Presentations/Awards
Elected Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia, 2007.
Jane Watson
Professor Jane Watson is Professor of Mathematics Education at the
University of Tasmania. She has been involved in research and pre-service
teacher education for more than twenty-five years. Professor Watson’s
research has focused on statistical literacy, an important element of
numeracy. Encouraging students to interpret and evaluate numerical
information to enhance their ability to make decisions in everyday life has
been a focus of her work. Professor Watson’s most recent publication,
Statistical Literacy at School: Growth and Goals, is a synthesis of more
than twenty years of work in this field.
Professor Watson has had a profound influence in mathematics education at a
local, national, and international level. She has fostered and maintained an
extensive network of teacher practitioners through conducting numerous
professional development programmes. Professor Watson is currently involved
in two large Australian Research Council Linkage Projects: StatSmart and
MARBLE (Mathematics Education in a Reform-Based Learning Environment). The
StatSmart project is aimed at improving teacher practice and student
outcomes in the field of statistics, through a program of professional
learning. The MARBLE project is supporting teachers to address students’
mathematical learning and their numeracy capabilities. In both projects
Professor Watson is investigating innovative teaching practices in numeracy,
statistics, and technology.
Professor Watson has made a significant contribution to curriculum
development in Tasmania and nationally in the areas of the chance and data
strand of mathematics. Her consultancy services have recently been used by
the Le@rning Federation for their development of learning objects in the
mathematics area of ‘Predictability and Uncertainty’ and the New Zealand
Ministry of Education in their current round of curriculum change. In her
local context, Professor Watson was involved in a collaborative project with
The Mercury newspaper to establish a website, Numeracy in the News, which
provides resources for classroom teachers.
Professor Jane Watson is an outstanding educator. She is recognised as a
leader in Statistics Education research internationally and is a renowned
member of the Australian education community. She has made significant
contributions to the teaching and learning of numeracy for over twenty years
through working with pre-service teachers, practising teachers, post
graduate students, other members of the academic community, and school
students.
Dr Jane Watson was one of six recipients of the Clunies Ross National Science and Technology Award for 1999.
The Ian Clunies Ross Memorial Foundation was established in 1959 to perpetuate the memory of Sir Ian Clunies Ross through its mission to:
‘Advance science, its communication and application to best benefit a developing Australia and the challenges of our global environment’.
Australia’s scientists and their achievements in scientific research and innovation are acclaimed internationally. However, the Foundation recognises the need to support, encourage and develop the people who devote themselves to applying science and developing technology to create new business, advance industry and solve community problems.
To this end the Foundation seeks to reward those who, often against difficulties and always with persistent commitment, have made important contributions to science and its application for the economic, social or environmental benefit of Australia. Each year the Foundation presents the Clunies Ross National Science and Technology Award in recognition of such endeavour.
The award to Dr Watson recognises her work in statistical literacy. Dr Watson, from the School of Early Childhood and Primary Education, University of Tasmania, is involved in ongoing research into how young people can learn statistics and probability. She is applying her research to develop school curriculae and provide professional development for teachers. She believes that young people need statistical literacy to be effective citizens in the modern society.
“They need to know how to translate the statistical claims made in politics and advertising; they also need to understand the odds of winning at the casino!” she said.
Dr Watson, who has taught at the University for 25 years, is using traditional and new media to get her message across to students and teachers. Satellite television, video conferencing, a website and a CD-ROM have all been used to reach teachers and give them the necessary professional skills and knowledge to facilitate the statistical literacy of their students. The maths internet site, Chance and Data in the News, uses newspaper stories in maths education.
Dr Watson has published numerous research studies in Australian and overseas journals. She was awarded a Royal Statistical Society Prize for an expose of the misleading statistical claims made by the John West company about its fish products. Dr Watson has been an invited speaker at conferences in the United States, South Korea and New Zealand.
The other five Australians to win the 1999 Clunies Ross Award were:
Professor Sam Luxton, University of Adelaide;
Dr Bruce Walker, Centre for Appropriate Technology, Alice Springs;
Dr Rahmi Akçelik, ARRB Transport Research, Melbourne;
Dr Frank Jorgensen, CSIRO Minerals, Melbourne; and
Mr Andrew Martin, Martin Communications, Melbourne.
A lifetime contribution award was made to Professor Sir Gustav Nossal.
The awards were presented by the Hon Peter Beattie, Premier of Queensland and Mr Hugh Morgan, Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Ian Clunies Ross Memorial Foundation, at a Presentation Dinner in Melbourne in March.
Dr Max Stephens,
Past President, AAMT Inc, Dr Jane Watson and Dr Di Siemon, President, AAMT
Inc, celebrate at the award presentation.
Other Presentations/Awards
Title: The Need for Statistical Literacy in Australian Society
Transcript available at:
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/science/ockham/stories/s29.htm
The C. Oswald Prize of the Royal Statistical Society in the UK for the best paper of the year in the journal Teaching Statistics.
Watson, J.M. (1992). Fishy
statistics. Teaching Statistics, 14(3), 17-21.
Watson, J.M., & Kelly, B.A. (2007). Assessment of students’
understanding of variation. Teaching Statistics, 29(3), 80-88.
Hanna Neumann Memorial Lecture of the Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers, 1995.
Title: Statistical Literacy: A Link Between Mathematics and Society
This lecture looks at the demands for statistical literacy in today’s society and then addresses the question of how the mathematics education community can meet the needs of teachers who in turn will be fulfilling the needs of students in the21st Century.
Sources:
Watson, J.M.(1995). Statistical literacy: A link between mathematics and society. In A. Richards, G. Gillman, K. Milton, & J. Oliver (Eds.), Flair: Forging links and integrating resources (pp. 12-28).Adelaide, SA: Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers.
Watson, J.M.(1995). Statistical literacy: A link between mathematics and society. Reflections, 20(3), 36-45. [New South Wales].
OECD Challenge and Change in
Science
Mathematics and Technology Conference, Canberra 1997
Title: Distance Education Using Technology for Mathematics Teachers
http://www.ash.org.au/teachers/smteoecd/astahtm/watson.htm
Fourth International Conference
on Mathematics Education
University of
Chicago School Mathematics Project, invited speaker, 1998.
The purposes of this paper are three-fold. The first is to look at some research on today's students’ statistical literacy skills in contexts provided by the news media. This will require a framework of understanding. The second is to explore what teachers can do in the classroom today using the media and available technology to increase levels of statistical literacy. The third is to suggest some possibilities for future uses of technology to challenge and extend students' understanding.
Source:
Watson, J.M.(1999). The media, technology and statistical literacy for all. In Z. Usiskin (Ed.), Developments in school mathematics education around the world. Volume 4(pp. 308-322). Reston, VA: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. [Refereed text of invited address at international conference.]
ICMI East Asia Regional Conference on Mathematics Education Korea, invited Plenary Speaker, 1998.
In preparing teachers to handle the new content and technologies in the mathematics classroom, the technology for the provision of professional development is also an issue, particularly in environments where vast distances and financial constraints apply. Experiences in Australia in association with the introduction of chance and data into the mathematics curriculum in the 1990s,will provide the context to discuss two levels of technology use for the professional development of mathematics teachers.
On one level, professional development must consider the ways that technology impacts on the teaching of the subject matter and provide teachers with the experiences and resources necessary to use these technologies for the benefit of their students. The use of video, internet, CD-ROM, and purpose-developed software will be demonstrated with reference (i) to motivating the chance and data curriculum, (ii) to supplementing content, (iii) to providing challenging cognitive conflict for students, and (iv) to creating simulations of probability models. These will serve as examples of the potential experiences which should be provided for teachers.
On a second level, the actual provision of the professional development itself needs to take into account delivery technologies other than face-to-face contact. Factors of distance, time and availability of resources may require rethinking of traditional methods. Examples to be discussed include the use of satellite television, video-conferencing, an internet site and a purpose-developed-ROM. The advantages and disadvantages of each will be considered based on feedback from Australian teachers who participated in a professional development project administered by the Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers, Inc. between 1994 and 1997.
Source:
Watson, J.M.(1998). Technology for the professional development of teachers. In H.S. Park, Y.H. Choe, H. Shin, & S.H. Kim (Eds.), Proceedings of the ICMI – East Asia Regional Conference on Mathematical Education Volume 1 (pp. 171-190). Korea: Korea Society of Mathematical Education.
Sixth International Conference on the Teaching of Statistics, Cape Town, South Africa, invited plenary speaker, 2002
Title: Doing Research in Statistics Education: More than just data
ICOTS covers all aspects of teaching statistic at levels from early childhood to people in the work place. Although not all reports at ICOTS would be considered 'research’, it would be possible to conduct research in areas related to most of the reports presented here. This research might be based on data, collected in many ways, or it might be based on scholarly writing, placing current work in the context of historical study or other work in the field. Although there are many avenues for conducting research, there are certain ingredients that are part of research studies. I want to illustrate some of these from the work in which I have been involved or which I have admired. I will be looking mainly at statistics at the school level, but similar questions and methods are relevant to all levels where statistics teaching and learning takes place.
Meaningful questions, appropriate methods, and scholarly reporting are the ingredients of research that will be most likely to have an impact on the field. Often classical methods—those that we teach to our students—are not appropriate for the questions that arise in relation to the people/students with whom we work or the topics with which we deal in doing research. Methods must be appropriate for the questions we want to answer: sometimes qualitative, sometimes quantitative, and sometimes a mixture. In reporting outcomes, it is also important to place our results in the context of what is happening elsewhere in the statistics education community.
Source:
Watson, J.M.(2002). Doing research in statistics education: More than just data. In B. Phillips (Ed.), Proceedings of the Sixth International Conference on Teaching Statistics: Developing a statistically literate society, Cape Town, South Africa. Voorburg, The Netherlands: International Statistical Institute. [Text of invited keynote at international conference.]
Reprinted inB. Phillips (Ed.), ICOTS6 Papers for School Teachers (pp. 13-20). Voorburg, The Netherlands: International Statistical Institute.
International Congress on Mathematics Education, Copenhagen, Denmark, invited lecturer, 2004
Title: Assessment in Statistics Education: Obstacle or Opportunity?
Assessment is one of those words that conjures up different meanings and feelings for different people. In choosing between using the words “assessment” and "measurement” in the title, assessment was chosen because, despite the anxiety it may create for some, it seems to encompass a broader range of ideas. Measurement seems to imply turning “something” into numbers and that is not always appropriate. Intuitively measurement is usually considered as a subset of assessment and the aim of this paper is to view the subject from the widest angle possible. The perspective of the paper is not that of a specialist educational measurement or assessment person. Most people in education, however, are forced, or even choose, to be in situations where they have to carry out assessments. This paper hence aims to present some of the variety that can exist in the field of assessment in statistics education. After briefly considering some of the potential obstacles of assessment, some of the wonderful opportunities that present themselves are explored.
Source:
Watson, J.M. (in press). Assessment in statistics education: Obstacle or opportunity? Proceedings of the International Congress on Mathematical Education, Copenhagen, Denmark, 2004. [Invited Lecture at international congress.]
Practical Implications Award of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia, 2005
Title: Variation and expectation as foundations for the chance and data curriculum
This paper considers the evolution of research in statistics education since the introduction of chance and data into the Australian mathematics curriculum in 1991 and presents selected outcomes of research into students’ understanding of the content in the chance and data curriculum, using them to argue for a change in emphasis in the classroom in the teaching of chance and data. These suggestions might also influence current curriculum revisions taking place within Australia and New Zealand. Building on the history of the discipline of statistics and its introduction into the school curriculum, it is argued that topics in the curriculum associated with expectation, such as the mean, generally have preceded those associated with variation, such as the standard deviation. Research however, suggests that children develop an appreciation of variation before expectation, and this knowledge should influence the order of the introduction of associated topics and their juxtaposition in the curriculum and the classroom.
Source:
Watson, J.M. (2005). Variation and expectation as foundations for the chance and data curriculum. In P. Clarkson, A. Downton, D. Gronn, M. Horne, A. McDonough, R. Pierce & A. Roche (Eds.), Building connections: Theory, research and practice (Proceedings of the 28th annual conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia, Melbourne, pp. 35-42). Sydney: MERGA