Techniques in Teaching Statistics: Linking Research Production and Research Use

Abstract

In the spirit of closing the “research-practice gap,” the authors extend evidencebased principles to statistics instruction in social science graduate education.1 The authors employ a Delphi method to survey experienced statistics instructors to identify teaching techniques to overcome the challenges inherent in teaching statistics to students enrolled in practitioner-oriented master’s degree programs. Among the teaching techniques identified as essential are using real-life examples, requiring data collection exercises, and emphasizing interpretation rather than results. Building on existing research, preliminary interviews, and the findings from the study, the authors develop a model describing antecedents to the strength of the link between research and practice.