Quantitative Reasoning and Conceptual Analysis as a Framework for Teaching and Learning Probability

Thompson’s theory of quantitative reasoning and von Glasersfeld’s approach to conceptual analysis are underutilized tools in probability and statistics education. Both are valuable frameworks for researching how individuals conceptualize and reason about/with uncertainty as well as helping to inform instructional design around the same topics. We describe both conceptual analysis and the theory of quantitative reasoning and how they have shaped mathematics education. Further, we provide some instances where they have successfully been used in probability and statistics education. Sharing these useful tools from mathematics education has profound implications for the field given its tight linkages. Thus, presenting this framework has potential to provoke reflection within the field regarding what constitutes foundational probabilistic and statistical ideas and how instruction might support students’ understanding of them.