This paper explores the complex problem of project sustainability, focusing on the leadership of three primary school mathematics leaders. Using cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT), the leaders' efforts are reported, highlighting their contribution to project sustainability. The CHAT-informed research design supported the generation of…

Semi-structured interviews are used to gain insights into participants' lived experiences and perspectives on issues, but they are open to subjectivity. To address this issue our study explored the combination of timeline graphic elicitation tools with semistructured interviews as an approach to gain insights into teachers' experiences of…

We report the leadership of mathematics leaders who participated in a leadership intervention. Participation in the intervention was provoked by a tension in teaching practice concerned with a lack of challenge in mathematics teaching in the leaders' schools. We evidence how the mathematics leaders sought to address the tension they faced through…

Students with blindness and low vision (BLV) are less likely to choose mathematics as a subject in the senior secondary years which may negatively impact future employment opportunities. Using a longitudinal qualitative methodology, three interviews were recorded with a student who is legally blind over a six-year period. Findings suggest that…

The current study explored the reasons for students' preferences for the teach-first and task-first lesson structures, and whether students' preferences were influenced by their perceptions of the teacher's preference. Students (n=18) from two composite Year 3 and 4 classes (aged 8-10 years) completed a post-lesson drawing task and participated in…

The current study explores how teachers report using enabling and extending prompts when teaching with sequences of challenging mathematical tasks. Twenty-nine early years primary school teachers completed a questionnaire following their participation in a professional learning project. Findings suggest that teachers': view prompts as important…

Knowledge concerning the leadership work of primary mathematics leaders is rare. The object-motives of three mathematics leaders were explored using interviews and document retrieval as data sources. Using cultural-historical activity theory, five themes about the object-motives that the leaders pursued in their professional learning leadership…

We share our experience of establishing a network for primary and secondary mathematics leaders working in rural and regional Catholic schools in Victoria. We evidence the influence of our sector leadership that addressed a tension concerning the leaders' work isolation through a network initiative. This network initiative was in response to the…

Making accurate judgements and interpretations about student growth and progress in mathematics can be problematic when using open-ended assessments. This study reports on the development of a class-based assessment instrument and marking key designed to assess Year 2 students' mathematics competence to reflect their learning of mathematics…

This paper reports on early years teachers and how often they should devote planning time to anticipating student responses in advance of the lesson. Sixty-five Foundation to Year 2 teachers (students 5-8 years of age) completed questionnaires at the beginning and end of a year-long research-based professional development program. Participants…

This paper examines the use of two theoretical models to analyse the complex process of changing teaching practice. The models were considered complementary in forming a theoretical framework. Analysis of one teacher's change, from the second cycle of a designbased research project for an onsite collaborative professional learning program,…

In this paper, we examine junior secondary mathematics teachers' understanding of mathematical structure, and how they promote structural thinking in their teaching. Five teachers were surveyed, and three were interviewed and the observed teaching a junior secondary mathematics class. Results showed that teachers have conflicting understandings of…

The vexed question of how and why some pedagogical practices persist and others do not lies at the heart of sustaining changes that enhance teaching quality. Understanding the role that leadership practices can play in this process is crucial: schools play decisive roles in allocating life chances for young people. This paper draws on findings…

Despite the significance of the role, little is known about mathematics leaders in schools. Rachel, a mathematics leader, was observed leading planning meetings with junior primary teachers. Using activity theory, three of Rachel's motivations were identified: influencing teacher affect, developing shared understandings, and avoiding conflict.…

This paper reports an investigation of values-driven system led policy reform in a Catholic Education Diocese which serves a diverse Australian education community of historically marginalised students, families and communities. The research focused on the development and progressive implementation of a centrally designed, innovative model of…