CONCEPTUAL OMISSION IN MICROSOFT EXCEL’S STATISTICAL OUTPUT: IMPLICATIONS FOR RIGOR IN MATHEMATICS EDUCATION
Abstract
Spreadsheets play a structuring role in mediating statistical knowledge in educational contexts. This study examines the presentation of dispersion measures in the descriptive statistics report of Microsoft Excel, in its default configuration, with a focus on the consistency between nomenclature and computational procedure. The investigation is based on the analysis of the output generated by the software and on the algebraic reconstruction of the corresponding expressions. The results reveal an internal asymmetry: variance is explicitly identified as sample-based, whereas the corresponding standard deviation is presented without qualification, although it is computed under the same inferential framework associated with Bessel’s correction. This configuration preserves the mathematical coherence of the calculation but introduces a discrepancy in the conceptual explicitness within the report itself. The results indicate that this asymmetry reduces the visibility, within the report itself, of a structuring distinction in inferential statistics by partially dissociating the designation of the measure from its computational criterion. It is concluded that the explicit terminological identification of measures in computational environments contributes to the alignment between automation and theoretical understanding in educational practices mediated by digital technologies.
Author Biography
Writer and university professor in areas related to exact sciences and educational technologies. Master’s degree in Natural Sciences and Mathematics from the Regional University of Blumenau (FURB, 2012). Specialist in Mathematics Teaching Methodology from IBPEX (2006). Bachelor’s degree in Accounting Sciences from the University of the Region of Joinville (UNIVILLE, 2000). Holds a pedagogical teaching certification from the University Center of Jaraguá do Sul (UNERJ, 2006).
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