Educational Research - the Ethics and Aesthetics of Statistics

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