Popularization of Probability Theory and Statistics in School Through Intellectual Competitions

Abstract

Since 2004, in accordance with the Federal Educational Standards, probability theory and statistics has been included into teaching practice in Russian schools. This paper focuses on one form of this work: organization of intellectual competitions on probability theory and statistics for school students. Since 2008, the Moscow Center for Continuous Mathematical Education has conducted the Internet Olympiad for students in school years 6–11. In addition to the traditional problems, participants are offered a choice to write an essay on a proposed topic. This article attempts to classify those topics and highlight the most popular ones among the students. In addition, this paper makes a short overview of selected problems that from the organizers’ point of view represent promising and prospective trends in the teaching of probability and statistics at school. The article is addressed to education specialists, teachers, and researchers who specialize in probability theory and statistics.