Prospective Primary School Teachers’ Attitudes towards Probability and its Teaching

Assumpta Estrada; Carmen Batanero

doi:10.29333/iejme/5941

Full Text (PDF)

Assumpta Estrada ¹, Carmen Batanero ² ^*

More Detail

¹ University of Lleida, SPAIN² University of Granada, SPAIN^* Corresponding Author

Abstract

Since probability is a new topic at the primary school level in many countries, many primary school teachers may consider themselves not well prepared or may not value the formative role of probability as a topic for their students to learn. Consequently, the assessment of teachers’ attitudes using valid and reliable instruments is a preliminary step in organizing formative actions for these teachers. In Estrada, Batanero and Díaz (2018), we described the development of a scale aimed at measuring primary school teachers’ attitudes towards probability and the teaching of probability. In this new paper we complete the above research and present the results of applying the questionnaire to a sample of 416 prospective primary school teachers. We analyze the results related to the different items, subscales, and total score in the scale, and explore the influence of some variables on the participants’ attitudes.

Keywords

attitudes
probability
teaching probability
prospective teachers

License

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article Type: Research Article

INT ELECT J MATH ED, Volume 15, Issue 1, January 2020, Article No: em0559

https://doi.org/10.29333/iejme/5941

Publication date: 27 Sep 2019

Article Views: 4026

Article Downloads: 3287

Open Access References How to cite this article

References

Ajzen, I. (1989). Attitude structure and behavior. In A. Pratkanis, S. Breckler, & A. Greenwald (Eds.), Attitude structure and function (pp. 241-274). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Attard, C., Ingram, N., Forgasz, H., Leder, G., & Grootenboer, P. (2016). Mathematics education and the affective domain. In K. Makar, S. Dole, J. Visnovska, M. Goos, A. Bennison, & K. Fry (Eds), Research in Mathematics Education in Australasia 2012-2015 (pp. 73-96). Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-1419-2_5
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA]. (2010). Australian Curriculum: Mathematics. Sidney, NSW: Author. Retrieved from http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Mathematics/Rationale
Auzmendi, E. (1992). Las actitudes hacia la matemática estadística en las enseñanzas medias y universitarias (Attitudes towards teaching mathematics in high school and university). Bilbao: Mensajero.
Batanero, C., Arteaga, P., Serrano, L., & Ruiz, B. (2014). Prospective primary school teachers’ perception of randomness. In E. Chernoff & B. Sriraman (Eds.), Probabilistic thinking: Presenting plural perspectives (pp. 345–366). New York: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-7155-0_19
Batanero, C., Chernoff, E., Engel, J. Lee, H, & Sánchez, E. (2016). Research on teaching and learning probability. ICME-13. Topical Survey series. New York: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31625-3
Carmona, J. (2004). Una revisión de las evidencias de fiabilidad y validez de los cuestionarios de actitudes y ansiedad hacia la estadística (Revising the reliability and validity evidence of attitudes and anxiety towards statistics questionnaires). Statistics Education Research Journal, 1(1), 5-28. Retrieved on 12 February 2019 from www.stat.auckland.ac.nz/~iase/serj/
Chick, H. L., & Pierce, R. U. (2008). Teaching statistics at the primary school level: Beliefs, affordances, and pedagogical content knowledge. In C. Batanero, G. Burrill, C. Reading, & A. Rossman (2008). (Eds.). Proceedings of the Joint ICMI/IASE Study: Teaching statistics in school mathematics - Challenges for teaching and teacher education. Proceedings of the ICMI Study 18 and 2008 IASE Round Table Conference. Monterrey, Mexico: International Commission on Mathematical Instruction e International Association for Statistical Education.
Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSSI). (2010). Common Core State Standards for Mathematics. Washington, DC: National Governors Association for Best Practices and the Council of Chief State School Officers. Retrieved on 30 June 2019 from www.corestandards.org/Math/
Di Martino, P., & Zan, R. (2015). The construct of attitude in mathematics education. In B. Pepin & B. Roesken-Winter (Eds.), From beliefs to dynamic affect systems in mathematics education: Exploring a mosaic of relationships and interactions (pp. 51–72). New York: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-06808-4_3
Estrada, A. (2002). Análisis de las actitudes y conocimientos estadísticos elementales en la formación del profesorado (Analysis of attitudes and statistical knowledge in teacher’ education). Ph.D. dissertation. Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Spain. Retrieved on 18 April 2019 from www.tesisenxarxa.net/TDX-0502103-191818/
Estrada, A., & Batanero, C. (2008). Explaining teachers’ attitudes towards statistics. In C. Batanero, G. Burrill, C. Reading, & A. Rossman, (Eds.). Proceedings of the Joint ICMI/IASE Study: Teaching statistics in school mathematics - Challenges for teaching and teacher education. Proceedings of the ICMI Study 18 and 2008 IASE Round Table Conference. Monterrey, México: International Commission on Mathematical Instruction e International Association for Statistical Education.
Estrada, A., Batanero, C., & Díaz, C. (2018). Exploring teachers’ attitudes towards probability and its teaching. In C. Batanero & E. Chernoff (Eds.), Teaching and learning stochastics (pp. 313-332). Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-72871-1_18
Estrada, A., Batanero, C., & Lancaster, S. (2011). Teachers’ attitudes towards statistics. In C. Batanero, G. Burrill, & C. Reading (Eds.), Teaching statistics in school mathematics. Challenges for teaching and teacher education (pp. 173-174). Springer.Estrada, A., Bazán, J. L., & Aparicio, A. (2010). A cross-cultural psychometric evaluation of the attitude statistic scale Estrada’s in teachers. Em C. Reading (Ed.), Data and context in statistics education: Towards an evidence-based society. Proceedings of Eigth International Conference on Teaching of Statistics (ICOTS 8). Ljubljana. Slovenia, Voorburg, The Netherlands: International Statistical Institute. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1131-0_18
Estrada, A., Batanero, C., Fortuny, J. M., & Diaz, C. (2005). A structural study of future teachers’ attitudes towards statistics. In M. Bosch (Ed.), Proceedings of the Fourth Congress of the European Society for Research in Mathematics Education (pp. 508-517). Barcelona: IQS Fundemi.
Gal, I. (2005). Towards” probability literacy” for all citizens: Building blocks and instructional dilemmas. In G. A. Jones (Ed.), Exploring probability in school (pp. 39-63). Boston, MA: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-24530-8_3
Gal, I., & Ginsburg, L. (1994). The role of beliefs and attitudes in learning statistics: Towards an assessment framework. Journal of Statistics Education, 2(2). Retrieved on 24 May 2019 from www.amstat.org/publications/jse/v2n2/gal.html
Gal, I., Ginsburg, L., & Schau, C. (1997). Monitoring attitudes and beliefs in statistics education. In I. Gal & J. B. Garfield (Eds.), The assessment challenge in statistics education (pp. 37-51). Voorburg, Netherlands: IOS Press.
Gil, N., Blanco, L., & Guerrero E. (2006). The affective domain in mathematics learning. International Electronic Journal of Mathematics Education, 1(1), 16-32.
Goldin, G., Hannula, M., Heyd, E., Jansen, A., Kaasila, R., Lutovac, S., Di Martino, P., Morselli, F., Middeleton, J., Pantziara, M., & Zhang, Q. (2016). Attitudes, beliefs, motivation and identity in mathematics education. ICME-13 Topical Surveys. New York: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-32811-9
Gómez-Chacón, I. (2000) Affective influences in the knowledge of mathematics, Educational Studies in Mathematics, 43(2), 149-168. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1017518812079
Gómez-Chacón, I. (2016). Métodos empíricos para la determinación de estructuras de cognición y afecto en matemáticas. En A. Berciano et al. (Eds.). Investigación en Educación Matemática XX (pp. 93-114). Malaga: Sociedad Española de Investigación en Educación Matemática.
Groth, R., & Meletiou-Mavrotheris, M. (2018). Research on statistics teachers’ cognitive and affective characteristics. In D. Ben-Zvim (Ed,), International handbook of research in statistics education (pp. 327-355). Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-66195-7_10
Kislenko, K. (2009). Mathematics is a bit difficult but you need it a lot: Estonian pupils’ beliefs about Mathematics. In J. Maaβ & W. Schlöglmann (Eds.), Beliefs and attitudes in mathematics education: New research results (pp. 143-163). Rotterdam: Sense Publishers. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789087907235_012
Kvatinsky, T., & Even, R. (2002). Framework for teacher knowledge and understanding of probability. In B. Phillips (Ed.), Proceedings of the Sixth International Conference on Teaching Statistics. Voorburg, The Netherlands: International Statistical Institute. Retrieved on 2 May 2019 from www.icots6.haifa.ac.il/PAPERS/6A4_KVAT.PDF
Lancaster, S. (2008). A study of preservice teachers’ attitudes toward their role as students of statistics and implications for future professional development in statistics. C. Batanero, G. Burrill, C. Reading, & A. Rossman.
Leavy, A. M., Hannigan, A., & Fitzmaurice, O. (2013). If you’re doubting yourself, what’s the fun in that? An exploration of why prospective secondary mathematics teachers perceive statistics as difficult. Journal of Statistics Education, 21(3), n3. Retrieved from www.amstat.org/publications/jse/v21n3/leavy.pdf
Liu, Y., & Thompson, P. (2007). Teachers’ understandings of probability. Cognition and Instruction, 25(2-3), 113-160. https://doi.org/10.1080/07370000701301117
Martínez-Sierra, G., & García González, M. D. S. (2014). High school students’ emotional experiences in mathematics classes. Research in Mathematics Education, 16(3), 234-250. https://doi.org/10.1080/14794802.2014.895676
Martins, J. A., Nascimento, M. M., & Estrada, A. (2012). Looking back over their shoulders: A qualitative analysis of Portuguese teachers’ attitudes towards statistics. Statistics Education Research Journal, 11(2), 26-44. Retrieved on 27 March 2016 from www.stat.auckland.ac.nz/~iase/serj/SERJ11(2)_Martins.pdf
Martins, J., Nascimento, M., & Estrada, A. (2011). Attitudes of teachers towards statistics: a preliminary study with Portuguese teachers. Proceedings of CERME 7. Rzeszow, Poland: ERME. Retrived on 4 May 2019 from www.cerme7.univ.rzeszow.pl/WG/5/CERME_Martins-Nascimento-Estrada.pdf
McDonald, R. P. (2013). Test theory: A unified treatment. Sussex, UK: Psychology Press. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781410601087
McLeod, D. (1992). Research on affect in mathematics education: A reconceptualization. In D.A. Grouws (Ed.), Handbook of research on mathematics teaching and learning (pp. 575–596). New York, NY: Macmillan.
Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte. (2014). Real Decreto 126/2014, de 28 de febrero, por el que se establece el currículo básico de la Educación Primaria (Royal Decree establishing the minimum content for primary education). Madrid: Author.
Ministry of Education. (2007). The New Zealand curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media.
Nasser, F. M. (2004). Structural model of the effects of cognitive and affective factors on the achievement of arabic-speaking pre-service teachers in introductory statistics Journal of Statistics Education, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/10691898.2004.11910717
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. (2000). Principles and standards for school mathematics. Reston, VA: Author.
Nolan, M. M., Beran, T., & Hecker, K. G. (2012). Surveys assessing students’ attitudes toward statistics: A systematic review of validity and reliability. Statistics Education Research Journal, 11(2), 103–123. Retrieved from https://www.stat.auckland.ac.nz/~iase/serj/SERJ11(2)_Nolan.pdf
Nunnally, J. C. (1978). Psychometric theory (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
OECD. (2013). PISA 2012 Assessment and analytical framework: Mathematics, reading, science, problem solving and financial literacy. Paris: OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264190511-en
Onwuegbuzie, A. J. (1998). Teachers’ attitudes toward statistics. Psychological Reports, 83, 1008-1010. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.1998.83.3.1008
Philipp, R. A. (2007). Mathematics teachers’ beliefs and affects. In F. Lester (Ed.), Second handbook of research on mathematics teaching and learning (pp. 257-315). Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing & National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
Ramirez, C., Schau, C., & Emmioğlu, E. S. (2012). The importance of attitudes in statistics education. Statistics Education Research Journal, 11(2), 57-71.
Roberts, D. M., & Bilderback, E. W. (1980). Reliability and validity of a statistics attitude survey. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 40(1), 235-238. https://doi.org/10.1177/001316448004000138
Schau, C. (2003, August). Students’ attitudes: The other important outcome in statistics education. Paper presented at the Joint Statistical Meeting of the American Statistical Association, San Francisco, CA: American Statistical Association.
Schau, C., Stevens, J., Dauphine, T., & Del Vecchio, A. (1995). The development and validation of the survey of attitudes towards statistics. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 55(5), 868-875. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013164495055005022
Stohl, H. (2005). Probability in teacher education and development. In G. Jones (Ed.), Exploring probability in schools: Challenges for teaching and learning (pp. 345-366). New York: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-24530-8_15
Tan, C. K., Harji, M. B., & Lau, S. H. (2011). Fostering positive attitude in probability learning using graphing calculator. Computers & Education, 57(3), 2011-2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2011.05.005
Tishkovskaya, S., & Lancaster, G. (2012). Statistical education in the 21st century: a Review of challenges, teaching innovations and strategies for reform. Journal of Statistics Education, 20(2), 1-24. Retrieved on 9 May 2019 from www.amstat.org/publications/jse/v20n2/tishkovskaya.pdf
Veloo, A., & Chairhany, S. (2013). Fostering students’ attitudes and achievement in probability using teams-games-tournaments. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences. 93, 59-64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.09.152
Wise, S. L. (1985). The development and validation of a scale measuring attitudes toward statistics. Educational & Psychological Measurement, 45, 401-405. https://doi.org/10.1177/001316448504500226
Wyer, R. S., & Albarracín, D. (2014). Belief formation, organisation and change: Cognitive and motivational influences. In D. Albarracìn, T. Johnson, & M. P. Zanna (Eds.). The handbook of attitudes (pp. 273-322). New York: Psychology Press.

How to cite this article

APA

Estrada, A., & Batanero, C. (2020). Prospective Primary School Teachers’ Attitudes towards Probability and its Teaching. International Electronic Journal of Mathematics Education, 15(1), em0559. https://doi.org/10.29333/iejme/5941

Vancouver

Estrada A, Batanero C. Prospective Primary School Teachers’ Attitudes towards Probability and its Teaching. INT ELECT J MATH ED. 2020;15(1):em0559. https://doi.org/10.29333/iejme/5941

AMA

Estrada A, Batanero C. Prospective Primary School Teachers’ Attitudes towards Probability and its Teaching. INT ELECT J MATH ED. 2020;15(1), em0559. https://doi.org/10.29333/iejme/5941

Chicago

Estrada, Assumpta, and Carmen Batanero. "Prospective Primary School Teachers’ Attitudes towards Probability and its Teaching". International Electronic Journal of Mathematics Education 2020 15 no. 1 (2020): em0559. https://doi.org/10.29333/iejme/5941

Harvard

Estrada, A., and Batanero, C. (2020). Prospective Primary School Teachers’ Attitudes towards Probability and its Teaching. International Electronic Journal of Mathematics Education, 15(1), em0559. https://doi.org/10.29333/iejme/5941

MLA

Estrada, Assumpta et al. "Prospective Primary School Teachers’ Attitudes towards Probability and its Teaching". International Electronic Journal of Mathematics Education, vol. 15, no. 1, 2020, em0559. https://doi.org/10.29333/iejme/5941