Arab and Malay Students’ Attitudes toward Statistics and Their Learning Styles: A Rasch Measurement Approach

Students’ learning of statistics has been studied from a variety of angles, and this study is no different. The main purpose is to compare the Malay and Arab students’ attitudes toward learning statistics and their learning styles in understanding statistics. A survey questionnaire and face-to-face interview techniques were used to elicit information from 150 students based on the cohort. They were asked about how they learn to solve statistical problems based on Kolb’s four learning cycles: feeling, reflective observation, thinking, and doing. Attitude responses were numerically recorded based on a five-point Likert scale, while preference for learning styles was recorded as 1 (Do and Feel) or 0 (Watch and Think). Both attitude and learning style data were combined and subjected to Rasch analysis. Results show that a majority of the Arab and Malay students have moderate to high positive attitude toward learning statistics. Generally, students from both cultures are classified as the “Accommodating” type with a preference for doing and feeling from the experience of doing statistical problems. Arab students are classified as the “Assimilating” type with a preference for thinking, reflecting, and learning from observation, while Malay students are classified as the “Converging” type with a preference for thinking and doing statistical exercises.

Heterogeneity and other problems in a pooled analysis of snus use and mortality

A recent analysis of Swedish snus use and mortality combined eight Swedish datasets and found that exclusive Swedish male snus users have statistically significant increased mortality from all causes, cardiovascular diseases and other causes. These findings, from the Swedish Collaboration on Health Effects of Snus Use, are in sharp contrast with previous pooled results from the same group. The discrepant results may be indicative of unresolved statistical problems that haven’t been addressed by the collaboration authors in any of their studies. The most important problem is unresolved heterogeneity among the eight cohorts, which we describe in detail, and we show how the use of the random effects method by the authors was not sufficient. We explain why the tables in the article are uninformative, and we demonstrate why the exclusion of smokers in the analysis was not validated and eliminated important information. Finally, we strongly recommend some straightforward and easily implemented corrective measures.

Monotone Function Problems and Statistical Selection Procedures

Monotone function problems are introduced on a very elementary level to reveal the close connection to certain statistical problems. Equations $$F(x) = c$$ F ( x ) = c and inequalities $$F(x) \ge c$$ F ( x ) ≥ c with monotone increasing functions F are considered. Solution methods are stated. In the following, it is shown how some important problems of statistics, especially also statistical selection problems, can be solved by transformation to monotone function problems.

Kemampuan Komunikasi Matematis Siswa Dalam Menyelesaikan Soal Statistika Ditinjau Dari Kecerdasan Intrapersonal dan Interpersonal

Abstrak — Kemampuan komunikasi matematis dalam belajar matematika sangat dibutuhkan oleh siswa karena melalui komunikasi, siswa dapat mengekspresikan ide-ide atau pikiran mereka tentang matematika secara lisan ataupun tulisan. Sementara itu, ada perbedaan kecerdasan siswa, salah satunya kecerdasan intrapersonal dan interpersonal, yang memungkinkan adanya beberapa perbedaan kemampuan komunikasi tulis dan lisan mereka dalam menyelesaikan soal statistika. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mendeskripsikan kemampuan komunikasi matematis siswa dalam menyelesaikan soal statistika berdasarkan tingkat kecerdasan intrapersonal dan interpersonal yang dimiliki oleh siswa. Instrumen yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah angket kecerdasan intrapersonal dan interpersonal, soal tes kemampuan komunikasi matematis, dan wawancara. Subjek dalam penelitian ini adalah empat siswa, dengan satu siswa diantaranya memiliki kecerdasan intrapersonal dan interpersonal kategori tinggi, satu siswa memiliki kecerdasan intrapersonal tinggi namun kecerdasan interpersonal rendah, satu siswa dengan tingkat kecerdasan intrapersonal rendah namun kecerdasan interpersonal tinggi, dan satu siswa lainnya memiliki tingkat kecerdasan yang rendah pada intrapersonal dan interpersonal. Pengelompokan kecerdasan interpersonal dan intrapersonal ditentukan melalui skor pada instrumen pengukuran kecerdasan intrapersonal dan interpersonal masing-masing siswa. Keempat siswa tersebut diberikan tes kemampuan komunikasi matematis untuk memperoleh data kemampuan komunikasi matematis. Berdasarkan deskripsi dan hasil analisis dalam penelitian ini, menunjukkan bahwa kecerdasan intrapersonal dan interpersonal dapat mempengaruhi siswa saat menyelesaikan soal statistika. Oleh karena itu penting bagi siswa dan guru untuk mengetahui kemampuan komunikasi matematis agar dapat meningkatkan pemahaman dan kemampuan dalam menyelesaikan soal statistika.Kata Kunci: Kemampuan Komunikasi Matematis, Soal Statistika, Kecerdasan Intrapersonal dan InterpersonalAbstract — Mathematical communication skills are needed by students in learning mathematics because through communication, students can express their ideas or thoughts about mathematics in writing or orally. Meanwhile, there are differences in student intelligence, one of which is intrapersonal and interpersonal intelligence, which allows for some differences in their written and verbal communication skills in solving statistical problems. This study aims to describe the mathematical communication skills of students in solving statistical problems based on the level of intrapersonal and interpersonal intelligence possessed by students. The instruments used in this study were intrapersonal and interpersonal intelligence questionnaires, mathematical communication skills test questions, and interviews. The subjects in this study were four students, one student with high intrapersonal and interpersonal intelligence, low students with low intrapersonal and interpersonal intelligence, one student with low intrapersonal and high interpersonal intelligence, and one student with low intrapersonal and interpersonal intelligence. The grouping of intrapersonal and interpersonal intelligence is determined through each student's intrapersonal and interpersonal intelligence questionnaire. The four students were given a mathematical communication ability test to obtain data on mathematical communication skillsBased on the description and analysis results in this study, it shows that intrapersonal and interpersonal intelligence can influence students when solving statistical problems. Therefore it is important for students and teachers to know the mathematical communication skills in order to improve understanding and ability to solve statistical problems.Keywords: Mathematical Communication Skills, Statistics Questions, Intrapersonal and Interpersonal Intelligence

POTENTIAL FEATURES OF THE MAXIMUM LIKELIHOOD METHOD

In this paper, the potential possibilities of the maximum likelihood method for solving statistical problems of radio engineering are analyzed. A condition is introduced for the correlation interval of a random vector of parameters of a set of signals, which expands the scope of the maximum likelihood method under conditions of a priori and parametric uncertainty. Proofs are given that the known methods of spectral, correlation analysis, and angular spectral analysis are special cases of the maximum likelihood method. The scope of their application for signal processing is limited. They determine the optimal estimates of the signal parameters only when the adopted implementation contains a single signal. The substantiation of the possibility of obtaining solutions to statistical problems of radio engineering in the field of nonorthogonality of signals, when spectral lines, correlation functions, radiation patterns partially coincide, is given. The issues of solving the problem of separate detection of a set of signals based on the proposed optimal receiver are discussed. The issues of separate estimation of signal parameters in the area of their nonorthogonality are discussed. The conditions of the maximum resolution of signals are analyzed. The possibility of creating maximum likelihood filters based on likelihood equations is discussed. It is shown that such filters allow separating signals in the area of their nonorthogonality. They are the basis for solving the problem of channel sealing in communication systems. They make it possible to develop communication systems with nonorthogonal carrier frequencies. A concrete example shows the possibility of exceeding the speed of information transmission in nonorthogonal communication systems in comparison with the maximum speed, which follows from the Shannon theorem. The paper presents the results of model calculations illustrating the provisions of the theory.