An insufficient number of qualified secondary mathematics teachers available to teach mathematics has existed for decades. Pre 2020, addressing the phenomenon of out-of-field mathematics teaching was an Australia education policy priority and government investments in professional learning initiatives were made. The purpose of the research reported here is to examine approaches used to support such teachers through a post-graduate course for Years 7-10 teachers teaching mathematics out-of-field. Design-based research was applied to design novel learning opportunities focused on extending teachers’ curricular knowledge, mathematical content knowledge, mathematical pedagogical content knowledge, and readiness to use mathematical digital technologies (mathematical digital technological knowledge). We examine communication media posts during the course and students’ reflections on the course in post course interviews to illustrate the impact of the approach. Findings reveal that course participants expanded their views of mathematics, mathematics learning, and mathematics teaching, and changed their view of the role of learners and teachers (themselves) in effective mathematics classrooms. Collaborative learning opportunities for out-of-field teachers facilitated their learning and developing understandings and expending their mathematical teaching practices. In addition, myriad learning resources enabled participants to understand their learning of mathematics and learning of their students impacting their pedagogical practice.
Data literacy involves using technology effectively to produce, analyze, and interpret data, and to develop statistical reasoning to understand the data’s context, question it, and make and support claims about real-world problems in civic contexts, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The emergence of Civic Statistics emphasizes key aspects of data literacy, particularly the skill to analyze authentic, authoritative datasets to discuss social and policy implications and actions. In this study, I introduce RazonE, a digital didactic tool designed to help teachers foster a more conceptual understanding of statistics, thereby enhancing statistical reasoning among Mexican high school students. Using qualitative content analysis, I analyze five questions from one RazonE activity in which 153 students compared groups using box plots to explore COVID-19 deaths by sex and to informally infer whether age can explain differences in the comparative death rates. Grounded in the Civic Statistics framework, I investigate how its facets reflect students’ reasoning when comparing box plots. Results indicate that the activity provided students with a rich context for comparing box plots and opportunities to engage with seven facets. I discuss how these facets reflect five aspects of students’ reasoning when comparing box plots: societal meaning, evaluating conclusions from available information, understanding statistics, number sense of differences, and communicating evidence-based conclusions. I conclude with concerns about the conceptual and contextual aspects of data literacy that challenge students to interpret social data when comparing box plots. I offer insights into the framework’s theoretical and instructional implications for understanding and enabling students’ reasoning.
Out-of-field (OOF) mathematics teaching is complex and context-dependent, particularly where formal qualifications do not adequately reflect teachers’ preparedness. Drawing on a longitudinal professional development (PD) programme for junior secondary mathematics teachers in South African schools serving low-income communities, this paper broadens the conceptualisation of OOF teaching and distils principles for context-relevant PD. We describe a sustained mathematics-for-teaching course that prioritised mathematical knowledge while explicitly mediating mathematics teaching practices. Teacher assessments and a quasi-experimental learner study showed significant gains in teachers’ mathematical knowledge and modest but significant gains in learner attainment, with indications that learner impact may be delayed. These findings support extending OOF beyond formal qualification criteria to include teachers who self-identify as underprepared. We propose principles for sustained, context-conscious PD that works “with the grain” of existing practices, bringing evidence from the Global South to a predominantly Global North literature.
There are many conceptual papers on what critical literacy/pedagogy might entail in statistics education, data science education, and data literacy. However, they exist disjointly in the literature creating problems with coherence and translating findings–leading to duplicate work and missed opportunities. In this paper, we addressed this issue by synthesizing the literature on critical perspectives in statistics education, data science education, and data literacy to create a conception of a critical data education for critical citizenship. Our aim is to establish a shared conceptual foundation to guide and encourage future educational research that could be used across disciplinary boundaries in K-12 education and teacher education and inform pedagogical work.
Formative assessment (FA) is recognized as a core instructional practice in mathematics education, yet it is not widely embedded in mathematics instruction. Little is known about how curriculum materials support teachers’ learning to enact FA. Drawing on the framework of educative curriculum materials, this study offers a comparative analysis of a purposively selected sample of units from two well-established FA-oriented initiatives in secondary mathematics: the Mathematics Assessment Project and MesiMatica. The analysis examines how each set of materials embeds educative support through three dimensions: the rationale articulated to teachers, the knowledge made available, and the guidance provided for implementation. Attention is given to how guidance is configured in terms of specificity and flexibility across the phases of eliciting, interpreting, and responding to evidence of student learning. Findings show that while both initiatives combine high specificity with flexibility, they distribute these features differently across the FA process, illustrating alternative design logics for supporting teachers’ learning to enact FA.
