Does the teaching of probability improve probabilistic intuitions?

The paper analyzes the effects of a teaching programme in probability devised for junior high school pupils (grades 5, 6 and 7). It was found that most of the notions were too difficult for the fifth grade pupils. In contrast, about 60–70% of the sixth graders and about 80–90% of the seventh graders were able to understand and use correctly most of the concepts contained in the programme. It was also found that, as an indirect effect the course on probability had a beneficial effect on some intuitively based misconceptions of the subjects, like: the representiveness effect; the positive recency effect; the notion of a lucky choice; the superstitious belief in the possibility of influencing the course of events by some particular behaviour.