The Value of Numbers, Words, People and Relationships: An Explanatory Sequential Approach to Understanding Students’ Expectations for Performance in Statistics
by Talia Esnard, Fareena Alladin, and Keisha Samlal


While there is a substantive body of literature on statistical anxiety and students’ performance in statistics, many questions remain as to the role of motivations in that process (Onwuegbuzie 2000; Baloglu, Abbassi and Kesici 2017) and we argue, the values that are embedded within the expectations around these. Given this objective and the lack of empirical work around statistics education in the Caribbean, we used explanatory sequential design with three phases: quantitative, qualitative and integrated/iterative, to explore undergraduate students’ expectations for performance in statistics. Quantitative analyses point to average to high expectations for performance in statistics, but with no variations based on sex, academic discipline and prior performance in mathematics. Quantitative findings show statistically significant associations between all four components of values, (namely utility, affect, attainment and cost), and expectations for performance in statistics, but with varying ranks and direction. Qualitative analyses offered deeper insights into the relative importance of the constructions around statistics, the role of social relations and the psychosocial outcomes of these (retention, selfefficacy, attitude). Integrated analyses elucidate on the conditions through which intrinsic and extrinsic motivations influence value constructions and expectancies related to statistics. We discuss the implications for future research, teaching and learning of statistics among undergraduate students in higher education.