Examination of statistical research processes of 8th grade students for the field of data processing learning

In the study it was aimed to examine the statistical research processes of eighth grade students in the field of data processing learning. Special case study method was used. The participants consisted of a total of 20 students, 8 boys and 12 girls, who were in the eighth grade in a public secondary school in Kırşehir province in the 2022-2023 academic year. Data were collected through interviews, document analysis. The data were analyzed with qualitative data analysis methods. It was found that the majority of the prepared research questions were research questions, but there were also questions that weren't research questions. Some students thought that a research question and a mathematical problem meant the same thing. Since the sample was selected from their immediate environment, the data collection phase was easy. However, the fact that the sample was from a narrow circle caused superficial data. In the data display section, students displayed without paying attention to the type of data. In addition, most of the students didn't pay attention to the structural features of tables and graphs. In the data analysis part, it was observed that measures of central tendency were learned procedurally but conceptual learning was not realized. In the data interpretation part, students could not make inferences. As a result of the study it was observed that increasing the teaching environments that center the student and include applications that provide real life situations based on the statistical process will reduce the difficulties experienced by students in these processes.