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Sensitive Issues, Risk, and Civic Statistics in the Classroom

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Title: Sensitive Issues, Risk, and Civic Statistics in the Classroom
Language: English
Authors: Jane M. Watson, Zalman Usiskin
Source: For the Learning of Mathematics. 2025 45(2):2-7.
Availability: FLM Publishing Association. 382 Education South, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2G5, Canada. e-mail: flm2@ualberta.ca; Web site: https://flm-journal.org/
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 6
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Secondary Education
Descriptors: News Reporting, Weapons, Mathematics Education, Conferences (Gatherings), Statistics Education, Knowledge Level, Sampling, Ethics, Error Patterns, Risk, Controversial Issues (Course Content), Thinking Skills, Teaching Methods, Case Studies, Foreign Countries, Civics, Secondary School Students
Geographic Terms: Australia, Illinois (Chicago)
ISSN: 0228-0671
Abstract: A newspaper article about the availability of guns in Chicago, presented at a mathematics education conference in that city in 1998, is linked to a tragic shooting near that city in 2022. The article was used in Australia for many years in research with teachers and students to assess statistical literacy in relation to sampling, until ethics committees forbade its use. After a shooting outside of Chicago in 2022, renewed examination of the statistics leading to the article reveals errors in the reporting and raises policy questions related to the roles of risk and sensitive issues and, more generally, civic statistics in the classroom. Examples are presented of the unwillingness of ethics committees to allow discussions of such issues to take place in the classroom and of publishers not allowing such issues to be mentioned in their texts. Examples are also given of the types of questions that might be put forth to students. The authors argue that discussions of risk and sensitive issues provide applications of statistics and statistical thinking that are important for students to encounter.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2025
Access URL: https://flm-journal.org/index.php?do=show&lang=en&showMenu=45%2C2
Accession Number: EJ1477366
Database: ERIC
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  Data: A newspaper article about the availability of guns in Chicago, presented at a mathematics education conference in that city in 1998, is linked to a tragic shooting near that city in 2022. The article was used in Australia for many years in research with teachers and students to assess statistical literacy in relation to sampling, until ethics committees forbade its use. After a shooting outside of Chicago in 2022, renewed examination of the statistics leading to the article reveals errors in the reporting and raises policy questions related to the roles of risk and sensitive issues and, more generally, civic statistics in the classroom. Examples are presented of the unwillingness of ethics committees to allow discussions of such issues to take place in the classroom and of publishers not allowing such issues to be mentioned in their texts. Examples are also given of the types of questions that might be put forth to students. The authors argue that discussions of risk and sensitive issues provide applications of statistics and statistical thinking that are important for students to encounter.
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    Languages:
      – Text: English
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      Pagination:
        PageCount: 6
        StartPage: 2
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: News Reporting
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Weapons
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Mathematics Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Conferences (Gatherings)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Statistics Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Knowledge Level
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Sampling
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Ethics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Error Patterns
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Risk
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Controversial Issues (Course Content)
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      – SubjectFull: Thinking Skills
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      – SubjectFull: Teaching Methods
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      – SubjectFull: Case Studies
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      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
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      – SubjectFull: Civics
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      – SubjectFull: Secondary School Students
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      – SubjectFull: Australia
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Illinois (Chicago)
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      – TitleFull: Sensitive Issues, Risk, and Civic Statistics in the Classroom
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