COMPARING THE PROBABILITY-RELATED MISCONCEPTIONS OF PUPILS AT DIFFERENT EDUCATION LEVELS / USPOREDBA POGREŠNIH PREDODŽBI O KONCEPTIMA VJEROJATNOSTI KOD UČENIKA RAZLIČITOG STUPNJA OBRAZOVANJA

Abstract

ABSTRACT

The aim of the paper is to compare and evaluate the probability-related misconceptions of pupils at different education levels. A cross-sectional/age study was thus conducted with 540 pupils in 5th-8th grades. An instrument, comprising six questions on the concepts of compound events, probability of an event and probability comparisons, was used. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistical techniques (SPSS 15.0) and the chi-square test. This study showed that the percentage of correct answers increased when the level of education increased, whereas the misconceptions about the concept of compound events I decreased; also, the percentage of correct answers decreased and the misconceptions about the concept of compound events II increased. In the questions related to the concept of probability of an event and probability comparisons, as the level of education increased both the percentage of correct answers and the misconceptions increased. Therefore, it can be suggested that pupils’ misconceptions regarding probability concepts vary, which depends on the characteristics of such concepts and pupils' age and education level.
Key words: mathematics education, primary school pupils, probability, misconceptions, cross-age study

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SAŽETAK

Cilj ovoga rada je usporediti i vrednovati pogrešne predodžbe koje učenici na različitim obrazovnim razinama imaju kada je riječ o konceptima vjerojatnosti. Provedeno je stoga istraživanje na uzorku od 540 učenika od petog do osmog razreda. Korišten je instrument sa šest pitanja o konceptima složenih događaja, vjerojatnosti nekog događaja i usporedbama vjerojatnosti. Podaci su analizirani uz primjenu metoda deskriptivne statistike (SPSS 15.0) i hi-kvadrat testa. Istraživanje je pokazalo da se s povećanjem obrazovne razine povećava broj točnih odgovora, a smanjuje broj pogrešnih predodžbi o konceptu složenih događaja I, dok se smanjuje  postotak točnih odgovora, a povećava broj pogrešnih predodžbi o konceptu složenih događaja II. Kada je riječ o pitanjima koja se odnose na koncepte vjerojatnosti nekog događaja i usporedbe vjerojatnosti, s povećanjem obrazovne razine dolazi do povećanja i postotka točnih odgovora i pogrešnih predodžbi. Ukratko, može se zaključiti da pogrešne predodžbe učenika o konceptu vjerojatnosti variraju ovisno o karakteristikama tih koncepata kao i učenikovoj dobi, odnosno obrazovnoj razini.
Ključne riječi: nastava matematike, učenici osnovne škole, vjerojatnost, pogrešne predodžbe, međugeneracijsko istraživanje