Despite mathematical reasoning being necessary for in-depth understanding of mathematical concepts, many teacher experience difficulty in assessing it. Data were collected from 34 primary teachers at 4 Victorian government schools at two post-lesson reflective sessions following lessons with a focus on reasoning. These sessions facilitated…

Attention to mathematical reasoning in curriculum standards is part of an international trend, but identifying and understanding reasoning continues to challenge teachers. We report on one component of an Australia-wide initiative supporting teachers to implement innovative pedagogies. This paper contains insights from design research that focused…

This article explores the approaches used to plan mathematical reasoning tasks by two peer learning teams, one based in regional Victoria and the other in Vancouver, Canada. The results revealed that planning and peer observation support teachers' knowledge of mathematical reasoning and the pedagogy required to promote it.

Many elementary teachers find the complexity of understanding and teaching mathematical reasoning challenging. Teachers can benefit from professional learning (PL) programs designed to develop strategies to identify reasoning and implement it in mathematics lessons. This paper reports on a PL program designed to support a Peer Learning Team (PLT)…

In primary science education, we face an ongoing concern of helping classroom teachers overcome negative associations with science content, teaching and learning. These associations can often impact how they view the value of science in their classroom teaching and impede the development of innovative teaching practice. This research effort…

Mathematical reasoning is foundational to making sense of mathematics. Yet assessing mathematical reasoning can be challenging for teachers. This paper reports on a project where teachers taught two lessons with a specific focus on reasoning and came together with other teachers at their school to attempt to assess the reasoning of their students.…

This paper seeks to theorise primary teachers' degree of integration of digital technology in the mathematics classroom. In an age where digital technology use is ubiquitous, the issues surrounding teachers' choice, and ultimately their uptake of digital technologies in the classroom, is an area that need to be further unpacked. Cross-case…

This article provides a classroom resource for identifying, assessing and promoting one aspect of reasoning--analysing--through the Assessing Mathematical Reasoning Rubric. Practical examples of student work and rubric levels are offered.

Mathematical reasoning features in curriculum documents around the world, but is understood and enacted poorly by teachers in classrooms. We explore teachers' noticing of reasoning during observed lessons. Two teams of primary teachers in Canada and Australia worked to plan, deliver, and observe lessons intended to include reasoning. They observed…

Reasoning underpins students' mathematical understanding and promotes creative thinking. It is regarded as a key mathematical proficiency. This article discusses the reasoning actions that primary children employed and teachers noticed for the "What else belongs?" task focused on forming and testing conjectures.

Primary pre-service teachers (PSTs) in Australia often have low confidence and negative experiences in relation to science and teaching science. This paper reports on pre-post survey data produced by four institutions involved in a multi-institutional project exploring the use of university-school partnerships for primary science teacher…

Recently, mathematical reasoning has grown in prominence in curriculum documents and professional learning programs. However, the assessment of reasoning actions continues to be an elusive task for many teachers. Research has shown that many primary teachers focus only on explaining. This case study examines the salient behaviours of two Year 6…

Despite mathematical reasoning being a proficiency included in mathematics curricula around the world, research has found that primary teachers struggle to understand, teach, and assess mathematical reasoning. A detailed rubric involving the three reasoning actions of analysing, generalising and justifying at five proficiency levels was refined…

Science education starts at primary school. Yet, recent research shows primary school teachers lack confidence and competence in teaching science (Prinsley & Johnston, 2015). A Victorian state government science specialist initiative responded to this concern by providing professional learning programs to schools across Victoria. Drawing on…

This paper reports on the impact of a professional learning programme on participating teachers' perceptions of mathematical reasoning. A total of 26 teachers participated in this study from four schools in Victoria, Australia and one school in British Columbia, Canada. The participants observed two demonstration lessons prepared and taught by the…