Experiences

Statistical survey

Anna Luise

Italy

Vocational School

Maths

Teaching in class, Laboratory

Direct

The program of the third classes in vocational schools includes the study of the equations of second degree, the study of the parabola as geometric locus and the its use to study the inequalities of grade II.
This whole theory is definitely not suited to our use because, according to students, it is completely detached from reality.
Last year, in accordance with the professors of foreign language (English, French and German), we tried to carry out an interdisciplinary project that took place throughout the second part of the year and that concerned the other topic is taught in our third year classes: statistics.
After a month of presentation of the subject, of explanation on how to organize the information available, about how to work on the information collected, and after so many guide exercises (such as to simulate a statistical survey) students were ready to start a mathematical work in foreign language, completely immersed in reality.
We organized the class into smaller groups (max three people) and we prepared a questionnaire (translated into three languages) to be submitted to the foreigners who came to Florence, to know the reason for their visit to the city.
At first we decided to collect the data at the airport but, for logistical reasons, we chose to do it in the central station: the kids, at the beginning of the tracks, on which long-distance trains came, interviewed foreigners coming, which would formed their sample, in a completely random way.
Each group has interviewed about 30 people, and within a couple of hours collected enough data to be able to start the next phase.
In class, taking up the exercises done before the interview, I asked the students to organize data in tables, fill out the calculations of frequencies, using graphical representations designed to give the survey a visual impact that was easy to understand. Later I asked them to calculate the indices of central location and those of variability to describe the average behaviour of the sample and its heterogeneity.
With the work carried out I then asked to make brief dissertation which simulate a presentation and some groups were so enthusiastic of the "different mathematics" (as they called) that has even made a real presentation of the digital work done.