Learning Mathematics Across the Transition Years (Year 6 to Year 7)

Research sources: Attard, C. 2009 Students’ Experiences of Mathematics during the Transition Years from Primary to Secondary School. Paper presented at MERGA Conference. UWS, Sydney Gibbs, R & Poskitt, J Dr. 2010 Student Engagement in the Middle Years of Schooling (Years 7-10). Ministry of Education, New Zealand Thomson, S & Bucklet, S 2007 Informing mathematics pedagogy: TIMSS 2007 Australia and the world  Vale, C Meaningful mathematics in the middle years ® Victoria University of Technology The teachers will have access to the first two papers in hard copy; the other two pages + and additional one have been placed on the ‘Numeracy4Life’ wiki on the page ‘Maths Planning for 2011’

Key Learnings - Resilience, Engagement, Risk taking and Optimism Significant point highlighted in the Australian research Opening up pathways:Engagement in STEM across the Primary-Secondary school transition June 2008. DEEWR pp 34 - 57 …It has been shown that resilience in the form of optimism (Seligman et al., 1995) is possessed by students who are inclined to explore new mathematical ideas (Williams, 2005, 2006a). Links between optimism and mathematical performance have been identified in an Australian quantitative study (Yates, 2002), and links between intellectual quality, cognitive and affective engagement and optimism have been identified in case studies in Year 8 mathematics classrooms in Australia and the USA (Williams, 2005). These four dispositions have been found to have great significance for the learning of mathematics. Peter I will send you this paper so that you can read pages 34 - 57 in order to extrapolate this point further. It is an easy read.

Ministry of Education New Zealand study - focus on engagement in Mathematics Part B – The pedagogical approaches that promote and support student engagement for improved learning and achievement during the middle schooling years Page 25 Introduction What impact can teachers have on student engagement, particularly those students who exhibit low levels? Can students become more interested and engaged learners? Fortunately, teachers can organise their teaching and learning programmes to have a positive impact on student self-efficacy, and therefore on student engagement and learning in the classroom (Linnenbrink & Pintrich, 2003). This section of the report explores a range of principles and classroom strategies that are known to positively influence student engagement and learning. This paper provides the practical advice to complement the point raised in the last slide. The introduction cited above makes it very clear about the relationship that teachers need to develop between their students and themselves which will play out in a teaching and learning programme that deliberately focuses on the promotion of student engagement, and student belief int heir ability to be mathematicians.

The paper proposes that there are four ‘key approaches for fostering middle school students engagement in learning (a) Nurturing trusting relationships (b) engaging students in fun learning activities (c) making learning meaningful (d) enabling students to learn better and helping them take responsibility for their learning and (e) concludes with a general overview about teachers fostering student engagement in the classroom. These approaches incorporate the factors discussed above. The introduction to this section of the New Zealand paper concludes with an enticing invitation to find out what these approaches are. Pages 25 - 32

So what are these principles and classroom strategies ? Firstly… Nurturing trusting relationships...........pg 25 Caring about them ..........…pg 26 Knowing them well ..............pg 26 Being fair . ............ pg 26 Give the teachers a couple of minutes to read these two pages and to highlight the main ideas . Then Ask for these main ideas and invite comment as appropriate

So what are these principles and classroom strategies ? (cont’d) Secondly… Engaging students in fun learning activities ..... pg.26 Making learning fun .............. pg 26 Viewing learning from a student perspective.....................................................…pg 27 Learning Discussion.................... pg 27 Cooperative learning .......... pg 28 Peer tutoring ....... pg 29 Problem-based learning ...... pg 29 “Hands-on” work ................…pg 29 Demonstrations ...... pg 29 Use of video games and technology ............. pg 30 Assign two areas to each teacher and direct them to identify a key feature of the strategy and then the benefits of using it with the students. Feed information back to the group -discuss only for clarification

So what are these principles and classroom strategies ? (cont’d) Finally,… Making learning meaningful ........... 30 Indicating why learning something is important and relating content to students’ lives ........... 30 Enabling students to learn better and helping them take responsibility for their own learning........... 30 Conclusion ........... 31 You could give a quick precise of the information found on these two pages.

Case Study Students’ Experiences of Mathematics During the Transition from Primary to Secondary School. by Catherine Attard University of Western Sydney The accounts provided in this case study support most of the points raised in the New Zealand paper as principles and strategies that are most effective when teaching mathematics to students in the middle years of schooling. The school that was the case study for this research paper is one from our diocese. I think it will be fairly obvious as to which one it is. Whilst the classroom learning environment I=was set up differently to the traditional type, like that which exists at Delany, there are some very obvious learnings that are relevant and exemplify the key points raised in the New Zealand paper.

Key learnings So, what are the implications of this work for programming, teaching and learning for ourselves and our students here at Delany?

Let’s bring together our learnings from the MAI instrument and the research we have just briefly examined… What will be the impact of these learnings on programming and classroom teaching and learning practices? What will be needed to support us in this endeavour? Discussion around these 2 questions will conclude the workshop.