Presents four cases of real-world probabilistic situations to promote more effective teaching of probability. Calculates the probability of obtaining six of six different prizes successively in six, seven, eight, and nine boxes of cereal, generalizes the problem to n boxes of cereal, and offers suggestions to extend the problem. (MDH)

Discusses topics that are especially appropriate for investigation by young learners and describes activities that stimulate children's curiosity. Suggestions about ways to focus children's attention on mathematical aspects of the activities are offered. (BB)

Discusses the surprising result that the expected number of marbles of one color drawn from a set of marbles of two colors after two draws without replacement is the same as the expected number of that color marble after two draws with replacement. Presents mathematical models to help explain this phenomenon. (MDH)

Describes the Microworld Chance, a simulation-oriented computer environment that allows students to explore probability concepts in five subenvironments: coins, dice, spinners, thumbtacks, and marbles. Results of a teaching experiment to examine the effectiveness of the microworld in changing students' misconceptions about probability are…

Reviews chapters of this book on probability in mathematics education. Topics discussed in the chapters include a historical perspective of probability, an epistemological perspective of probability, an overview of the psychological research on probability learning, computers in probability education, and an analysis of the probability curriculum.…

Black and White students who enrolled in college by age 20 were selected from a national probability sample, in order to estimate the prevalence of having children and the effect of having a child on probability of graduation with a bachelor's degree. Black students reported significantly higher rates of having children than White students, but…

This study was conducted in the spring of 2002 at Arlington High School in a Probability and Statistics course for junior and senior level students. Two sections of the class were compared with respect to the use/non-use of EXCEL in the course. The experimental group (the one using EXCEL) outperformed the control group on five of the six…

The impact of schools on student achievement has been of great interest in school effects research the last four decades. This study examines trends of school effects on student achievement, employing three national probability samples of high school seniors: NLS:72, HSB:82, and NELS:92. Hierarchical linear models are used to investigate school…

This paper is concerned with understanding how a scaffolding process is utilized in the natural setting of a middle-school mathematics class. Wood, Bruner, & Ross (1976) characterize scaffolding as a learning process of a novice which is assisted and dominated by the adult. Rogoff and Gardner (1984) also point out that "to make messages…

Advances in computer technology are making it possible for educational researchers to use simpler statistical methods to address a wide range of questions with smaller data sets and fewer, and less restrictive, assumptions. This digest introduces computationally intensive statistics, collectively called resampling techniques. Resampling is a…

This study examined the effects of self-evaluation on student performance in mathematics. Grade 5 and 6 students (N=300) were randomly assigned in intact classes to treatment and control groups. In both conditions a 2-week cooperative learning unit on probability was implemented. In the treatment condition, students received training in…

This book presents 129 problems selected from the calendar problem section of the "Mathematics Teacher" to supplement regular mathematics textbook offerings for middle grade teachers and students. The problems are categorized by six topics: (1) Numbers; (2) Computation; (3) "Oldies but Goodies"; (4) Offbeat and Unusual; (5)…

Too few researchers understand what statistical significance testing does and does not do, and consequently their results are misinterpreted. This Digest explains the concept of statistical significance testing and discusses the meaning of probabilities, the concept of statistical significance, arguments against significance testing,…

In multiple-choice items the response probability on an item may be viewed as the result of two distinct latent processes--a cognitive process to solve the problem, and another random process that leads to the choice of a certain alternative (the process of giving the actual response). An incomplete latent class model is formulated that describes…

Five sets of activities for students are included in this document. Each is designed for use in junior high and secondary school mathematics instruction. The first Note concerns mathematics on postage stamps. Historical procedures and mathematicians, metric conversion, geometric ideas, and formulas are among the topics considered. Successful…