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Case Study – Secondary school – Claver-Jesuïtes & Maristes – Lleida, Spain

In Lleida (Spain) 13-14 year-old students investigated during 25 lessons if there is any relationship between weather (such as Temperature, Wind, Relative Humidity, pluviometry, etc.) and human behaviour or activities (such as listening to different types of music, doing sports, colours chosen for clothes, food consumption, etc.). Key data analytic skills were taught such as: define a research question, collect and consider data, interpretation of graphs, graphical data, interpretation of averages and drawing conclusions from data.

Data sets were searched on the internet or gathered and collected by students using on-line questionnaires. The students studied basic statistical concepts, such as appropriate graphical representation involving discrete, continuous and grouped data; and, appropriate measures of central tendency (mean, mode, median) based on the Catalan national curriculum.

Activities were carefully designed and sequenced guiding students through an inquiry cycle in which students were scaffolded to define research questions and a hypothesis; to consider and collect data;  to explore data with CODAP and, then, to make conclusions and communicate their findings.

The students used CODAP to explore and interpret their data. Thus, the students learned to read and interpret how to make their inferences and reach conclusions that led them to answer their research questions and validate or refute their hypothesis. Some of their findings were:

There is a relationship between the type of music and weather. During sunny days, people spend more time listening to music and it is livelier in comparison to the one listened to on rainy days.

There is a relationship between the type of clothes colours and the weather. Countries with dryer weather wear brighter colours than rainy countries.

There is a relationship between time spent using social networks and the weather. The students found a positive correlation between rainy days and time spent on social media: people spend more time on social networks in rainy days rather than in sunny days.

Students were asked and scaffolded to write a report on their research questions and to communicate their findings and conclusions in leaflets and infographics.

With this study, teachers can get inspiration with the lesson plan used during the entirety of the project and get a feeling of how the classes were carried out with the video, summarising the key activities developed during the project.

A post knowledge test suggests that students learn and are able to use appropriate data analytics skills to solve daily life problems and take right decisions. Furthermore, a key attitude survey suggests that students have more positive attitudes towards learning statistical concepts using technologies.


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