1 Perspectives on Children Learning Probability and Statistics, Dr. Roopa Yadavalli, Ms. Swarna L Manda
How do children represent their ideas about different variables? How do children interpret statistical ideas? What aspects do they consider while constructing their conceptual frameworks? In general, how one can understand the complex ramifications of children’s mathematical learning styles? These are some of the seminal questions in the field of contemporary mathematics education and pedagogy. This study attempts to grapple with some of the above questions. In the process of addressing these questions, this work attempts to discover certain subtle regularities and map complex intricacies with respect to children’s acquisition of mathematical knowledge. Understanding how children learn mathematics is a highly complex cognitive enterprise. However, it is impossible to construct a meaningful account of children’s learning of mathematics without considering certain important non-cognitive factors like school climate and family background. The mutual influence of cognitive and non-cognitive factors makes the learning events complex and problematic. In what follows an attempt is made to map the boundaries of children’s mathematical learning processes by reviewing the works of various authors in the field of Math education and drawing inferences from their works. Also, the purpose of this attempt is to meaningfully interpret children’s representations of mathematical ideas with special reference to probability and statistics. Key words: Perspectives, statistics, probability, cognitive and non- cognitive.
2 Perspectives on Children Learning Probability and Statistics, Dr. Roopa Yadavalli, Ms. Swarna L Manda
How do children represent their ideas about different variables? How do children interpret statistical ideas? What aspects do they consider while constructing their conceptual frameworks? In general, how one can understand the complex ramifications of children’s mathematical learning styles? These are some of the seminal questions in the field of contemporary mathematics education and pedagogy. This study attempts to grapple with some of the above questions. In the process of addressing these questions, this work attempts to discover certain subtle regularities and map complex intricacies with respect to children’s acquisition of mathematical knowledge. Understanding how children learn mathematics is a highly complex cognitive enterprise. However, it is impossible to construct a meaningful account of children’s learning of mathematics without considering certain important non-cognitive factors like school climate and family background. The mutual influence of cognitive and non-cognitive factors makes the learning events complex and problematic. In what follows an attempt is made to map the boundaries of children’s mathematical learning processes by reviewing the works of various authors in the field of Math education and drawing inferences from their works. Also, the purpose of this attempt is to meaningfully interpret children’s representations of mathematical ideas with special reference to probability and statistics. Key words: Perspectives, statistics, probability, cognitive and non- cognitive.