As part of a much larger study where spatial reasoning is the focus, this paper draws on the language aspects of this strand of the curriculum. The quarantined part of the project discussed in this presentation is based in remote Indigenous schools. We draw on the challenges of the concept of symmetry and where the language of instruction (and…

This paper is a preliminary investigation into first year undergraduate students' progress in academic numeracy studies across six Australian regional universities. The paper analyses a survey of university teachers, follow-up interviews and secondary academic numeracy data. Initial findings are presented in terms of the nature of academic…

Mathematics education is seen as a right for all children, and important to ensure a prosperous future. However, in Australia and other nations, rural students perform less well in mathematics, and are less likely to pursue advanced mathematics. This paper presents a case study of an Australian rural school that has high engagement and achievement…

This paper describes the lesson practices at one very remote school that has been highly successful in numeracy. Drawing on a significant body of diverse research that promotes quality teaching and learning, this case study describes the features of the practice that have been implemented across the school. Teachers' voices provide both…

This paper attempted to make explicit some of the underlying characteristics of spatial visualisation using the concept of area of composite shapes. By engaging students with metric-free tasks, we identify the type of perceptual and visual/spatial manoeuvres that they deploy in such situations. Interview data collected from three students in Grade…

Graduate teachers generally experience an array of emotions and self negotiations about beliefs, values, personal and professional identity and their ability to evidence the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST) at graduate stage when they commence as new classroom teachers. Much has been said about developing pre service teachers'…

This paper describes part of a mixed-methods study comparing the effectiveness of an individual, conceptual instruction based, tuition program delivered face-to-face and by personal videoconferencing (PVC) for 30 upper primary and middle school students with mathematical learning difficulties (MLDs). The experimental intervention targeted number…

For five years, a national testing program has been conducted in Australia. The National Assessment Program provides a basis for measuring improvement against the goals of the 2008 Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians and subsequently the National Education Agreement, which embodies a range of Council of Australian…

Pre service teachers are required to engage in Supervised Professional Experiences (SPEs) during their Education Programs. The opportunity to participate as a member of school communities, interact with students and demonstrate knowledge gained during their coursework is generally met with enthusiasm. However, research suggests that pre service…

The importance of leadership in changing schools and building quality programs is the focus of this paper. While leadership is often seen as a management aspect of school life, the role of leadership in curriculum change may be quite different from that of school leadership visa-vis the principal. In small remote schools where there are many…

Queensland rural and remote schools have difficulty in attracting experienced, in-field mathematics teachers. Thus, when such teachers arrive, much is expected of them to increase the mathematics knowledge of students. This paper looks at one such teacher who, against the high expectations placed upon him as an in-field teacher, experienced…

This paper reports partial outcomes from a three-year project that provided professional learning opportunities in mathematics for middle school teachers in rural schools in Tasmania. The educational environment for the study was one of significant system transition. Student change is reported here and was measured with survey instruments…

The Cape York Aboriginal Australian Academy (CYAAA), which began operation as part of the government schooling system in 2010, incorporates activities across three overlapping "domains": Class--the formal schooling component; Culture--Indigenous and non-Indigenous cultural knowledge; and Club--sporting, cultural, music and physical…

Vocational Education and Training (VET) in Schools teachers are required to deliver current and relevant industry and workplace knowledge to senior students in secondary schools. One of the ways in which VET in Schools teachers can be well prepared to teach VET Industry Curriculum Framework courses is to take teachers from an industry background…

Across Australia and internationally, the vexed problem of staffing rural school remains a major issue affecting the educational outcomes of many rural students and their families. TERRAnova, (New Ground in Teacher Education for Rural and Regional Australia), is the name of a large Australian Research Council funded (2008-2010) project involving:…