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Introducing comparison between data sets

  • Cambridge Mathematics
  • Espresso
  • Introducing comparison between data sets
  • Espresso
  • 42: Division and multiplication
  • 41: Rich data sets
  • 40: Fraction equivalence
  • 39: Teaching and learning similarity
  • 38: Teaching and learning of percentage
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10 August 2018

Infographic showing a structure to show the relation between data and distribution

What does research suggest about effective ways to introduce comparison between data sets?

  • Comparison between data sets is a crucial composite skill and more research/teacher support is required in this area
  • Students should be encouraged to explore and inquire about data and to create and use multiple representations
  • Students should be encouraged to start with more informal ideas about shape before moving on to more formal conceptions (and language) such as mean, median and, later, quartiles
  • Teachers should help students to understand data flexibly: as an aggregate as well as a set of individual cases (see infographic)
  • From early stages teachers should be clear with students about the difference between sample and population, and explore the effect of sampling in more detail later on
  • Students should start with identifying and then interpreting differences between data sets, considering ideas of measurable conjectures, variability, context and inference
  • Specifically designed software such as TinkerPlots and Fathom can support learning
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