Insegnare la statistica a scuola: un confronto tra nuclei tematici nei diari di bordo del progetto M@t.abel a.s. 2009/2010

The M@t.abel in-service training program is an example of an innovative mathematics teaching approach that leads lower secondary school students to deal with elements of statistics and probability. The program aims at integrating statistics in the mathematics curriculum by using specific teaching units. In order to understand how teachers actually perceive and handle the task of transmitting statistical ideas as compared to other mathematical themes, we analysed over 200 structured diaries on classroom experience during the 2009/2010 school year in four regions of Southern Italy where student performance is extremely low, in particular in mathematics. Text analysis techniques were used to explore the teachers’ choices, strategies and meanings about the usefulness of statistics and probability, compared to other mathematical concepts. Results show that teachers are not very familiar with these specific subjects in their usual teaching practice. In spite of this, statistics and probability seem to trigger a more active learning approach among students and allow teachers to critically re-think their educational goals.