Trends in Teaching Advanced Placement Statistics: Results from a National Survey

Abstract

Abstract This study provides a glimpse into the professional learning, beliefs, and practices of high school teachers of Advanced Placement (AP) Statistics. Data are from a survey of 445 AP Statistics teachers in late 2018. Results indicate many AP Statistics teachers have taken several statistics courses and engage in professional development related to statistics sponsored by the College Board (summer institutes, exam readings, and online community). They generally do not engage with resources developed by the American Statistical Association and the statistics education community. While AP statistics teachers structure class time with student–student interaction and use student-centered activities, they generally do not use statistics-specific technology tools and rarely engage students with datasets larger than 100 cases or with multiple variables. Teachers’ beliefs about teaching statistics do not always reflect their teaching practices. Personal time to improve, time with students (especially those on a blocked semester schedule), structure of curriculum and exam schedule, and lack of access to technology often prevent teachers from making changes to their practices. Findings call for targeted efforts to reach high school statistics teachers, engage them more in the statistics education community, and encourage curriculum and instructional approaches that more closely align with recommendations and trends in college-level introductory statistics.