Education Commons^™

How Can Teachers Use Video Games To Teach Their Students Mathematics?, Jeremiah I. Holden, C. Williams

Remi Holden

Imagine a veteran mathematics educator eager to refine her practice. Alternatively, what of the first-year teacher confident in her ability to adapt new technologies to communicate, problem-solve, and share information. How might either identify what makes video games and gameplay effective in a mathematics classroom? What are the advantages of game-based learning in contrast to more traditional instructional strategies, and can pitfalls be avoided, successes recognized, and challenges mitigated? We recommend:

• Investigating online resources and communities, including GameDesk's Educade , Common Sense Media's Graphite , MinecraftEdu , and Playful Learning to find teacher-recommended games;
• Playing game demos, envisioning how students' …

Png Curriculum Reform Implementation Project : Implementation Project Report On The Pilot Curriculum Standards Monitoring Test, Chris Freeman, Prue Anderson, George Morgan

Prue Anderson

This report presents an analysis of the test data from the Curriculum Standards Monitoring Test (CSMT) Pilot program, conducted in 2003 - 2004. It has been prepared by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) on behalf of the Department of Education (DoE), with the support of the Curriculum Reform Implementation Project (CRIP). The terms of reference for the pilot CSMT required ACER and Curriculum Development Division (CDD) to conduct an assessment of PNG student achievements in literacy and numeracy in Grades 3, 4, 5 and 8 against the then current curriculum, taking into account also the outcomes of the …

Same Year, Same School, Same Curriculum: Different Mathematics Results, Catherine Pearn

Catherine Pearn

Year 4 students from a large metropolitan school in Melbourne were tested using the One Minute Tests of Basic Number Facts and a paper and pencil Number Screening Test developed by the author and colleagues. Observation of classes during the assessment procedures highlighted the vast difference in the students’ speed and accuracy when recalling basic facts and the types of strategies they used when solving whole number arithmetic tasks. When the results were analysed there were differences noted in the class results and when the results were presented to the teachers their reactions to these results varied considerably. This paper …

Addressing The Learning Needs Of All Students, Geoff Masters

Prof Geoff Masters AO

Year-level curriculum expectations in our schools sometimes impose artificial ceilings on student learning, and many of Australia’s most able students are not achieving their true potential as a result. Geoff Masters explains why.

The 'Literacy' Idea, Ross Turner

Ross Turner

A central reason why researchers and practitioners refer to domain literacy is to draw attention to the kinds of things students learn in the domain. In a traditional learning domain the focus might be on the acquisition of discrete facts, skills and procedures that have little obvious connection or utility. In a learning domain with a literacy orientation, the focus is on applying the domain’s facts, skills and procedures to support creativity and inventiveness, to solve novel problems and to deal with the kinds of challenges that life presents outside the classroom. In the case of mathematics, for example, a …

Described Proficiency Scales And Learning Metrics, Ross Turner

Ross Turner

We see the process of educational measurement as one of defining dimensions of educational progression and locating learners on those dimensions. Such dimensions are variously referred to as proficiency scales or learning metrics. When we measure something using a scale we can express how much of a given attribute is possessed by that something. We use a scale of centimetres or inches to describe the length of an object. We use a scale of hours and minutes to describe an amount of time. This is also the case for educational measurement: when we measure proficiency in a subject area we …

Pisa In Brief : Highlights From The Full Australian Report : Challenges For Australian Education : Results From Pisa 2009 : The Pisa 2009 Assessment Of Students' Reading, Mathematical And Scientific Literacy., Sue Thomson, Lisa De Bortoli, Marina Nicholas, Kylie Hillman, Sarah Buckley

Kylie Hillman

No abstract provided.

Pisa In Brief : Highlights From The Full Australian Report : Challenges For Australian Education : Results From Pisa 2009 : The Pisa 2009 Assessment Of Students' Reading, Mathematical And Scientific Literacy., Sue Thomson, Lisa De Bortoli, Marina Nicholas, Kylie Hillman, Sarah Buckley

Kylie Hillman

No abstract provided.

Pisa In Brief : Highlights From The Full Australian Report : Challenges For Australian Education : Results From Pisa 2009 : The Pisa 2009 Assessment Of Students' Reading, Mathematical And Scientific Literacy., Sue Thomson, Lisa De Bortoli, Marina Nicholas, Kylie Hillman, Sarah Buckley

Kylie Hillman

No abstract provided.

Perspectives On Numeracy: Reflections From International Assessments, Dave Tout, Iddo Gal

David (Dave) Tout

This paper examines perspectives regarding the mathematical skills expected of adults and school graduates, comparing ideas developed as part of two major multinational comparative assessments of skills: the Programme for International Student Assessment and the Programme for International Assessment of Adult Competencies (also known as the OECD Survey of Adult Skills). The paper reflects on the conceptual and assessment frameworks developed for these two programmes, aiming to shed light on the commonalities and differences between the constructs of numeracy and mathematical literacy and to inform current debate about directions for developing mathematical skills in the 21st Century.

Focused: Why A Teaching Team Is Greater Than The Sum Of Its Parts, Ray Peck

Ray Peck

Ray Peck reports on new research revealing that focused teaching teams assist the mathematics learning of students with Down syndrome.

Creative Activities In Mathematics : Problem-Based Maths Investigations For Lower And Middle Primary : Book 1., Derek Holton, Catherine Pearn

Catherine Pearn

Problem-based learning is a powerful alternative to drill-and practice or skills-based learning, especially within maths, but it can be difficult to source rich materials that engage an entire class. The Creative Activities in Mathematics series provides a wealth of investigations and open-ended active learning activities, designed to engage students with mathematics and develop their problem-solving, collaboration and mathematical skills. Book One provides 12 different class activities suitable for students in lower and middle primary school (Foundation to Year 4), along with teaching notes and staged lesson plans. Each activity is a whole-class investigation with open-ended answers that takes a particular …

Maths + Confidence = Higher Scores For Boys, Sue Thomson, Lisa De Bortoli

Lisa De Bortoli

Teenage boys outperform Australian girls in mathematics by the equivalent of about one-third of a school year, according to the latest PISA survey, as Sue Thomson and Lisa De Bortoli explain.

Learning And Fearing Mathematics, Sarah Buckley, Kate Reid

Dr Sarah Buckley

Findings from psychology and neuroscience can help educators to better understand the processes underlying children’s learning of, and feelings towards, mathematics. Sarah Buckley and Kate Reid explain.

Influences On Children’S Numeracy Skills, John Ainley

Dr John Ainley

John Ainley reports on an analysis of the impact of background characteristics on young children's numeracy skills.

A Teacher's Guide To Pisa Mathematical Literacy, Sue Thomson, Kylie Hillman, Lisa De Bortoli

Kylie Hillman

This report focuses on mathematical literacy and is one of a series of three reports on Australian students' performance in PISA. The report provides an overview of the PISA mathematics framework and Australia's results in the PISA 2003 international assessment. Also included are mathematics items released for public viewing after the PISA 2003 assessment and examples of responses, marking guides and comparisons of results with other countries. The context behind achievement, e.g. attitudes, engagement and learning strategies, is also presented.

Policy, Practice, And Readiness To Teach Primary And Secondary Mathematics In 17 Countries: Findings From The Iea Teacher Education And Development Study In Mathematics (Teds-M), Teresa Tatto, Jack Schwille, Sharon Senk, Lawrence Ingvarson, Ray Peck, Glenn Rowley

Ray Peck

The IEA Teacher Education and Development Study in Mathematics (TEDS-M 2008) was a comparative study of primary and secondary mathematics teacher education. It examined how different countries prepared teachers to teach mathematics in primary and lower-secondary schools.

TEDS-M paid particular attention to links between teacher education policies, practices, and outcomes. TEDS-M asked several key research questions:

• What is the national policy context for mathematics teacher education?

• What are the main characteristics of mathematics teacher education programs, and how do they vary across countries?

• What is the level of mathematics and related teaching knowledge acquired by prospective primary …

Monitoring Australian Year 8 Student Achievement Internationally : Timss 2011, Sue Thomson, Kylie Hillman, Nicole Wernert

Kylie Hillman

The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS 2011) is an international study directed by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). In Australia, TIMSS was managed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), and funded by the Australian and state and territory governments.

The goal of TIMSS is to provide comparative information about educational achievement across countries to improve teaching and learning in mathematics and science. It also provides comparative perspectives on trends in achievement in the context of different educational systems, school organisational approaches and instructional practices and to enable this, TIMSS collects …

Png Curriculum Reform Implementation Project : Implementation Project Report On The Pilot Curriculum Standards Monitoring Test, Chris Freeman, Prue Anderson, George Morgan

Chris Freeman

This report presents an analysis of the test data from the Curriculum Standards Monitoring Test (CSMT) Pilot program, conducted in 2003 - 2004. It has been prepared by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) on behalf of the Department of Education (DoE), with the support of the Curriculum Reform Implementation Project (CRIP). The terms of reference for the pilot CSMT required ACER and Curriculum Development Division (CDD) to conduct an assessment of PNG student achievements in literacy and numeracy in Grades 3, 4, 5 and 8 against the then current curriculum, taking into account also the outcomes of the …

An Exploratory Analysis Of The Talis And Pisa Link Data: An Investigation Of The Possible Relationships, Frances Eveleigh, Chris Freeman

Chris Freeman

This paper proposes to report a preliminary investigation of the field trial data of PISA combined with the TALIS data from the same pool of schools. It proposes exploratory analyses of the data through correlation, ANOVA and MANOVA, and multi-level modelling techniques to identify plausible relationships and explained variation that may be uncovered within the data. This investigation will inform the types of analyses that may be performed on the main study data that are being collected in mid to late 2012.

Some Drivers Of Test Item Difficulty In Mathematics, Ross Turner

Ross Turner

This paper is one of four contributions to the symposium session at the AERA’s 2012 Annual Meeting titled Exploring Reading and Mathematics Item Difficulty: Teaching and Learning Implications of PISA Survey Data. The author presents a rubric used to analyse mathematics test items developed for use in the OECD’s PISA survey. The rubric focuses on a set of mathematical competencies that are components of mathematical literacy. The work on which this report is based suggests that demand for activation of these competencies functions as a significant driver of item difficulty, which potentially has implications for the teaching and learning of …

How Design Can Get Kids On The Path To Tech Careers: A Conversation With Dr. Stephanie Pace Marshall, The Founder Of A New Type Of Science And Math Academy, Stephanie Marshall

Stephanie Pace Marshall, Ph.D.

An interview with Dr. Stephanie Pace Marshall about educational design and the design of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy. "IMSA sought not only to develop decidedly different scientific minds, but also to develop a decidedly different residential learning community -- one that was nurturing and innovative, and one that instilled a sense of stewardship, and an obligation to give back. As a dynamic teaching and learning laboratory, IMSA continues to evolve, yet the roots of our founding ideas and goals remain."

An Ant's Eye View : Some Pluses And Minuses, Dave Tout

David (Dave) Tout

This article provides a history of adult numeracy teaching, looking back at the rise and development if adult numeracy provision, mainly in Victoria, from the perspective of an ANT (adult numeracy teacher), beginning in the late 1970s. The author then describes what lies on the horizon, what lessons adult educators can learn, and what opportunities might lie ahead for adult numeracy in the next decade or so. The article contains an exposition on the benefits of explicitly recognising and supporting numeracy within the language, literacy and numeracy equation. The author argues that, given the Australian data from ALLS, there is …

Special Educators And Mathematics Phobia: An Initial Qualitative Investigation, Michael Humphrey, Jack Hourcade

Jack Hourcade

Special educators are uniquely challenged to be content experts in all curricular areas, including mathematics, since students in their case loads may require academic instruction in any area. However, special educators with math phobia may be limited in their ability to provide effective instruction to their students with mathematical deficits and/or needs, and may experience additional challenges in their professional and personal lives. This qualitative study sought to better understand the nature of math phobia in two special educators through extensive interviews, journaling, and observations in math experiences, with a number of primary themes identified. Several potential resolutions for the …

Pisa In Brief : Highlights From The Full Australian Report : Challenges For Australian Education : Results From Pisa 2009 : The Pisa 2009 Assessment Of Students' Reading, Mathematical And Scientific Literacy., Sue Thomson, Lisa De Bortoli, Marina Nicholas, Kylie Hillman, Sarah Buckley

Lisa De Bortoli

No abstract provided.

Highlighting The Similarities And Differences Of The Mathematical Knowledge And Strategies Of Year 4 Students, Catherine Pearn

Catherine Pearn

Research has shown that successful mathematics students use different types of strategies from those struggling with mathematics. Year 4 students were tested using the One Minute Tests of Basic Number Facts and a paper and pencil Number Screening Test developed by the author and colleagues. Observation of the students during the assessment procedures highlighted the vast difference in the students' speed and accuracy when recalling basic facts and the types of strategies they used when solving mathematical tasks. [Author abstract]

What Is Effective Mathematics Teaching? International Educators' Judgements Of Mathematics Lessons From The Timss 1999 Video Study., Karen Givvin, Jennifer Jacobs, Hilary Hollingsworth, James Hiebert

Dr Hilary Hollingsworth

It has been well documented that classroom mathematics teaching differs across countries (Clarke et al., 2006a; Givvin et al., 2005; Hiebert et al., 2003a, 2003b; LeTendre et al., 2001; Leung, 1995; Stigler & Hiebert, 1999). Much less is known about whether leading educators in different countries differ in their views about what kinds of teaching should be occurring. Do the differences in classroom practices across countries mirror differences in experts’ views or do the differences exist in spite of shared views among experts? The goal of this chapter is to address this question.

Learning Mathematics For Life : A Perspective From Pisa, Jan De Lange, Alla Routitsky, Kaye Stacey, Ross Turner, Margaret Wu, Andreas Schleicher, Claire Shewbridge, Pablo Zoido, Nicola Clements

Dr Alla Routitsky

People from many countries have expressed interest in the tests students take for the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). This book examines the link between the PISA test requirements and student performance. It focuses specifically on the proportions of students who answer questions correctly across a range of difficulty. The questions are classified by content, competencies, context and format, and the connections between these and student performance are then analysed. This analysis has been carried out in an effort to link PISA results to curricular programs and structures in participating countries and economies. Results from the student assessment reflect …

Teacher Education And Development Study In Mathematics (Teds-M) : Policy, Practice, And Readiness To Teach Primary And Secondary Mathematics : Conceptual Framework., Maria Tatto, John Schwille, Sharon Senk, Lawrence Ingvarson, Ray Peck, Glenn Rowley

Ray Peck

TEDS-M is a collaborative effort of worldwide institutions to study the mathematics preparation of future primary and secondary teachers. This study investigates whether what future teachers learn in teacher education leads to more effective knowledge of mathematics and mathematics for teaching. The lead centre is the International Study Center at Michigan State University, which along with the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA), the Australian Council of Educational Research, and national research centres (NRCs) in 17 countries, is analysing the costs of becoming a teacher prepared to teach mathematics, the policies governing mathematics teacher education (including recruitment, …

Pisa – The Programme For International Student Assessment – An Overview, Ross Turner

Ross Turner