What sense do children make of “data” by Year 3?

Statistical terms are used in everyday language and, at times, used in non-statistical ways. It is often assumed students understand statistical terms because of their common use; however, research into their understanding of specific statistical terms is scant. This report focuses on 58 Year 3 students’ responses to the basic question, “What does the term ‘data’ mean?”, and associated examples of data and data representations. The results indicate students are making progress in establishing meaning about data and their representations. Recommendations include more use of varying contexts within which students can explore data to enrich and enhance their learning about the practice of statistics