Category: Mathematics
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Global trends in the teaching of mathematics
By Annie Facchinetti “After 30 years of doing such work, I have concluded that classroom teaching … is perhaps the most complex, most challenging, and most demanding, subtle, nuanced and frightening activity that our species has ever invented … The only time a physician could possibly encounter a situation of comparable complexity would be in…
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Moving mathematics learning from “what have I been told?” to “what do I know that can help me?”
By Peter Sullivan There is widespread agreement that student-driven inquiry approaches can help students build understanding, solve problems and reason mathematically. But to ensure that all students are included in learning opportunities, specific teacher actions are needed and lessons can productively be structured in particular ways. These actions include the following: Posing tasks which are…
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Forget about Maths experts, Australian schools need well-supported teachers
By Brian Murray Hardly a year seems to pass by without some survey or other exposing a slip in numeracy standards in Australian schools. In late 2016, Education Minister, Simon Birmingham, said he was “embarrassed for Australia” because of the way Year 4 students had fallen behind other countries in Maths. Bodies such as the…
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Maths skills need to serve students beyond the next 30 minutes
By Peter Sullivan, Professor of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education, Monash University. A lack of consensus about what works can make debates about education frustrating. This is especially true for the teaching and learning of mathematics. Not only is there a high level of disagreement about the teaching of the subject, but even the most…