Upper-Formers’ Stochastic Culture: Essential Features, Formation Technology

Background/Objectives: The article considers the necessity to form stochastic culture in upper-formers as their integral quality, the premise for effective mental activity in stochastics, a composite index of stochastic competence. Methods: Philosophical and cultural approaches have been used to construct a structural-functional model of stochastic culture of the pupil's personality. Axiological and epistemological factors form the basis for the model development. The upper-formers' stochastic culture has been assessed by parameterization in quantitative or qualitative terms. Findings: The authors have proposed a procedure to diagnose and calculate the levels of upper-formers' stochastic culture well-formedness, distinguishing a critical, admissible, advanced and optimal levels. The upper-formers' stochastic culture will be formed according to the suggested conceptual model, in the framework of which four sections are distinguished: methodological, informatory, procedural-evaluative and diagnostic. Each section is correlated with its implementation plan. The results of experimental work confirmed the hypothesis about the effectiveness of the developed model of upper-formers' stochastic culture formation (the model was introduced in more than 70 secondary schools in the Lipetsk region, Russia). Teaching stochastics, conducted according to the developed technique, contributes to the enhancement of the upper-formers' stochastic level of competence, educational interest to mathematics, which ultimately indicates a high level of well-formedness of upper-formers' stochastic culture. Application: The calculated structural-functional model of stochastic culture of the pupils' personality is required for the teachers in their teaching activities, which will help arrange properly the educational process.