Teaching statistical problem solving in vocational education

Abstract

As our society is moving towards information economy, vocational education programs should equip students with the skill able to search, use and analyse information. Although the rapid and continuous development of information technology can ease the computational burden of data analysis, statistical analysis of data is not a simple task that acquires statistical practitioners having specific knowledge and skills to deal with statistical problems. Education of statistical practitioners is specifically concerned with preparation for improving performance in applications of statistics in industries such as finance, manufacturing, etc.. This advocates learning problem solving skills which require practice in thinking about, implementing and evaluating solutions to statistical problems. In this paper, the author wants to discuss the roles of vocational education in education and society; and to explore how to educate statistical practitioners to solve statistical problems in real-life projects.