Concepts of Probability: a Study with Colombian University Students

Probability is a complex concept to understand that has attracted the interest of many researchers. This study aimed to explore the perception and obstacles present in students taking probability and statistics courses for the first time at a Colombian university. The methodology included quantitative research elements and a descriptive-exploratory design. A deterministic sample of 313 students was selected. The diagnostic test showed that 24.92% of the participants associate probability with gambling, 29.39% are unaware of its use in their professional career, and 40.58% in their daily lives. The results indicated that its teaching has had a deterministic character with the presence of epistemological, didactic, and cognitive obstacles. It is concluded that the concept of probability is related to the knowledge acquired in their pre-university education and beliefs, requiring the implementation of didactic strategies to improve their levels of understanding.

• Fecha de publicación: 2023
• Institución: Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia
• Repositorio: RiUPTC: Repositorio Institucional UPTC
• Idioma: spa
• OAI Identifier: oai:repositorio.uptc.edu.co:001/15409
• Acceso en línea: https://revistas.uptc.edu.co/index.php/ciencia_en_desarrollo/article/view/17423; https://repositorio.uptc.edu.co/handle/001/15409
• Palabra clave: Concepciones de probabilidad, obsta ́culos, estudiantes universitarios.; Probability, obstacles, first-year university students.
• License: http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2