Exploring teachers’ attitude and knowledge in teaching statistics based on rasch measurement model

Abstract

Teachers with a positive attitude towards statistics and good statistical knowledge are important in preparing students to learn statistics effectively. This study explores 49 mathematics teachers’ attitude and knowledge in teaching statistics at selected secondary schools in Selangor. Forty- nine mathematics teachers from the urban and rural secondary schools were surveyed using the attitude toward statistics questionnaire and statistics assessment form. Data collected was subjected to an analysis based on the Rasch measurement model. Wright map shows that slightly over 50% of the teachers with positive attitude towards statistics perceived well in their knowledge in teaching certain statistical concepts. Differential item functioning indicates no significance difference in the attitude of teachers between rural and urban schools. Teachers with less than 10 years experience have better knowledge in graph representation and measures of central tendency while teachers with more than 10 years have better knowledge in measures of dispersion and probability.