Statistic problem solving based on cognitive style: statistically thinking

Abstract

Statistical thinking is fundamental for humans’ live, particularly to help them make careful and thorough decision. Besides, it makes them change the ways they apply from traditional to scientifically rational manner. Therefore, teaching statistics since elementary school is necessary. Based on the curriculum of mathematics in Indonesia, statistics is first introduced in the 6th grade of elementary school. However, some studies suggested that the lower graders were found successful in solving statistical problems. This study aimed to investigate the statistical thinking of an elementary female student in terms of her cognitive style. A qualitative approach was selected to describe students’ statistical thinking in detail. The result found that a female student with field-independent cognitive style solved a statistical problem by several procedures, including: identifying data, describing and displaying data, organizing and reducing data, representing data, analyzing data, and making conclusion. Representation by a field independent female student allowed her to make a comprehensively contextual response between the data on table and on bar chart.