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ADN Volume 4, Number 1, 2011 The aims of this paper are to determine the validity and reliability of SASTSc scale as an instrument to measure students’ attitudes that monitors affective components relevant to learning the disciple of statistics with the help of technology and its impact on students’ career in a Greek sample. Initially, it was consisted of 28 items concerning 5 conceptual subscales which measure students’ attitudes concerning Statistics Cognitive Competence, Technology Cognitive Competence, Learning Statistics with Technology, Value of the disciple and Emotions. In particular, the paper reports the responses of 123 Greek students from the department of Preschool Education of the Western Macedonia University in Greece. The results of the present study provide the final scale, which is consisted of the all the 28 items of the initial SASTS Scale and for which strong evidence was ascertained.
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Volume 4, Number 1, 2011
RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY TESTING OF A NEW SCALE FOR MESURING ATTITUDES TOWARD LEARNING STATISTICS WITH TECHOLOGY Sofia D. Anastasiadou Abstract. The aims of this paper are to determine the validity and reliability of SASTSc scale as an instrument to measure students’ attitudes that monitors affective components relevant to learning the disciple of statistics with the help of technology and its impact on students’ career in a Greek sample. Initially, it was consisted of 28 items concerning 5 conceptual subscales which measure students’ attitudes concerning Statistics Cognitive Competence, Technology Cognitive Competence, Learning Statistics with Technology, Value of the disciple and Emotions. In particular, the paper reports the responses of 123 Greek students from the department of Preschool Education of the Western Macedonia University in Greece. The results of the present study provide the final scale, which is consisted of the all the 28 items of the initial SASTS Scale and for which strong evidence was ascertained. Keywords: Reliability, Validity, Statistics, Techology, Scale
1. Theoretical framework Many researchers described innovative ways computers are being used in undergraduate and graduate statistics courses and their impact on the way these courses are being taught (Biehler, 1993; Moore, 1997; Ben-Zvi, 2000; Franklin & Garfield, 2006; Callingham, 2010). Uses of technology discussed included combinations of software programs with new curricular approaches and Internet resources. ICOTS (International Conference of Statistics Education) and IASE (International Assosiation of Statistics Education) conferences have put emphases to the advantages and benefits of computers in statistics education. Chance et all. (2007) argued that it is hard to imagine teaching statistics today without using some form of technology. In addition Garfield et all. (2000) supported that teachers are encouraged to view the use of technology not just as a way to compute numbers but as a way to explore concepts and ideas and enhance student learning.
2. Research goals Statistics education community pays attention to the impact that technology may have on the learning statistics. Therefore, it is of great interest to investigate the attitudes of professionals, pupils, students and teachers, towards learning statistics with technology. For this reason, the present study aims to create a reliable and valid tool capable to measure the participants’ awareness of lifelong learning in connection with the human resources development issue by taking into consideration vital parameters such as, positive and negative attitudes concerning a student’s knowledge and skills as applied to statistics, positive and negative attitudes concerning a student’s knowledge and skills as applied to technology, positive and negative attitudes concerning a student’s attitudes to learning stati