacy in the mathematics curriculum (Watson 2006). Gal (2004) sees statistical literacy as the need for students to be able to interpret results from studies and media reports and to be able to pose critical and reflective questions about those reports. Aspects of Gal’s notion of statistical literacy have been incorporated in the New Zealand Curriculum (Ministry of Education 2007)