Middle school students' statistical literacy: Role of grade level and gender

This study examined the role of gender and grade level on middle school students' statistical literacy. The study was conducted in the spring semester of the 2012-2013 academic year with 598 middle-school students (grades 6-8) from three public schools in Turkey. The data were collected using the Statistical Literacy Test, developed based on Watson's (1997) statistical literacy framework. Two-way ANOVA results revealed no significant grade level differences although female students performed significantly better than male students. The spiral curriculum in middle school mathematics may explain the lack of differences between grades. The higher performance of female students may be related to the linguistic aspects of statistical literacy, in contrast to the situation in school mathematics.