Statistics Education and Practice in Secondary Schools in Nigeria: Experiences, Challenges and Opportunities

• Published in: Promoting Statistical Practice and Collaboration in Developing Countries pp. 85 - 91
• Main Authors: Agunloye, Oluokun Kasali, Makinde, Deborah Olufunmilayo, Agunloye, Rafiat Taiwo
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: CRC Press 2022
• Edition: 1
• Subjects: Professional Statistical Associations; Undergraduate Statistics Programs; Exponential Ratio Type Estimator; Data Set; Vice Versa; HPD Interval; Civic Education; Data Science Practice; Senior Secondary School; Statistics Educators; Statistics Education; Pennsylvania State University; Postprimary Level; Statistical Consulting Centers; Postprimary Schools; Senior Secondary School Students; LISA; Statistics Content; Senior Secondary; Data Science Skills; Senior Secondary School Level; Undergraduate Statistics Students; Mathematics Curriculum; Autoregressive Distributed Lag Model; Professional Statistics Educator; Senior Secondary Classes; HPD
• ISBN: 103219555X; 9781032195551; 1032198508; 9781032198507
• DOI: 10.1201/9781003261148-8

This chapter examines the status of statistics education and practice in Nigerian secondary schools. In Nigeria, statistics has always been taught as an integral part of mathematics curriculum and this arrangement seems to have significant implications on the growth and development of statistics education as a distinct branch of knowledge deserving due recognition as it is given to other core subjects in Nigerian secondary school curriculum. First, of particular interest is to assess the adequacy of statistics content of the current mathematics curriculum for both junior and senior secondary school students in Nigeria; second, it is desired to examine the professional qualifications and training of those who serve as statistics educators in Nigerian secondary schools; third, it is equally intended to examine the adequacy of instructional materials and teaching aids required for effective and productive teaching-learning process; and lastly to assess the impact of existing professional statistical bodies in promoting statistical education and literacy among Nigerian secondary school students. In view of the fact that we now live in a data-driven world where statistical education and practice plays a vital and leading role, there is a need to address problems confronting statistical education and practice at the secondary school level of education. This chapter, therefore, focuses on experiences, challenges and opportunities that are open to statistics educators and students in Nigerian secondary schools. Using ten secondary schools drawn from Oyo state of Nigeria, we present empirical evidence that suggests that statistics education and practice is still evolving in Nigerian secondary schools. It is hoped that our findings will guide policy-makers, school administrators, researchers, professional statistical bodies and other stakeholders committed to promoting statistical education and practice in Nigeria. This chapter examines the status of statistics education and practice in Nigerian secondary schools. A sample of one hundred and twenty students was drawn from the population through proportionate stratified random sampling technique which was intentionally adopted to ensure that the chosen respondents include students from science, commercial and art classes. There are three major important findings of this research work. Of all the 30 teachers involved in this study, none of them is a trained statistics educator. Both the state and the federal government should consult with all stakeholders in the education sector to facilitate the immediate establishment of statistics education programs in all colleges of education and universities nationwide in a bid to produce trained statistics educators that will be employed to teach statistics education at primary and postprimary levels.