Students’ perceptions of fairness in probability games

The paper discusses the meanings that Malawian students attach to the word ‘fair’ in the context of probability games. The aim was to have some insight into the meanings that students bring to the classroom. In Malawi, English is the school language but not the students' first language. The sample consisted of forty students in their first year of secondary school whose first language was Chichewa. Their ages ranged from 13 to16 years. Data were collected through group discussions after playing two probability games. Data analysis was qualitative and grounded. Findings suggest that students attach a variety of meanings to ‘fair’, most of which are derived from their everyday experiences. In addition the findings reveal that some students do not consider the coin as a random device. The findings have implications to the teaching of probability.