THREE SIMILAR MEAN PROBLEMS: ARE THEY REALLY THAT SIMILAR? RESEARCH ON THE INFLUENCE OF THE STRUCTURE OF THE PROBLEM ON STUDENTS’ RESPONSES

Abstract

The results are taken from a much larger study on the strategies that pupils in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th stages at secondary school (ages 14-16) use for solving problems concerning the mean. In this paper the solutions of three problems are analysed. These problems have been formulated to be of such a kind that we can distinguish between the ability of pupils to calculate a mean, and that of realising the effect of a change in the number of observations or in the value of an observation, on the mean. The problems were also seen to test the influence of a value equal to zero on the mean, drawn attention to in earlier research studies. The results of the current study show us, in the chosen context, the type and sense of the modifications exerting influence on the manipulations of the pupils, and that inadequate conceptions or a change of meaning appeared in certain situations and not in others. Note: An extended summary in English is provided at the beginning of this paper, which is written in French.

First published November 2005 at Statistics Education Research Journal: Archives