Investigation into the misconceptions about the probability of 8th grade students

The aim of this research is to determine the students of 8th grades in the misconception subject and possible difficulties in the field of statistics an probability and to explain the underlying reasons of misconceptions with these difficulties. Due to apply two-stage study method including qualitative and quantitative in this research, mixed model method was used. In accordance with this aim a test of probability has been formed including 13 misconceptions and has been implemented to the students. After that there has been a meeting with the students. The research has been implemented 8 secondary schools that have different success levels in the centre of Bolu and Gerede.555 8th Grade students have been attended to the research. In applied multiple-choice probability test, students were asked and to explain their answers with reasons. The answers given by the students if their explanation is correct "precise" if their answer is only correct "partially correct", if their answer is wrong "in correct" and if the students haven't answered anything has been accepted as "blank". The results of the obtained test have been transferred to a statistics program. At the end of the research the success level about probability, misconceptions, success level according to their sexes and the achievements of schools in the TEOG exam and relationship level between the school successes have been determined. After that there has been an interview with 10 students according to student's level of success, 4 student's level of success. level is low,3 is middle and 3 is as high level. The probability test has been implemented and the meetings have been tried to determine the misconceptions of the students. At the result of the probability implemented test and meeting generally the success level about probability is low, female students are more successful than male students and there is a relationship between the success levels of the schools and the points on the probability test has been observed. Besides 8th grade students' have the misconceptions related to using the concepts of probability and intuitional misconceptions and dependent-independent events probability misconceptions have been observed. According to the result of practice, suggestions have been determined as increasing the students' ability of reasoning about probability, overcoming the deficiencies of prior knowledge, comparing with the daily life problems, providing to reach on their own instead of memorizing the formula and giving importance conceptional learning. Key Words: Misconception, probability