Technological Knowledge of Correlation and Regression: an exploratory study with Prospective Teachers

Abstract We assessed the technological knowledge on correlation and regression in 25 students who are preparing to become secondary and high school education mathematics teachers in Spain. We relied on the theoretical model by Niess (2005) of teacher's knowledge to teach with technology. Using data from the United Nations server, the prospective teachers were requested to fit a regression model to the life expectancy according to various development indicators in 194 countries. They were also proposed to choose another dependent variable or to take new data from the United Nations to repeat the analysis. The results suggested a good statistical knowledge and a good statistical technological knowledge about correlation and regression in most participants. However, some of them showed difficulties in the ideas of independence and incorrelation, in the use of technology or made an uncritical use of it.