Kim Beswick

The Beliefs/Practice Connection in Broadly Defined Contexts.

The findings of a study that examined the connection between the beliefs of secondary mathematics teachers and their classroom practices are reported in this article. Classroom practice was defined in terms of the extent to which classroom environments could be characterised as constructivist. Cluster analysis was used to group teachers according to their responses to a beliefs instrument and to group their classes according to their average responses to a classroom environment survey. Associations between the two sets of clusters were found, suggesting some consistency between broad relatively decontextualised teacher beliefs and student perceptions considered at the whole class level.

Up-close and personal: teachers' responses to an individualised professional learning opportunity

This paper provides an account of professional learning in action through documenting the experiences of three upper primary teachers as they engaged in reflection-on-action with the assistance of an academic mentor. Video-stimulated recall was used as a mechanism to encourage productive reflective practice, using video footage of each teachers numeracy lessons. The results indicated that although it was a powerful medium for stimulating reflection, and the teachers indicated that it was a beneficial process, there was limited evidence to suggest that it resulted in substantial changes to their practices. Reasons for this are hypothesised and recommendations made for personalising professional learning to cater for the needs and context of individual teachers.

Looking for attributes of powerful teaching for numeracy in Tasmanian K-7 classrooms

This paper reports on the development and use of a classroom observation reflection tool designed to measure the extent to which pedagogies acknowledged in the literature as contributing to effective teaching of mathematics for numeracy are present in classrooms. The observation schedule was used in conjunction with a record of classroom activity to examine numeracy pedagogies in a sample of Tasmanian classrooms from Kindergarten to Year 7. Low levels of intellectual challenge in highly socially supportive classrooms were typical.

School pupil change associated with a continuing professional development programme for teachers

This paper reports on the evaluation of a six‐day programme that provided professional learning to middle school teachers with the aim of equipping them to assist their pupils to achieve improved numeracy outcomes. A teacher profiling instrument designed to measure varied aspects of teachers’ knowledge for teaching mathematics was administered to 29 teachers at the beginning and end of the programme. As well, over 670 of their pupils were surveyed at the beginning of the programme and the end of the school year in relation to the mathematical experiences they had in their classrooms and their performance on basic numeracy tasks. Evidence of changed classroom practice and improved pupil performance was observed.

The professional education and development of prospective teachers of mathematics

This critical review of Australasian research on the professional education of prospective teachers of mathematics, presented or published in the period from 2008-2011, covers a period in which teacher education has undergone ‘dynamic reform’ at a global level (Tatto, Lerman, & Novotna, 2010). In Australasia, teacher education programs have experienced a range of systemic, political, social, and economic pressures that have led to modifications in program and curricula structures and increased performativity requirements. These pressures are fuelled by the widespread belief that “improvements in student learning depend on substantial, large-scale changes in how we prepare and support teachers” (Ball & Forzani, 2009, p. 497). The motivating force behind this attention is the claim that teachers are ‘key’ to students’ opportunities to learn mathematics. In creating these opportunities to learn mathematics it is clear that “what mathematics teachers know, care about, and do is a product of their experiences and socialisation both prior to and after entering teaching, together with the impact of their professional education” (Even & Ball, 2009, p. 1). It is the experiences and socialisation associated with the education of prospective teachers of mathematics—the pre- service and induction phase—that are the focus of attention in this chapter.

Educational Research and Professional Learning in Changing Times

Educational Research and Professional Learning in Changing Times reports three dimensions of a longitudinal Australian study with the ultimate aim of improving the mathematics learning outcomes for all middle school students in preparation for the quantitative literacy requirements of the 21st century. It was also hoped to improve the prospects for students with the interest to study further mathematics. The project provided professional learning opportunities for teachers, carried out case studies in individual schools, produced well-documented classroom activities in line with the aims, and measured teacher and student change over three years. The three main sections of the book cover the formal data collection and analysis, the qualitative analysis of the case studies, and some of the professional learning activities for teachers. The final section reports the reflections of the authors, especially in relation to the changing educational environment in which the project took place. Many other countries are experiencing similar educational change. The book will supplement other resources for graduate programs for pre-service and in-service mathematics teachers by modeling both a realistic approach to quantitative and qualitative research and a range of practical classroom activities. It will also assist those providing professional learning for teachers in the field, unrelated to formal research, as two thirds of the content is based on classroom experiences with mathematics.

Raising Attainment: What Might We Learn from Teachers’ Beliefs About Their Best and Worst Mathematics Students?

Teachers’ beliefs about the capacities of students to learn mathematics have been linked to the environments that they establish in their mathematics classes, the pedagogy they employ, and what they see as appropriate goals for mathematics teaching. Eighteen teachers of secondary mathematics were asked to describe the best and the worst students of mathematics that they were currently teaching, and to describe how they planned to ensure that each student made progress in his/her mathematics learning in the coming year. The findings highlight the potential of efforts to teach mathematical thinking as defined by the proficiency strands of the Australian Curriculum: Mathematics, as well as particular work habits, to enhance the attainment of students perceived as less capable.

Mathematics Teacher Educators' Knowledge for Teaching

The aims of DG12 were to: Facilitate discussion of key issues related to the knowledge required by mathematics teacher educators (MTEs), Identify different emergent strands in research that can be related to this area.

Changes in Policy Related to Early Childhood Education and Care in Australia

This chapter provides an overview and commentary on two decades of policy changes in early childhood education and care (ECEC) in Australia that led to a National Quality Framework (NQF) for ECEC services for children from birth to five years (Council of Australian Governments [COAG], 2009a). It can be argued that the direction of the policy changes has meant that educators in these services have been increasingly asked to adopt pedagogical leadership skills and practices.

Raising levels of school student engagement and retention in rural, regional and disadvantaged areas: is it a lost cause?

ABSTRACT This paper reports on the views of key members of the educational community about student engagement and retention in rural, regional and disadvantaged areas of the Australian state of Tasmania. It provides insights into the attributed reasons for the longstanding low levels of student retention in Tasmania, and the possible ways to militate against the widely censured problem of students leaving school too soon. The paper draws from principles of Bronfenbrenner’s model of ecology to situate the 25 participants who formed the sample of the study in the exosystem of the environment of the young people whose educational attainment and retention in schools is the focus of this work. Data analysis generated three major themes: families and the socio-cultural environment; teachers and teaching; and the school system. The study’s findings play an important role in prompting us to question when, and if, the dire situation of student dropout in the state and in similar contexts worldwide will begin to be reversed. Implications of the work include the need to develop and sustain a strong policy environment in which high-quality education and schooling success are contextualised as key features to which members across the systems and sections of society can contribute.