Substance or structure: how do teachers' concept images of distribution compare to those of exper statisticians

Research into approaches to statistics education in recent decades has produced remarkably consistent recommendations, but this is not generally well reflected in the learning activities that take place in many classrooms. This multi-case study attempts to begin to understand why, by exploring concept images for the concept of statistical distribution. In this study of three teachers and three expert statisticians based in England, the concept images of the six participants were mapped through individual semi-structured interviews and then compared. The key differences identified between the expert statisticians and the teachers related to how conceptual elements were connected and navigated, with teachers relying heavily on their knowledge of assessment items for this. Additional similarities and differences are discussed along with some implications for professional development and further research.