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ERIC Number: EJ984658
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1492-6156
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
The Fallacy of Composition: Prospective Mathematics Teachers' Use of Logical Fallacies
Chernoff, Egan J.; Russell, Gale L.
Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education, v12 n3 p259-271 2012
The purpose of this article is to address the lack of research on teachers' knowledge of probability. As has been the case in prior research, we asked prospective mathematics teachers to determine which of the presented sequences of coin flips was least likely to occur. However, instead of using the traditional perspectives of heuristic and informal reasoning, we have utilized logical fallacies for our analysis of the results. From this new perspective, we determined that certain individuals--those who provided normatively incorrect responses--utilized the fallacy of composition when making comparisons of relative likelihood. In addition, we discuss how our findings impact models established in the research literature (e.g., the representativeness heuristic) and, further, we suggest that logical fallacies should supplement heuristic and informal reasoning as potential perspectives for research investigating comparisons of relative likelihood. (Contains 2 tables and 1 figure.)
Routledge. Available from Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A