Spreadsheets in Secondary School Statistics Education: Using Authentic Data for Computational Thinking

Abstract Computational thinking (CT) is gaining attention in education as a part of digital literacy and can be addressed several disciplines, including mathematics. Through the lens Brennan Resnick’s framework, we investigated how computational concepts, practices, perspectives upper-secondary statistics lessons using spreadsheets through design-based research. Three classes of, total, 58 16- to 17-year-old 11th-grade students explored authentic real-life data sets three 2-h sessions spreadsheets. We evaluated intervention by analyzing students’ workbooks, spreadsheet files, interviews, questionnaires. The findings indicate that (1) successfully engaged concepts formulas, parameters, conditional statements, (2) fruitfully applied (3) demonstrated awareness relevance CT for their everyday future lives. These results highlight potential use secondary school developing skills. Implications further integration mathematics curriculum are discussed.