Options
Primary 5 students interpretation of graphs in the real world
Author
Goh, Sock Lai
Supervisor
Pereira-Mendoza, Lionel
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the ways Primary 5 students interpret graphs in the real world. Currently the Singapore school curriculum has emphasized graph construction skills and graph reading skills but in the real world graph interpretation skills are probably of greater importance. As such, the focus in this study is on the students' ability to read and make sense of already constructed bar and line graphs both selected from the local press.
Data for the study was collected by semi-structured interviews of 24 students from a Primary 5 class. Eight students each from the high-ability (H.A.), middle-ability (M.A.) and low-ability (L.A.) groups were interviewed on their interpretation of the selected bar graph and line graph. Each student was given a bar graph and a line graph to study before they were interviewed individually on their interpretation of the graphs. The questions asked in the interviews were based on the 3 levels of graph comprehension distinguished by Curcio (1989) : (1) reading the data from the graph, (2) reading between the data, often involving calculations using data values to obtain other results, and (3) reading beyond the data to make predictions or inferences. The specific graphs and questions asked had been refined based on a pilot study. In addition to providing data on Curcio's levels the interviews provided insights into the errors and misconceptions.
Overall, the students had little difficulty with reading the data from the graph but demonstrated some misconceptions with questions that required them to read between the data. Reading beyond the graph questions such as those that require them to extrapolate and make predictions posed the most difficulties to the students.
The results of this study seem to indicate that while school instruction is effective there are some areas where there is room for improvement. For many students their education in this area is falling short in enabling students to comprehend graphs well enough to respond comfortably and easily to tasks requiring them to read between the data and read beyond the data, that is, to attain high levels of graph comprehension. The educational implications of these findings are there is an over-emphasis in the curriculum on data reading and that our curriculum should provide opportunities for students to explore questions that involve "going beyond the data".
Data for the study was collected by semi-structured interviews of 24 students from a Primary 5 class. Eight students each from the high-ability (H.A.), middle-ability (M.A.) and low-ability (L.A.) groups were interviewed on their interpretation of the selected bar graph and line graph. Each student was given a bar graph and a line graph to study before they were interviewed individually on their interpretation of the graphs. The questions asked in the interviews were based on the 3 levels of graph comprehension distinguished by Curcio (1989) : (1) reading the data from the graph, (2) reading between the data, often involving calculations using data values to obtain other results, and (3) reading beyond the data to make predictions or inferences. The specific graphs and questions asked had been refined based on a pilot study. In addition to providing data on Curcio's levels the interviews provided insights into the errors and misconceptions.
Overall, the students had little difficulty with reading the data from the graph but demonstrated some misconceptions with questions that required them to read between the data. Reading beyond the graph questions such as those that require them to extrapolate and make predictions posed the most difficulties to the students.
The results of this study seem to indicate that while school instruction is effective there are some areas where there is room for improvement. For many students their education in this area is falling short in enabling students to comprehend graphs well enough to respond comfortably and easily to tasks requiring them to read between the data and read beyond the data, that is, to attain high levels of graph comprehension. The educational implications of these findings are there is an over-emphasis in the curriculum on data reading and that our curriculum should provide opportunities for students to explore questions that involve "going beyond the data".
Date Issued
2004
Call Number
QA166 Goh
Date Submitted
2004