The introduction of probability into Australian schools interpreted within a broad-spectrum ecological framework

This paper argues that the two models of curriculum development currently used to interpret Australian mathematics education history--the Colonial Echo model and the Muddling Through model--are both deficient, and proposes a more complex model--the Broad Spectrum Ecological model. This considers the physical, social and intellectual forces operating within a specific environment. One small aspect of mathematics education history, the introduction of probability teaching into Australian schools, is used to illustrate the superiority of this model.