Teaching statistics to non-specialists: challenges and strategies for success

ABSTRACT

Training in research methods is a crucial component of the student experience in further and higher education. A common set of statistical and experimental design methods are taught across a broad range of non-mathematics disciplines, spanning STEM subjects, medicine, and the social sciences. Understanding these methods is central to students’ ability to engage with their course, tutors, and the literature. It is also the key to enabling students to become not only practitioners of their chosen subject, but also statistically literate citizens, capable of understanding and evaluating everyday statistics. The first aim of this paper is to review the specific set of challenges faced by staff and students teaching and learning statistics within non-mathematics disciplines. Secondly, we review best practice and current trends in the design of motivating and effective statistics courses for non-specialists. Our findings suggest that many of the key challenges stem from negative attitudes towards statistics coupled with poor motivation to study the subject, factors which are exacerbated by statistics anxiety. Fortunately, because these challenges are so widespread, and have attracted the attention of innovative educators across broad disciplines, there is a wealth of good ideas and resources available to statistics teachers seeking ways to create effective learning experiences.

KEYWORDS:

• Statistics
• statistical literacy
• research methods
• statistics anxiety
• non-specialists

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Birmingham-Nottingham Education Partnership Fund under Grant EPF17_05.

Notes on contributors

Adrian Bromage

Dr. Adrian Bromage is a Research Fellow at the University of Birmingham, England. His research interests include non-mathematical ways to convey statistical concepts, and e-learning and virtual environments for interprofessional learning.

Sarah Pierce

Dr. Sarah Pierce is a Research Fellow at the University of Nottingham, England. She is interested in exploring innovative techniques to engage non-expert audiences with complex topics in science and maths.

Tom Reader

Dr. Tom Reader is an Associate Professor in the School of Life Sciences at the University of Nottingham, England. He is interested in the relationship between teaching and research in Higher Education, and finding ways to bridge the gap in statistics teaching between elementary training, and the more advanced needs of scientific researchers.

Lindsey Compton

Dr. Lindsey Compton is a Lecturer in Genetics in the School of Biosciences at the University of Birmingham, England. She has a particular research interest in communicating statistics to non-specialists, and in development of research informed approaches for STEM education in general.