Contributing Factors to Statistics Achievement: A Study of Psychology Students

Abstract

Psychology students perceive Statistics as a difficult subject even though the statistical analysis is taught using statistical software. The present study investigated multiple factors that contributed to students’ achievement in a statistics course. Eighty-one psychology students participated in the study (male = 13, female = 68; age mean = 19.01, SD= .51). We used three validated survey instruments that measured mathematical thinking skills, a statistical anxiety scale (anxiety, fearful behavior, attitude, expectation, the history and self-concept, and performance), as well as a computer anxiety rating scale (fear and anticipation). Students’ achievement was measured by students' test scores on a statistics course. Using multiple regression analysis, the results show that mathematical thinking skills have a significantly positive contribution to students’ achievement in a statistics course. Our findings are the first step toward interventions that enhance the instructional methods of statistics courses.