This paper is from Session 6C: Teaching Probability in School - Understanding Probability and Linking to Statistical Inference
which comes under Topic 6: Innovations in teaching probability
Paper 6C3 (Thursday 12th, 14:00-15:30)
Fundamental Ideas in the Probabilistic Reasoning of High-School Students in Binomial Distribution Activities
Presenter
- Ernesto Sánchez (Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, México)
Co-authors
- Guadalupe Carrasco (Colegio de Ciencias y Humanidades, Plantel Sur, UNAM., México)
- Mariana del Ángel Herrera (Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, México)
Abstract
The aim of this research is to identify fundamental probabilistic ideas applied by high-school students in activities related to the construction of the binomial distribution. Activities (including manipulatives and Fathom) were designed with the purpose of enabling, in a specific context of a binomial situation, that the ideas of sample space, combinatory, classical and frequency approaches of probability, random variable, distribution, and variability are recovered or elaborated by the students. The results show different levels of reasoning with fundamental ideas, difficulties with some of them and, especially, the absence of some inferences. In conclusion, it could be stated that a suitable design of activities for the construction of the binomial distribution encourages students to practice and strengthen their reasoning with fundamental ideas of probability.