RELATIONS AMONG DIMENSIONS OF STATISTICAL KNOWLEDGE

Ways of knowing statistical concepts are reviewed. A general three-cat egory structure for knowing is proposed: (a) calculations, (b) proposi tions, and (c) conceptual understandings. Test items were developed th at correspond to the first category and to a partitioning of the two l atter categories into words and symbols. Thirty-one items covering the five types were administered to 57 graduate students. Correlation of student scores on the 10-item calculations subtest and the 10-item pro positions subtest was .61, whereas the other two intercategory correla tions were .40 (Calculations vs. Conceptual Understandings) and .37 (P ropositions vs. Conceptual Understandings). The results suggest that s tudents should be tested in more than one domain, and that instructors should expect students to develop conceptual understanding in additio n to skills in computation.