ERIC Number: EJ819058
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2008-Nov
Pages: 8
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0025-5769
EISSN: N/A
The Evolution of Pearson's Correlation Coefficient
Kader, Gary D.; Franklin, Christine A.
Mathematics Teacher, v102 n4 p292-299 Nov 2008
This article describes an activity for developing the notion of association between two quantitative variables. By exploring a collection of scatter plots, the authors propose a nonstandard "intuitive" measure of association; and by examining properties of this measure, they develop the more standard measure, Pearson's Correlation Coefficient. The activity is designed to help students better understand how statistical measures are "invented" and why certain measures are preferred. (Contains 8 figures and 3 tables.)
Descriptors: Correlation, Mathematics Instruction, Measurement Techniques, Statistics, Mathematical Formulas, Secondary School Mathematics, High School Students, Mathematics Skills, Graphs
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. 1906 Association Drive, Reston, VA 20191-1502. Tel: 800-235-7566; Tel: 703-620-3702; Fax: 703-476-2970; e-mail: orders@nctm.org; Web site: http://www.nctm.org/publications/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: Teachers
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A