Levels of graph comprehension in primary and secondary school students

Previous research on graph comprehension suggests the existence of various levels of understanding. Some authors have proposed that to describe the different levels, it is necessary to distinguish between reading the data, reading between the data and reading beyond the data. Each level would imply greater difficulty for those learning to interpret graphs. The present study has analysed the above distinction applied to tables. A 12-item questionnaire dealing with a quantitative table was administered to a sample of 5(th) and 6(th) year primary students and 1(st) and 2(nd) year secondary students. Our results indicate that the task is not as easy as it would seem, that no gradual improvement in children's interpretative ability at these ages is observed, and that the questions that require children to understand the table structure of the information are more difficult than those that just require reading the data. From this evidence, we discuss the relationship between theoretical levels of comprehension and ways of using tables in school activities.