ERIC Number: EJ1120087
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016
Pages: 37
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1473-0111
EISSN: N/A
Lexical Ambiguities in the Vocabulary of Statistics
Whitaker, Douglas
International Journal for Mathematics Teaching and Learning, v17 n3 2016
Lexical ambiguities exist when two different meanings are ascribed to the same word. Such lexical ambiguities can be particularly problematic for learning material with technical words that have everyday meanings that are not the same as the technical meaning. This study reports on lexical ambiguities in six statistical words germane to statistics classes--"arbitrary," "model," "random," "range," "uniform," and "variable"--based on data collected from an Advanced Placement (AP) Statistics course taught in the southeastern United States. Data was collected at the beginning and end of an academic year. Of the six words studied, four--"model," "random," "uniform," and "variable"--were found to have substantial lexical ambiguities.
Descriptors: Language Usage, Statistics, Mathematics Instruction, Advanced Placement, Vocabulary, Semantics, Secondary School Students, Foreign Countries, College Mathematics, Definitions, Sentences
Centre for Innovation in Mathematics Teaching. 5th Floor Rolle Building, Faculty of Education University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, UK. Tel: +44-1752-585346; Fax: +44-1752-585344; e-mail: feedback@cimt.org.uk; Web site: http://www.cimt.org.uk/ijmtl/index.php/IJMTL/index
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Secondary Education; Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A