Volume
22
Issue
1-2
Abstract
When ethics requirements are confined to courses taught by non-STEM faculty, students may erroneously conclude that such considerations are at most marginal to their professional training. Primary source readings and discussion frameworks can tangibly link data analysis to questions of values within data science, computing ethics, or statistics courses. The particular cases of Sir Francis Galton and Sir Ronald Fisher—both statisticians and eugenicists—provide a rich collection of easily accessible digitized primary source material as well as a vast number of related popular and technical publications. Galton and Fisher figured centrally in the development of statistics as it is currently practiced (a substantial proportion of the technical content of introductory statistics courses were introduced by these men). However, the familiar tools of correlation and hypothesis testing were developed to analyze human data, often in service to the cause of eugenics. This article critically describes how we embedded problematic primary sources from Galton and Fisher into our courses and the discussions that ensued. We conclude with ideas for further implementations.
First Page
109
Last Page
122
Recommended Citation
Kent, Deborah and Lorenat, Jemma
(2025)
"Situating the Statistical Legacies of Galton and Fisher: Multi-layered discussions in the Mathematics Classroom,"
The Mathematics Enthusiast: Vol. 22
:
No.
1
, Article 7.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.54870/1551-3440.1654
Available at:
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/tme/vol22/iss1/7
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
10.54870/1551-3440.1654
Publisher
University of Montana, Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library
