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A Comparison of Strategies Used by Lecturers to Improve Students' Perceived Feelings toward Statistics--A Study That Is Stat-tastic!

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Bibliographic Details
Title: A Comparison of Strategies Used by Lecturers to Improve Students' Perceived Feelings toward Statistics--A Study That Is Stat-tastic!
Language: English
Authors: Anna Christian Riach (ORCID 0000-0001-7703-5605), Amanda J. Shaker, Ellen Marshall, Karol P. Binkowski, William P. Kay
Source: Teaching Statistics: An International Journal for Teachers. 2026 48(1):S22-S35.
Availability: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 14
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Teaching Methods, Statistics Education, Motivation Techniques, Mathematics Anxiety, Psychological Patterns, Humor, Student Attitudes, Attitude Change
DOI: 10.1111/test.12408
ISSN: 0141-982X
1467-9639
Abstract: One way of addressing anxiety in students studying statistics as a non-specialist is dedicated statistics anxiety workshops, but some students are too anxious to attend such sessions. In this multi-university study, lecturers presented content from such a workshop in one slide per session throughout their statistics teaching. This "Stat-tastic thoughts" approach was compared with other strategies, typically used in statistics teaching to address statistics anxiety, by students scoring each strategy for how it affected their feelings toward statistics. While all strategies had a positive effect on feelings, staff approachability, the lecturer's attitude toward the subject, and attempts at humor or fun, consistently scored highest. Our findings suggest that it is these elements of a statistics course that students think statistics educators should concentrate their limited time and energy on to increase their students' positive feelings toward statistics.
Abstractor: As Provided
Notes: https://osf.io/6fdnu
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1505716
Database: ERIC
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Abstract:One way of addressing anxiety in students studying statistics as a non-specialist is dedicated statistics anxiety workshops, but some students are too anxious to attend such sessions. In this multi-university study, lecturers presented content from such a workshop in one slide per session throughout their statistics teaching. This "Stat-tastic thoughts" approach was compared with other strategies, typically used in statistics teaching to address statistics anxiety, by students scoring each strategy for how it affected their feelings toward statistics. While all strategies had a positive effect on feelings, staff approachability, the lecturer's attitude toward the subject, and attempts at humor or fun, consistently scored highest. Our findings suggest that it is these elements of a statistics course that students think statistics educators should concentrate their limited time and energy on to increase their students' positive feelings toward statistics.
ISSN:0141-982X
1467-9639
DOI:10.1111/test.12408