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Home > Topdrawer > Statistics > Good teaching

# Good teaching

It is vitally important that students appreciate the steps involved in a complete statistical investigation. They should experience the following key aspects.

• Students should be aware that it is necessary to collect valid samples of the required data that are random, fair and representative.
• When analysing data to answer a statistical question, it is often helpful to create a graphical representation.
Students should build a repertoire of graph types and know how to select the most suitable type.
• It is also often necessary to summarise the information in a single statistic.
Students should be able to select the measure that is most appropriate for their data and the question they wish to answer.
• Making decisions about populations, based on evidence from samples, is at the heart of statistics.
Students need repeated exposure to decision-making that leads to informal inferences.

Students will use their statistical understanding outside school.

They need to develop critical thinking in contexts where statistical claims are made.

## Data collection

The success of a statistical investigation is largely dependent on the quality of the data collected.

## Data representation

The type of data representation used for a statistical investigation depends on the question asked, the type of data collected and the number of data values to be displayed.

## Data reduction

Data reduction is the process of summarising data to characterise the data set succinctly in one or several numerical values.

## Making informal inferences

Informal inference arises when students use the sets of data they have collected to make claims about a wider population.

## Using different media

The teaching and learning of statistics can be enhanced using various types of media, as wide-ranging as YouTube demonstrations, e-newsletters and statistics in the news.

## Statistical investigations

Although students can consider the separate components of data investigations (data collection, representation, reduction and informal inference), it is essential that they undertake entire investigations.