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demographic. Our goal in asking the PSTs to read a research article was to help them learn that intui tive ideas can include personal biases, assump tions, conjectures, and hypotheses and should be kept in check by using research literature that is backed by evidence. Steps iii and iv of the statistical problem - solving process were merged together when developing the written report. PSTs analyzed the data and inter preted the results. During this process, they consid ered multiple graphs that would accurately show their key findings about the demographics and the school district. The second part of the activity was the group presentation of their findings. PSTs presented the findings based on their written report. The presen tation of findings allowed them to experience, first - hand, if their chosen graphs were effective in communicating their findings. The PSTs designed a 15 - minute group presentation which provided the PSTs with an opportunity to receive peer feedback and answer questions. Responding to questions from their peers and the MTE allowed the present ers to think deeply about their own analysis and findings. Each group was provided with written feedback from the MTE. The feedback was guided by a rubric that was shared at the onset with the PSTs (Appendix B). The PSTs experienced the 4 steps of the statistical problem - solving process throughout their engage ment with the activity. They informally developed statistical investigative questions, considered and analyzed the data, and interpreted the results (GAISE II, p. 13). However, each statistical prob lem - solving step was not always aligned with a distinct section of the activity. Instead, several parts were often experienced simultaneously. The PSTs started the process by selecting a demo graphic that included their personal reasons for choosing the particular demographic area. The step brought into light their own biases. For example, math performance on standardized math tests is based on gender, race, or socioeconomic status. Our goal in designing this task was for the PSTs to Implementation of the Activity Formulate Statistical Investigative Question

unpack the reasons behind their beliefs. Was it a culturally held belief? Something they learned in school? A family influence? While still in the pro cess of selecting an area of interest, we asked the PSTs to search for recent articles on Google Schol ar (https://scholar.google.com). Our purpose was to challenge PSTs ’ intuitive ideas and to provide them with a process of checking research - based resources. This experience allowed them to learn more about their demographic of interest. For ex ample, when describing the data one PST who chose male pass/fail data explained, “ I chose to look at the math SOL scores of Caucasian males. I thought these would be interesting to look at since I ’ m a guy, and a minority while taking elementary education classes. ” Following the initial selection, this PST read an article to contextualize ‘ gender and mathemat ics ’ (Keller, 2012). Reflecting on the article, he wrote, “ My article not only talks about the gender differences of math stereotypes but also the different ethnicity issues that may come up for males in the mathematical field. The article argues that gender and ethnicity dif ferences are one of the main concepts that are argued about and tested. ” Another PST chose economically disadvantaged students as her demographic. She shared, “ I chose to look at economically disadvan taged students specifically because I know that this is a population that I will always have in my classroom … I think that issues like poverty can be misunderstood in edu cation. ” She explained that reading an article to learn more about poverty and education (Angelis & Wilcox, 2011) opened her eyes to the number of students who fall ‘ below ’ the federal poverty level, and the difference between it (the federal poverty level) and what it means to be considered economically disadvantaged. While informal in nature this expe rience allowed PSTs to move beyond their initial ideas.

Virginia Mathematics Teacher vol. 48, no. 1

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