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Improving
outcomes in Numeracy
Ideas about improving outcomes for Indigenous students in
numeracy cover a lot of the same territory as longstanding
discussions about improving the quality and impact of mathematics
teaching.
The
use of the term 'numeracy' with its strong implications of
practicality makes this even more emphatic. The idea of 'working
mathematically' has been defined and institutionalised at
some levels of education. Working in context, collecting and
organising data, seeing and describing patterns, creating
theories, using strategies and skills to prove or disprove
those theories, applying these to actual social and physical
issues and communicating results are familiar concepts.
But
another, older idea of what it means to 'work mathematically'
at school has proved resistant to change - ritualised behaviour,
barely contextualised sums, right and wrong answers, all bedded
comfortably into the idea that maths, 'real maths, is hard,
boring and accessible only to some.
The
messages
These materials offer two perspectives to work on.
- The first is that improvement in numeracy outcomes
will occur if effort is made, using what we already know
about good practice.
Will Morony introduces the Australian Association of Mathematics
Teachers Strategic Results Project which illustrates that point.
Read
Will's introduction…
- The second is to take three central notions that are
likely to pay off and work more intensively on them.
1.
'What's going on in your head?' — consistently exploring,
monitoring and expanding the ways in which less well achieving
students are constructing mathematical ideas.
Pam
Sherrard describes how central she believes this is to making
a difference…
2.
Teach what you want known — Indigenous
students are over-represented among poor performers in numeracy.
The answer from the INISSS Project, operating in 19 schools
in Tasmania, was — change your teaching practice so that
you are genuinely 'working mathematically'. The gap between
Indigenous and non-Indigenous performance closed.
Read
about the INISSS project…
Numeracies in Indigenous Communities’
is a resource developed by DECS Aboriginal Education in South
Australia through funding from ANTA. It is intended for schools
and TAFE sectors across Australia and consists of a set of
tasks aligned with numeracy as a family and community practice,
together with numeracy stories from community people. The
whole package is attractive and practical.
More
about the resource and how to get it...
3.
Test what you want taught — Assessment drives pedagogy.
Given the right sort of assessment, this can be a very useful
thing. Patrick Griffin and Rosemary Callingham designed an
assessment process to go with the INISSS work.
Read
about the work…
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