Statistical Tables in Spanish Primary School Textbooks

Abstract

Statistics is introduced in primary education in Spain, and its teaching is largely supported by textbooks, which are freely provided to the children. In this research, we analyse the activities based on statistical tables included in two complete collections of primary education mathematics textbooks. These activities are classified according to the type of table, the data presented in them, the activity requested from the student in relation to the table, and the data context, according to those suggested in the PISA studies. Using content analysis, we found that tables of distribution of a variable predominate, mainly with frequencies. The most frequent activity is the reading of information from the table, while the personal context appears in the majority of the activities. This analysis serves to highlight how the teaching of statistical tables is developed throughout primary education and inform the teachers about relevant variables that should be considered in their teaching.