Exploring situations with real data for the probabilistic literacy of mathematics teachers

Abstract

In contemporary societies, people often face uncertainty and unpredictability, which justifies the need for probabilistic literacy. In the teaching of probability, the exclusive use of classical and decontextualized situations is commonly observed. This article aims to investigate how the use of real data can promote probabilistic literacy skills among pre-service and in-service mathematics teachers. It presents results from two qualitative studies conducted by members of the Research Group in Mathematics and Statistics Education (Gpeme): a doctoral thesis and a master’s dissertation, both of which used real data to problematize the teaching of probability. The thesis involved five mathematics teachers from the Agreste region of Pernambuco, while the dissertation included seven undergraduate students from a federal public institution in the Sertão region of Pernambuco. In both studies, the goal was to present possibilities for learning probability to the participants. It was observed that the use of real data led to advances in the critical understanding of probability. Furthermore, when articulated alongside discussions of dispositional elements, such as beliefs and attitudes, it strengthened the participants' critical positioning. The study concludes that it contributes to mathematics education by proposing new perspectives for teaching probability, overcoming traditional approaches, and enabling new teaching practices focused on critical thinking and social justice.