Mathematics and statistics are perhaps unique in the extent to which they feed into other areas of the curriculum. My focus here is on statistics. Examples that come to mind are:
- In science areas, students are still taught a ‘vary one variable at a time’ approach to designing experiments, ignoring RA Fisher’s dictum that “Nature . . . will best respond to a logical and carefully thought out questionnaire . . .”.
- The highly confusing terms “independent variable” and “dependent variable” continue in use when regression is used in a physics context.
- Ideas of what is a useful and well-designed graph, and what poorly designed graph, are important well beyond the statistics curriculum.
Changes in the curricula will not of themselves do anything to bring a more collegial approach to teaching and learning, in which such issues can be effectively addressed.