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Abstract: Abstract Teaching and even designing a numeracy course in university is certainly not like teaching a mathematics course. Curriculum, goals, focus, examples, prerequisites, and especially students are all very, very different. This is why, in this commentary, I explore questions such as what is numeracy, who is numerate, why teach numeracy, what is the difference between a mathematics task and a numeracy task, and how to create a numeracy curriculum. I share my work and observations in the numeracy course that I have taught. Discussions and examples are provided for instructors to gain a better grasp on how to think about and teach numeracy and to help their students develop and improve numeracy skills. My perspectives are drawn from my own personal experiences teaching mathematics and numeracy and writing numeracy tasks, as well as research and collaborations with both mathematics and numeracy educators. PubDate: 2024-07-31 DOI: 10.1007/s42330-024-00324-2
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Abstract: Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the rapid transition to online quantitative education, leading to unique challenges and opportunities in assessments for both students and instructors. Focusing on undergraduate students and teaching staff at a Canadian university, this study investigates and compares their experiences and perspectives regarding assessment in online mathematics and statistics courses during the pandemic. Framed by the theory of community of inquiry, our analysis highlights how assessment affected the cognitive, social, and teaching aspects of their learning and teaching experiences. The analysis was based on interview data from the focal student and teaching staff participants. Findings indicated that students and teaching staff had complex experiences with the assessments designed and administered in the online courses during the pandemic. Such complexity was attributed to varied factors, such as technology integration, uncertainty during the pandemic, assessment structure, alignment with course content, and connection with real-life applications. Implications for transforming the assessment practices to meet the demands of students and instructors in online mathematics and statistics education were also provided. PubDate: 2024-07-27 DOI: 10.1007/s42330-024-00322-4
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Abstract: Abstract The old canard that Indigenous and First Nations peoples had, or have, only rudimentary mathematical skills has been curiously persistent, against widespread published evidence over the past century and a half. In Australia, attempts to include Indigenous mathematical knowledge in curriculums have encountered strong resistance. After more than 12 years of advocacy and development by expert Indigenous advisers, content elaborations on Indigenous mathematics were included in the 2022 release of the Australian school curriculum. This hard-won achievement is welcomed widely, but experience also tells us to expect some resistance from sectors of the education communities who maintain and gatekeep an exclusively British-European or Western provenance of mathematics. In this article, we employ an exemplary approach to counter such narratives by summarising and replying to five published critiques of Indigenous mathematics, which typify widely held and propagated misconceptions. We seek to forestall potential pushback constructively, and address concerns regarding the legitimacy and pedagogical value of Indigenous mathematics, by countering with evidence claims in these critiques that Australian First Nations peoples historically had no autonomously developed mathematical knowledge. In doing so, we seek to stimulate more diverse and inclusive discussions of the underlying questions of ‘What is mathematics'’ and ‘Who can do mathematics'’. Although our research originated in a particular national context, the foundational importance of mathematics within and between all societies entails a global response to address these and similar pervasive misconceptions. PubDate: 2024-07-24 DOI: 10.1007/s42330-024-00321-5
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Abstract: Abstract In this commentary, we would like to provide a comprehensive overview of the importance of mathematical thinking and teaching development using “rich tweaks” in primary school in the book Mastery and Depth in Primary Mathematics: Enriching Children’s Mathematical Thinking. This book is recommended to be read and studied further by mathematics teachers, all students of mathematics education, and researchers in the field of mathematics education. PubDate: 2024-07-23 DOI: 10.1007/s42330-024-00323-3
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Abstract: Abstract The teaching and learning of design technology that occurs in nature-based early childhood education and care (ECEC) contexts such as nature kindergartens remains under-theorised. There is a growing body of scholarship that describes how teaching and learning occurs in these contexts as well as highlighting the benefits for young children learning in the natural environment. Recently, in the perspective of the Australian ECEC sector, how students experience design technology in nature-based contexts (bush kinders, an adaption of the European forest school approach to ECEC) was reported on. Despite design technology being accounted for in bush kinders as part of play-based learning of STEM, assessment of how this learning is supporting student’s comprehension of design technology remains an area for further attention. Often, educators rely solely on observations and anecdotal note taking for assessment which points to a need to support teachers with more rigorous assessment models. This paper adapts an assessment model for science learning and reconsiders it in terms of design technology teaching and learning. The paper’s aim is to support educators to develop children’s deeper understandings of design technology and make learning meaningful in nature-based education settings. Using vignettes, the children’s learning of design technology available in natural surroundings is analysed. This paper proposes that bush kinders are a valuable context for teaching and learning as they allow educators to develop skills to assess children’s design technology knowledge. The analysis of the data and its consideration against one play-based learning assessment model is also valuable in generating a broader narrative that deepens insights into the teaching and learning experience of design technology education in early childhood nature-based contexts. PubDate: 2024-07-17 DOI: 10.1007/s42330-024-00320-6
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Abstract: Abstract Literature suggests that “current characterizations of the terms procedural knowledge and conceptual knowledge are limiting and are, in fact, impediments to careful investigation of these constructs” (Star, 2005, p. 405). We examined secondary mathematics teachers’ understanding of procedural and conceptual knowledge at superficial and deep levels through the design of mathematical tasks. For this purpose, N=55 secondary mathematics teachers were asked to design a procedural and a conceptual task on a given topic and explain why they think the task they designed is a procedural and/or conceptual task. The study results showed that 78% of teachers were able to design and correctly explain procedural tasks. However, only 5.5% of teachers were able to design conceptual tasks correctly. Teachers’ narratives were examined to categorize emerging characteristics of procedural and conceptual tasks as well as to address teachers’ (mis)conceptions about procedural and conceptual knowledge. PubDate: 2024-07-08 DOI: 10.1007/s42330-024-00319-z
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Abstract: Abstract This study aimed to unveil pre-service primary school teachers’ (PPSTs) technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) regarding the unit “Let’s Recognize the Force” suggested by grade 3 science curriculum. Through a single-case (holistic) design of case study method, 43 PPSTs voluntarily participated in the study. To collect data, a Google Form with open-ended questions was developed and administered. In analysing the data, the authors improved a four-point rubric to evaluate the quality of their responses. Hence, they scored their responses through the rubric and imported them into SPSS 20.0™ to run correlation analysis for TPACK components. Also, their responses were exposed to content analysis to generate their conceptual schemes via the “cut-off” points. The findings showed that the PPSTs had some shortcomings in associating and transforming their TPACK to the unit “Let’s Recognize the Force.” The current study recommends that future research should focus on how to improve the PPSTs’ domain-specific TPACK. PubDate: 2024-06-14 DOI: 10.1007/s42330-024-00317-1
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Abstract: Abstract A review of Martin, W. G., Lawler, B. R., Lischka, A. E., & Smith, W. M. (2020). The Mathematics Teacher Education Partnership: The Power of a Networked Improvement Community to Transform Secondary Mathematics Teacher Preparation. Charlotte, North Carolina: Information Age Publishing, xix + 412 pp., $62.04 (paperback), ISBN 978–1-64,113–931-1, $89.24 (hardcover), ISBN 978–1-64,113–932-8. This book offers a thorough overview of a 7-year initiative by the Mathematics Teacher Education Partnership (MTE-Partnership), a national consortium uniting over 90 universities and 100 school systems. Focused on preparing secondary mathematics teachers, the MTE-Partnership operates as a Networked Improvement Community (NIC), merging improvement science with networking for accelerated progress. Addressing key challenges in teacher preparation, such as content knowledge development, impactful clinical experiences, recruitment, and equity considerations, the book explores existing knowledge and initiatives by Research Action Clusters (RACs). These collaborative clusters iteratively refine processes and products to enhance secondary mathematics teacher preparation. The book outlines successful RAC approaches and specific products, offering insights for educators and policymakers. Reflecting on the NIC model, it provides valuable considerations for research design, with explicit references to the Standards for Preparing Teachers of Mathematics (Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators, 2017), enhancing practical applicability. This resource is essential for advancing the field of secondary mathematics teacher preparation. PubDate: 2024-06-07 DOI: 10.1007/s42330-024-00316-2
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Abstract: Abstract This study aims to develop an evaluation framework to assess the mathematical deductive reasoning competence (MDRC) of eighth-grade students in China based on Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) and Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). The framework includes four dimensions of MDRC: cognitive level, reasoning context, reasoning form, and reasoning content. A sample of 58,532 students took the test entitled MDRC Assessment in 90 min. Their MDRC was classified into four levels, and the percentages of students who were at level 1 to level 4 are 17.3%, 25.2%, 26.7%, and 30.8%, respectively. Girls performed significantly better than boys in total and in each of the dimensions of the evaluation framework, but the differences were at a low practical level. Students from urban schools outperformed students from rural schools at a significant level and a higher percentage of students in rural areas were at level 1 (poorest performance) than of students in urban areas. This research proposed a framework for assessing MDRC levels of students and used it with Chinese as well as international studies. Implications of gender and geographical inequalities in this performance were also discussed. PubDate: 2024-05-18 DOI: 10.1007/s42330-024-00315-3
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Abstract: Abstract The purpose of this article is to identify, from the plethora of journals dedicated to publishing research in the field of mathematics education, in general, and from mathematics education’s ‘Group of Seven’, in particular, what I call the Math Ed Majors. In order to do so, I look to men’s professional golf, and men’s major golf championships. Worthy of note, there are only four majors in men’s professional golf. As such, I pronounce only four journals as math ed majors. Recognizing that I may ruffle some feathers, I take into consideration, as has been done in men’s golf, scenarios where there are only three or perhaps five majors. Also taking into consideration that I am constantly on the lookout for and have a vested interest in Canadian mathematics education matters, because if Canadian mathematics education matters then Canadian mathematics education matters, I provide an honourable mention by drawing parallels between a prominent journal and the Canadian Open. After a bit of translation, necessary for a brief aside where I speak Canadian, I allude to Part II of this manuscript, proclaiming the Math Ed Majors with the explicit purpose of introducing brand-new, unconventional, professional golf–based author productivity indexes. PubDate: 2024-05-11 DOI: 10.1007/s42330-024-00314-4
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Please help us test our new pre-print finding feature by giving the pre-print link a rating. A 5 star rating indicates the linked pre-print has the exact same content as the published article.
Please help us test our new pre-print finding feature by giving the pre-print link a rating. A 5 star rating indicates the linked pre-print has the exact same content as the published article.
Abstract: Abstract Primary teachers use informal science workshops to supplement science teaching. These activities are meant to foster student’s motivation in science, but few studies with control groups and randomization have attempted to determine their effects. Our experimental study aims to (1) measure the impact of one of these programs (Les Débrouillards) on students’ motivational processes, and (2) explore the moderating role of certain characteristics of the students (age, gender, socio-familial adversity, and scientific capital) on these effects. We randomly assigned twenty-eight 5th and 6th grade classes (n = 526) with one of four conditions: 0, 1, 2 or 3 in-class science workshops of one hour. Students completed a pre-test and post-test questionnaire to assess their self-efficacy as well as their values towards science. The results of the hierarchical regressions indicate that exposure to the program did not have an effect on the motivation of all students. However, participating in the workshops (vs. no workshops) produced a number of interaction effects. The moderators’ examination revealed that the program was more beneficial for boys, for older students (potentially countering the decline in interest as students age), and for students with little science capital, especially. These results suggest that students’ characteristics are important to consider when evaluating the effects of informal science presentations, and that such programs can be an advantage in environments where activities promoting scientific literacy are not easily accessed. PubDate: 2024-03-19 DOI: 10.1007/s42330-024-00310-8
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Abstract: Abstract This article aims to illustrate how the collective resolution of routine mathematical tasks can give rise to uncertainties, fostering and supporting a rich and authentic mathematical activity. While solving routine tasks may not typically be classified as problem-solving, the research presented in this paper shows that, at the collective level, their resolution can give rise to new mathematical tasks to solve in the classroom and generate authentic problem-solving activity. Grounded in the enaction theory of cognition (e.g. Maturana & Varela in Shambhala, 1992), this research considers the class as a unit, as a collectivity, which brings forth a mathematical activity. In this article, examples derived from an experiment conducted in elementary-level mathematics classrooms are used to show the emergence of uncertainties, highlighting the mathematical potential resulting from the collective resolution of routine tasks. In conclusion, the article introduces the concept of collective mathematical problems. PubDate: 2024-02-24 DOI: 10.1007/s42330-024-00308-2
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Abstract: Abstract Although research has shown that numeration units are essential for learning whole numbers, students in France still face challenges in understanding units, since learning is often limited to designating the position of digits in the writing of numbers. This article investigates a study conducted among 4th and 5th graders, comprised of a baseline scenario and variations, which examines a quantity comparison problem that aims to strengthen the understanding of numeration units as a system of units organized according to the decimal principle. Using teaching design methodology, we describe the design choices (a priori analysis) and examine in-class implementation as well as discussions with students (a posteriori analysis). The results illustrate a variety of teaching methods, some of the difficulties that students face, and opportunities to further an understanding of numeration units. PubDate: 2024-02-15 DOI: 10.1007/s42330-023-00307-9
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Abstract: Abstract This qualitative study examines the influence of a 3-year professional development project for middle school mathematics, science, and special education teachers focused on integrating science, mathematics, and engineering in classroom instruction on participants’ understandings of productive struggle in learning. Multi-disciplinary teams of teachers engaged as learners to use engineering design as a framework for integrating significant mathematics and science content supported by effective teaching practices. In this paper, we describe how the components of our professional development design supported teacher-participants to make sense of productive struggle in learning. In particular, participants noted that being able to experience design-based activities as learners and working through solutions with their colleagues supported their understanding of what it means to productively struggle, resulting in their growth as individuals and as teachers. The significance in this work lies in understanding how to effectively support teachers to buy-in to the meaning and value of productive struggle and how engaging in integrated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), design-based professional learning experiences facilitated that effort. PubDate: 2024-02-03 DOI: 10.1007/s42330-023-00302-0
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Abstract: Abstract To be able to support students’ competence development in solving physics problems over the course of a lesson series effectively, teachers need a proper appreciation of students’ deficiencies. As teachers commonly assess students’ competence by means of written tests, teachers are challenged to interpret students’ work on these tests and to intervene when some students fail to understand the proper application of solution methods in different contexts. This paper evaluates a formative assessment practice where teachers have been instructed to pinpoint students’ level of understanding of kinematics problems by means of a cognitive diagnostic instrument and to provide personalized hints that match students’ current level of understanding. The study is novel in this sense that the assessment of written tests results of students’ problem solving is not expressed in grades and pass rates, but in terms of cognitive level of understanding. The results show that teachers can determine and monitor shifts of performance of students’ cognitive level of understanding by using this instrument. Second, the results indicate that among students with low initial results, the group that received sufficient feedback via sticky notes made significantly more progress in solving problems than the group that did not receive feed forward on sticky notes. Third, the timing of feedback in the form of sticky notes did not affect on students’ progress in achieving mastery at the end of the instruction period. Our conclusion of this study is: Cognition develops through levels and tiers and support is essential to move to the Zone of Proximal Development. Subsequently, we evaluate group and subgroup implications for didactic interventions and propose suggestions for further investigations. PubDate: 2024-01-09 DOI: 10.1007/s42330-023-00296-9
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Abstract: Abstract This article presents the results of a study aimed at understanding potential implications of the project-based approach to teaching science and technology (S&T). A survey of 221 secondary teachers shows that the meaning of this approach hangs on attributes that make it difficult to characterize and differentiate from other pedagogical approaches (e.g. the problem-based approach, interdisciplinarity, strategic teaching, explicit teaching). The objectives that respondents associated with the project-based approach have more to do with socialization than instruction; non-disciplinary skills are perceived to take precedence over teachings specific to S&T. Moreover, the degree to which teachers use this approach trails far behind other approaches that do not compete with subject-specific learning (explicit teaching in particular). The challenges reported by the respondents—especially by the segment of teachers who claimed to have never used this approach—show the need for teacher training on the didactic foundations of this approach and the production of resources that would encourage its use in a way that promotes better learning in S&T. PubDate: 2024-01-04 DOI: 10.1007/s42330-023-00305-x
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Abstract: Abstract In France, when a student has persistent and recurring difficulties in mathematics, he or she may be cared for by a healthcare professional, a speech-therapist, outside of school. The social security reimbursed this support. Our research aims to objectify the effects of such monitoring on school learning. This article presents seven sessions on the theme of multiplying two integers of a speech therapy follow-up for a 10 to 11-year-old child. The didactic analysis of this sequence, based on a naturalistic observation, without intervention of researchers, is carried out to answer the question: what is the mathematical knowledge worked' Our study highlights a networking of different types of tasks, potentially due to a work of reversibility (Apostel et al. in Logique et équilibre, Presses Universitaires de Francein, 1957) and the epistemic role of the material, omnipresent during the sessions. PubDate: 2023-12-31 DOI: 10.1007/s42330-023-00304-y
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