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Probability

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International Handbook of Mathematics Education

Part of the book series: Kluwer International Handbooks of Education ((SIHE,volume 4))

Abstract

This chapter examines the issues related to probabilistic thinking and the contemporary role of these in mathematical reasoning, including how the concept structures our thinking and perception of reality. The relative merits of different types of thinking in the acquisition of probabilistic knowledge and the differences between these processes and other operational learning theories of mathematics are highlighted. Problems associated with the understanding of probability and different ideas embraced by the concept are integrated into this discussion. Accounts of the historical development of the teaching of probability from the early ideas of the frequentist interpretation and its associated misconceptions, the development of the axiomatic approach, and the modern developments of positioning probability within the curriculum of data analysis and statistical inference are given.

Cultural factors have made the development and treatment of the subject on the European continent different from Anglo-American approaches; however, the convergent development of teaching between these two traditions is illustrated. Mention is also made of the influence of social background within a culture on the development of probabilistic ideas.

Strategies to improve the teaching of probability and the factors that need to be considered in the construction of curricula and the design of teaching activities are integrated into the discussion of the requirements of effective teaching. The roles of simulation, visualisation and the use of analogies are illustrated through examples.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Klagenfurt, Austria

    M. Borovcnik & R. Peard

  2. Queensland University of Technology, Australia

    M. Borovcnik & R. Peard

Authors
  1. M. Borovcnik
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  2. R. Peard
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia

    Alan J. Bishop

  2. Universiti Brunei, Darussalam, Brunei

    Ken Clements

  3. Freie Universität Berlin, Germany

    Christine Keitel

  4. The University of Georgia, USA

    Jeremy Kilpatrick

  5. Université Joseph Fourier, Grenoble, France

    Colette Laborde

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Borovcnik, M., Peard, R. (1996). Probability. In: Bishop, A.J., Clements, K., Keitel, C., Kilpatrick, J., Laborde, C. (eds) International Handbook of Mathematics Education. Kluwer International Handbooks of Education, vol 4. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-1465-0_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-1465-0_8

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  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-7155-0

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