TEACHING STATISTICS WITH A CRITICAL PEDAGOGY A Dissertation by TONI DIMELLA Submitted to the School of Graduate Studies at Appalachian State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF EDUCATION August 2019 Educational Leadership Doctoral Program Reich College of Education TEACHING STATISTICS WITH A CRITICAL PEDAGOGY A Dissertation by TONI DIMELLA August 2019 APPROVED BY: Tracy Goodson-Epsy, Ed.D Chairperson, Dissertation Committee Lisa Poling, Ph.D Member, Dissertation Committee Tracie Salinas, Ph.D Member, Dissertation Committee Vachel Miller, Ed.D Director, Educational Leadership Doctoral Program Mike McKenzie, Ph.D. Dean, Cratis D. Williams School of Graduate Studies Copyright by Toni DiMella 2019 All Rights Reserved Abstract TEACHING STATISTICS WITH A CRITICAL PEDAGOGY Toni DiMella A.A.S., SUNY Sullivan B.A., Mount Saint Mary College M.S.Ed., Mount Saint Mary College Ed.S., Appalachian State University Ed.D., Appalachian State University Dissertation Committee Chairperson: Dr. Tracy Goodson-Epsy After President Obama shifted the country’s focus from K-12 towards higher education, post-secondary schools found themselves under significant public, financial, and political pressure. To close the achievement gap and meet new standards of accountability, higher education institutions began looking for methods to increase student access and success. With a growing emphasis on degree completion and quantitative literacy, some researchers began to explore the use of critical pedagogies to better serve a more diverse population (Ukpokodu, 2011). This quantitative study measured the effectiveness of implementing a critical statistics pedagogy in an undergraduate introductory statistics classroom and its impact on course success, persistence, and mathematical empowerment. Data collected from four classes at a community college found the use of a critical pedagogy had a positive impact on students’ overall achievement, increased their awareness of social justice issues, and aided in the development of their critical voice. iv Acknowledgments If you want to go fast, go alone; but if you want to go far, go together. It is through the endless support and guidance of my committee and family members that resulted in the completion of this dissertation. My dissertation chairperson Dr. Tracy Goodson-Espy patiently answered questions via emails and phone calls about statistical analysis to paperwork procedures and every imaginable topic in between. Dr. Lisa Poling and Dr. Tracie Salinas shared their invaluable feedback and insights on critical pedagogies and mathematics education ensuring my students received the highest quality of instruction. The knowledge the committee shared with me will forever impact my practice. My family, new and old, also traveled with me on this journey. My parents, Maureen and Anthony Marino, always made my education a top priority and supported me through years of taking classes, commuting to school, and managing deadlines. It was the decisions they made when I was young that led me to this destination. When it seemed like the dissertation process would never end, my mother-in-law and father-in-law, Cynthia and Arthur DiMella, provided a shoulder to cry on and the encouragement to continue forward. I am fortunate to have had an abundance of cheerleaders to help motivate me to completion. However, it is my husband, Adam DiMella, who was, and continues to be, my biggest cheerleader. He listened to countless hours of educational theory and statistics from journal articles. He fixed printers late at night, served as an alarm clock to keep me from typing for ten hours straight, and ate a lot of take-out for dinner. He fed the dogs and cleaned up after the cat as I stared into a computer screen for two years. All while telling me how proud he was of me. Thank you. v Table of Contents Abstract .............................................................................................................................. iv Acknowledgments................................................................................................................v List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... ix List of Figures ......................................................................................................................x Chapter One: Introduction ...................................................................................................1 Statement of the Problem .....................................................................................................1 Research Questions ..............................................................................................................5 Methodology ........................................................................................................................6 Significance of the Issue ......................................................................................................8 Definitions............................................................................................................................9 Organization of the Study ..................................................................................................11 Limitations .........................................................................................................................12 Chapter Two: Literature Review .......................................................................................13 Classic Literature ...............................................................................................................13 Critical Pedagogy in the Mathematics Classroom .............................................................16 Impact of the Use of Critical Pedagogies ..........................................................................23 Focus on Community Colleges ..........................................................................................28 Teaching Statistics for Social Justice .................................................................................34 Chapter Three: Methodology .............................................................................................39 Research Design.................................................................................................................39 Participants .........................................................................................................................40 vi Role of the Researcher .......................................................................................................43 Ethical Issues .....................................................................................................................44 Data Sources and Collection ..............................................................................................46 Data Analysis .....................................................................................................................51 Trustworthiness of the Analysis.........................................................................................52 Nonequivalent Control Group Designs ..............................................................................52 CAOS. ................................................................................................................................54 CLES. .................................................................................................................................55 Overall Limitations. ...........................................................................................................57 Chapter Four: Results ........................................................................................................58 Research Question One ......................................................................................................58 Course Grades. ...................................................................................................................58 Final Exam Grades. ............................................................................................................60 CAOS Pretest/Posttest Scores. ...........................................................................................60 Statesville Sections ............................................................................................................61 Mooresville Sections ..........................................................................................................62 Persistence..........................................................................................................................63 Research Question Two .....................................................................................................64 Summary of Findings .........................................................................................................73 Chapter Five: Conclusions .................................................................................................75 Analysis of the Results.......................................................................................................75 Research Question One. .....................................................................................................76 Statesville Sections ............................................................................................................76 vii Mooresville