Integrating statistics: doing research in undergraduate studies

Abstract

The paper describes the project Mathematics and Statistics for the Development of Professional Skills. Motivation and integration are keywords of teaching statistics to students who are not primarily interested in statistics. The motivation is based on illustrative problems, questions or examples of the field and real life that can be solved, answered or better understood with the study of the respective statistical content(s). Recently published scientific papers are used as didactic material. In general, the integration occurs throughout the following steps: explaining abstract statistical concepts and methods; applying concepts and methods to the example given as motivation; doing tutorial data analyses with statistical software; replicating data analyses and solving research problems with real data. The pedagogic methodology is based on the mixed uses of lectures and student centered activities. The didactic method exposed allows students an early practice of scientific activities.