All chemistry students must develop competency in analyzing and making sense of data. However, there are many difficulties that chemistry students may experience while analyzing data. Many students may not use relevant prior knowledge to aid in making sense of data, or they may not form conclusions using all the data provided. Additionally, prior…

The year 2020 saw the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic that not only had wide-reaching social and economic consequences but also put healthcare systems under stress. Strategies for coping with the virus depended heavily on the interpretation of data. This article uses information from a UK upper tier local authority to examine how closely the…

Science as inquiry and mathematics as problem solving are conjoined fraternal twins attached by their similarities but with distinct differences. Inquiry and problem solving are promoted in contemporary science and mathematics education reforms as a critical attribute of the nature of disciplines, teaching methods, and learning outcomes involving…

This study examined how 12- and 13-year-old students' mathematics and science background knowledge affected line graph interpretations and how interpretations were affected by graph question levels. A purposive sample of 14 students engaged in think aloud interviews while completing an excerpted Test of Graphing in Science. Data were…

Current educational reform calls for increased integration between science and mathematics to overcome the shortcomings in students' quantitative skills. Data Nuggets (free online resource, http://datanuggets.org) are worksheets that bring data into the classroom, repeatedly guiding students through the scientific method and making claims…

Applies Latour's notion of graphism to the hierarchy of sciences. Finds that the use of graphs across seven scientific disciplines correlates almost perfectly with their hardness, and that the same pattern held up across 10 specialty fields in psychology. (Author/CCM)

Investigates 10th grade students' ability to handle data and interpretation by using a variety of tasks. Discusses the importance of developing student discussion as a route to better conceptual understanding of data presented in graphical form. (Contains 15 references.) (Author/YDS)

Students at the middle school level are expected to use appropriate tools and techniques, including mathematics and graphing, to analyze and interpret data and communicate experimental findings. Measures of central tendency (mean, median, and mode--see sidebar for definitions) are often used as descriptive statistics when students conduct…

This paper suggests an inexpensive way for encouraging discussions of experimental design and data interpretation for all grade levels. The discussion begins with the presentation of a graph or table from the scientific literature. Questions are then asked in six steps to promote an understanding of the information contained. (PR)

Described is a membrane experiment that provides students with experience in fundamental engineering skills such as mass balances, modeling, and using the computer as a research tool. Included are the experimental design, theory, method of solution, sample calculations, and conclusions. (KR)

Presents a lesson plan detailing an interdisciplinary mathematics/science activity in which students take a home survey of light bulbs and then design an energy-saving lighting system for a home. Contains reproducible student worksheets. (MKR)

Describes an activity for determining how long and when a tree lived by comparing its ring sizes with local precipitation records. Suggests benefits for this type of dendrochronology activity. (TW)

Using Piagetian tasks designed to assess specific mental structures, researchers investigate the relationship between logical thinking structures and the ability of students to construct and interpret line graphs. Results revealed that a significant correlation exists between the aforementioned variables. Suggests and cautions that only at certain…

The interpretation of data and construction and interpretation of graphs are central practices in science, which, according to recent reform documents, science and mathematics teachers are expected to foster in their classrooms. However, are (preservice) science teachers prepared to teach inquiry with the purpose of transforming and analyzing…