NotesFAQContact Us
Collection
Advanced
Search Tips
Back to results
Peer reviewed Peer reviewed
Direct linkDirect link
ERIC Number: EJ990891
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013
Pages: 25
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1098-6065
EISSN: N/A
Eliciting and Developing Teachers' Conceptions of Random Processes in a Probability and Statistics Course
Smith, Toni M.; Hjalmarson, Margret A.
Mathematical Thinking and Learning: An International Journal, v15 n1 p58-82 2013
The purpose of this study is to examine prospective mathematics specialists' engagement in an instructional sequence designed to elicit and develop their understandings of random processes. The study was conducted with two different sections of a probability and statistics course for K-8 teachers. Thirty-two teachers participated. Video analyses within a collaborative course design were used to support a teaching experiment about teachers' conceptions of random processes. In particular, teachers were asked whether the outcomes of "Rock-Paper-Scissors" (RPS) are generated randomly or not, were presented with a definition for random selection, and were asked to come to a conclusion about RPS. Teachers struggled to reconcile the equality of winning outcomes for each player with the potential for human interference in the process of generating outcomes. Ultimately, teachers concluded the outcomes were not generated randomly, but encountered a variety of unexpected obstacles along the way. (Contains 2 figures and 3 tables.)
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A