Statistical education at South African universities with special reference to the needs of consulting statisticians
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2015-03-05
Authors
Du Toit, Pierre Spafford
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
This study concerns statistical education at university level in
South Africa.
An analysis of the data from two questionnaires identified the
statistical methods commonly used by groups of statisticians employed
in different sectors of the economy, and showed that there were
significant differences between the usages hy some of the employee
groups.
Estimates of the teaching emphasis given to these methods by
universities established that certain methods %et greater emphasis
than their use warrants, while others get less.
Comments from sixty five statisticians on tne effectiveness of their
training indicated that the teaching of statistics is too
theoretical.
Continuing education courses, as a means of upgrading the statistical
abilities of users o" -atistlcs, are discussed, and the experience
gained in this field at the University of the Witwatersrand if,
presented.
Suggestions are made concerning the use of educational theory
pertaining to curriculum development to improve the effectiveness of
statistical education.
The value of this study is that it is the first detailed