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Mathematical Modelling and Applications pp 37–47Cite as

Modelling with Statistical Data: Characterisation of Student Models

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Abstract

This chapter reports on the solutions of 22 groups of Year 10 students (15–16 years old) to a model-eliciting activity involving interpretation of data, namely, lists of salaries from five companies. Students were asked to see what could be ascertained about the structure of the company based on their mathematical or statistical analysis of the data. The students had no previous modelling experience but some understanding of statistics. Solutions based on the concepts and the processes involved in the models are represented in a graph. This analysis tool allowed distinguishing of significant differences between students’ responses. Results show a wide range of concepts and mathematical procedures were used. The activity promoted mathematical modelling and could be the first of a didactic sequence aimed at working on data distribution and dispersion.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departament de Didàctica de la Matemàtica i les Ciències Experimentals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Edifici G5 – Despatx 140, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), 08193, Barcelona, Spain

    Àngels Aymerich, Núria Gorgorió & Lluís Albarracín

Authors
  1. Àngels Aymerich
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  2. Núria Gorgorió
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  3. Lluís Albarracín
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Correspondence to Lluís Albarracín .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Australian Catholic University, Ballarat, Victoria, Australia

    Gloria Ann Stillman

  2. University of Kassel, Kassel, Germany

    Werner Blum

  3. University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

    Gabriele Kaiser

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Aymerich, À., Gorgorió, N., Albarracín, L. (2017). Modelling with Statistical Data: Characterisation of Student Models. In: Stillman, G., Blum, W., Kaiser, G. (eds) Mathematical Modelling and Applications. International Perspectives on the Teaching and Learning of Mathematical Modelling. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-62968-1_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-62968-1_3

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-62967-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-62968-1

  • eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)

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