This report focuses on the ways in which 36 Grade 4 students recognized, explained, described and employed variation during interviews conducted one month after participating in STEM-based activities in which they tested, adjusted, and re-tested catapults. An inductive thematic methodology was used for analysis of the interview transcripts to capture the ways in which students discussed their analyses and justified their conclusions from the activity. The results were based on 1080 instances of variation in student responses to the interview questions, which evidenced three ways students characterized variation: Contextual Variation, Specific Variation, and General Variation. Findings point to the essential nature of context in building statistical understanding in relation to both specific and general aspects of variation as well as decision-making in that context.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Keywords:	STEM, catapults, grade 4, data collection, data analysis, interviews
Research Division:	Education
Research Group:	Curriculum and pedagogy
Research Field:	Mathematics and numeracy curriculum and pedagogy
Objective Division:	Education and Training
Objective Group:	Learner and learning
Objective Field:	Primary education
UTAS Author:	Watson, J (Professor Jane Watson)
UTAS Author:	Fitzallen, N (Dr Noleine Fitzallen)
UTAS Author:	Wright, S (Mrs Suzie Wright)
UTAS Author:	Kelly, BA (Mr Ben Kelly)
ID Code:	149788
Year Published:	2022
Funding Support:	Australian Research Council (DP150100120)
Deposited By:	Office of the Faculty of Education
Deposited On:	2022-04-12
Last Modified:	2022-07-22
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