Educational Research - the Ethics and Aesthetics of Statistics

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132 U. Stadler-Altmann and E. Keiner Table 9.1 Analogies between statistical symbols and the poem ‘Anna Blume’ Empirical study Poem (English) Poem (German) R Oh, thou O ∗ ∗∗ ∗∗∗ !!!! -- A ! - B E easy dich dir X 2 (df ..) V victory Ich dir NFI E easy du mir CFI E–V–E ‘a–n–n–a’ RMSEA E-V-E a-n-n-a If the scholarly audience listens to an educational research presentation and looks at symbols like those in the first column of Table 9.1, they feel that they understand the relevance of these symbols. It is not necessary for the presenter to provide a more detailed explanation. For example, ∗ (one asterisk) means ‘significant’, ∗∗ (two asterisks) ‘highly significant’. If we look at the literary dimension we also find some symbols in poetic (as well as in the everyday) language that do not require an explanation. For example, ‘!!!!’ means ‘very important’, and ‘E-V-E’ has at least a double, but clear meaning: it accentuates the name ‘Eve’ or it serves as an acronym for ‘Easy Victory Easy’. In this respect one could in fact assume a comparability of the symbols’ meanings in statistical presentations and in poems. They share the form, but they differ regarding the meaning that derives from respective contexts. However, are the sense and meaning of these symbols always the same regardless of what the author wants to convey? Researchers have explored various areas regarding the understanding of statistical concepts and symbols (Falk, 1986; Haas, Pattuelli, & Brown, 2003) in order to see how technology can help to understand, integrate, and apply fundamental statistical concepts (Chance Garfield, & delMas, 2000). Pimm (1987) relates understanding of symbols to the use of everyday words with particular mathematical meaning. This relationship is also relevant in the case of statistics. He also considers that analogies and metaphors, that house rather different meanings in everyday language, are very important for the construction of precise mathematical and statistical meaning. 9.1.1 Aesthetics in Oral Presentation of Empirical Studies The analysis of a scholarly oral presentation could be done in a similar way as an analysis of a poem. Using the standards of literary criticism, we can interpret the different parts of the presentation as stanzas. In a scholarly oral presentation particular importance is usually attached to graphs, figures and numbers indicating research results. The presumed evidence, significance and validity of the figures take centre stage in order to be suggestive of objectivity and clarity. Like the author of a poem the author of an empirical study uses elements of enchantment to show how new results disenchanting the former vision of the world. The ‘magic’ in empirical
9 The Persuasive Power of Figures and the Aesthetics of the Dirty Backyards 133 studies is conjured through the use of statistics. Even if the scholarly audience knows a lot about the statistical background the author constructs him-/herself as an expert. The difficulties of carrying out and understanding statistical presentations are due to the complex structure of statistics. According to Sfard (1991), mathematical entities and concepts have a dual nature. Referring to the differences between structural and object conception Sfard says, Whereas the structural conception is static, instantaneous and integrative, the operational is dynamic, sequential and detailed ...The former [object] is more abstract, more integrated and less detailed than the latter. (p. 4) The same could be said about a sophisticated, structural poem. A structural poem is static, instantaneous, integrative, more abstract and less detailed. The sense of a poem is sometimes locked into a few words just as the sense of a statistical finding is also locked into a few words or symbols. Just like the ‘Medium is the Message’ (McLuhan) the structure is the meaning. Therefore, every poem can be reconstructed as regards both its structural form and the operational processes of structuring and re-configuring words. Similarly, every empirical study can be read in regards to both its epistemological structure and an operational process of trial and error pertaining to the juggling of words and symbols. In this respect an oral research presentation as well as a poem can be perceived from structural and operational points of view. Every word in a poem could have different meanings and different modes of ignorance, and every element of data in an empirical study could have different answers for different questions. The particular meaning emerges in situ while words and symbols are used and played with. Of course, this assumes that the general meaning hovers in the background as a commonly shared structure. Every educational empirical oral presentation usually starts with a little intro: name of the author(s), goals of the research and theme of the presentation. Let us return to the poem ‘Eve Blossom’ [‘Anna Blume’] where Kurt Schwitters provides the title within which reside the goal and theme of his subject. Then he repeats his insight or result four times: ‘I love thine’ [‘ich liebe dir’ (3, 12, 21, 32)]. Similarly, in a presentation of educational research, the goals and the results are repeated at least four times: in the intro, at the end of the theory-chapter, in the result-chapter and in the conclusion (Table 9.2). If we look only at the construction of presentations and poems we see some parallels: An (oral) presentation of educational statistical research is based on the Table 9.2 Comparison between elements of poems and empirical studies Poem Empirical study 1 Stanza Chapters 2 Words Data 3 Symbols Statistical symbols 4 Magic Statistics 5 Recite Oral presentation 6 Understanding Judgement 7 New view New questions
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Educational Research: The Ethics an
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Paul Smeyers · Marc Depaepe Editor
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Earlier Volumes in this Series Educ
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viii Contents 10 The Good, the Beau
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28 M. Depaepe of the Leuven Catholi
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30 M. Depaepe Tan’s final verdict
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32 M. Depaepe of methodological bot
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34 M. Depaepe tapping other sources
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36 M. Depaepe In the context of dem
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38 M. Depaepe combination. Moreover
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40 M. Depaepe 4. See Pelleriaux (19
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42 M. Depaepe Schneider, J. (2010).
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44 J.J.H. Dekker (see Section 4.4).
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46 J.J.H. Dekker from their own par
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48 J.J.H. Dekker a cohort study tha
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50 J.J.H. Dekker child” (Van IJze
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52 J.J.H. Dekker USA resulted in ev
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56 J.J.H. Dekker Dekker. J. J. H.,
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188 I. Munday We might also note th
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190 R. Smith ‘Statisticism’, on
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192 R. Smith identify, and twice in
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194 R. Smith of the final sentence
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198 R. Smith 7 www.equalitytrust.or
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200 R. Smith It is an interesting q
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202 R. Smith self-esteem, happiness
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204 R. Smith Reeves, R. (2009, Apri
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206 P. Standish Some students’ no
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212 P. Standish research none of us
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216 About the Authors co-editor-in-
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218 About the Authors voor Wetensch
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220 Author Index Elkins, G. R., 190
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222 Author Index Silverman, J. G.,
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224 Subject Index I Inequality, 29-
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