INITIAL ATTITUDES TOWARD STATISTICS ARE BETTER IN TRADITIONAL COMPARED TO ONLINE COURSES, AT LEAST UNTIL COVID-19

Authors

  • HIROKI MATSUO Baylor University
  • ALEISE L. NOONER Arkansas State University
  • AMY R. PEARCE Arkansas State University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.52041/serj.v21i3.90

Keywords:

Statistics education research, Survey of Attitudes Toward Statistics, College teaching, Undergradaute education, Course format, Pandemic

Abstract

We examined students’ initial and concluding attitudes toward statistics based on course delivery methods. Students enrolled in either traditional or online undergraduate statistics courses (N = 196) completed the Survey of Attitudes Toward Statistics-36. At the beginning of the semester, students in traditional courses felt better about the course and believed it would be easier, compared to students taking statistics online. Attitude differences, however, were mitigated as traditional courses were forced online by the pandemic, and distinct attitudinal differences were not observed at the semester’s end. With limited offerings and restrictions on the delivery of traditional courses in the COVID-19 era, statistics educators should be cognizant of student attitudes, their potential for change, and how to best influence positive attitude shifts for different instructional formats.

Author Biographies

HIROKI MATSUO, Baylor University

Graduate Student in the Educational Psychology program, Quantitative Methods Track, Department of Educational Psychology

ALEISE L. NOONER, Arkansas State University

Graduate Student in the Specialist in Education program, School Psychology Track, Department of Psychology and Counseling

AMY R. PEARCE, Arkansas State University

Professor of Psychology, Department of Psychology and Counseling

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Published

2022-12-01

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Regular Articles