Overcoming challenges in learning probability vocabulary
Abstract
Students can struggle to understand and use terms that describe probabilities. Such struggles lead to difficulties comprehending classroom conversations. In this article, we describe some specific misunderstandings a group of students (ages 11–12) held in regard to vocabulary such ascertain,likelyandunlikely. We discuss our efforts to help the students use such terms appropriately. In particular, we show how engaging students in a game requiring the use of the terms helped them begin to develop their vocabulary more fully. We also explain how a probability ladder visual organizer helped students begin to organize their thinking about the meanings of terms relative to one another.
Faculty Members
- Randall E. Groth - Salisbury University Salisbury MD USA
- Jaime Butler - Salisbury University Salisbury MD USA
- Delmar Nelson - University of Maryland‐Eastern Shore Princess Anne MD USA
Themes
- Engagement strategies in education
- Misunderstandings in mathematical terminology
- Understanding probability vocabulary
- Importance of vocabulary in learning mathematics
- Student comprehension in mathematics
Categories
- Teacher education
- Curriculum and instruction
- Mathematics, general
- Educational assessment, evaluation, and research methods
- Education research nec
- Mathematics and statistics
- Applied mathematics, general
- Computational and applied mathematics
- STEM educational methods
- Statistics
- Education research
- Mathematics
- Applied mathematics
- Mathematics teacher education
- Education
- Applied statistics, general