Using Bernstein to analyse primary maths teachers’ positions and identities in the context of national standardised assessment: the case of the ANAs

This paper is informed by Bernstein’s notion of pedagogic identity and Morgan’s (Morgan,1998, Morgan, Tsatsaroni and Lerman , 2002) study of mathematics teachers’ orientationsin assessment practice. These are used to identify primary maths teachers’ positions andidentities in the current South African education context characterised by an emphasis onmonitoring through standardised national learner tests. The paper draws on data obtainedfrom interactive interviews with nine sampled primary maths teachers who wereparticipants in a numeracy in-service education community of practice. Using Bernstein’sfour pedagogic identity classes and relating these to Morgan’s maths teachers’ orientationswe identify primary maths positions being taken up by the sampled teachers in relation tothe Annual National Assessment (ANA) tests. The research indicates that most of theprimary maths teachers’ say that their practices are being influenced by the ANAs, althoughin different ways. We finally propose that primary maths teachers need to develop ways to‘critically align’ their practices to national policies so as to maintain some agency whilealigning with policy

The connections between citizenship education and mathematics education - Survey Paper

The connections between citizenship education and mathematics education have been the focus of theoretical development and attention by educators interested in issues of justice, equity, power, criticality, and citizen engagement with societal issues, across schools, universities, and adult education levels. In this survey article, we contribute to new knowledge in the field by identifying and describing three interconnected layers of influence on the praxis of teaching and learning: (1) perspectives from citizenship education and mathematics education (e.g., kinds of citizenship, critical thinking in mathematics education); (2) institutional factors (e.g., policy, curricula, implementation within education systems); and (3) emerging influences (e.g., changing skill demands, innovations from communities of practice). In exploring the connections between citizenship education and mathematics education, we go beyond extant theory development and point to influences such as global disruptions, societal changes, systemic structures at the national and local levels, messaging in the media, and the role of teachers and learners. The holistic analysis of these influences enables identification of tensions and dilemmas, and issues of identity, autonomy, adoption, and systemic change. Together these point to multiple implications for educators, policy makers, and researchers aiming to enable informed and engaged citizens

From what works to scaling up: improving mental strategies in South African Grade 3 classes

This paper shares results from a national ‘familiarisation trial’ of a mental mathematics intervention focused on assessing and encouraging strategic calculation methods with Grade 3 students in South Africa. Successful smaller pilots refined the intervention into 6 foci and this paper draws on assessment results from the four provinces that trialled one focus: adding and subtracting using jump strategies. Findings from pre- and post- test results of 1379 students show statistically significant gains in both the fluencies underlying calculating strategically and in items assessing strategic competency. The results indicate that scaling up this model into national implementation is feasible, and that the intervention package can support improvements in mental mathematics learning outcomes

Mathematics teacher learning, communities of practice and the centrality of confidence

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Science, 2002

Can mathematics assessments be considered valid if learners fail to access what is asked of them?

Background: The underperformance of South African learners in literacy and numeracy is a source of concern, especially when learners move from Grade 3 to Grade 4. Aim: This article reflects on the reading and comprehension challenges of English language learners (ELLs) in the Grade 4 2013 mathematics Annual National Assessments (ANAs). Setting: The study took place in two primary schools that served relatively less affluent sectors of the community in the Eastern Cape. Learners were IsiXhosa speakers learning mathematics in English. Methods: A sample of 26 out of 106 isiXhosa-speaking Grade 4 learners in the two schools participated in task-based interviews (focused on ANA questions) in which reading and linguistic mediation was provided. While the broader study (from which this article derives) revealed learners’ challenges in reading, comprehension, transformation and process skills, here the focus is on findings related to reading and comprehension skills, which are foundational to accessing written assessment items. Results: Interview excerpts show the negative influence poor English reading and comprehension skills had on learner access to questions and their subsequent performance in the ANA. Conclusion: The article challenges the validity of assessing ELLs’ mathematical competence in English ANAs and draws implications for strengthening ELLs’ language and mathematical proficiency in the Foundation Phase

Exploring grade 3 teachers’ resistance to ‘take up’progressive mathematics teaching roles

This article addresses the question: Why teachers of mathematics have yet to ‘take up’ progressive roles? Drawing on the philosophy of critical realism and its methodological equivalent, social realism, we analyse interview and observation data of four grade 3 teachers, with the view to identifying the mechanisms conditioning the expression of teachers’ identities. In so doing, we show how post-apartheid changes in systemic roles of teachers create contradictory tensions for teachers as these bring their own mathematical learning and teaching experiences into contradiction with the new post-apartheid roles they are mandated to enact. We examine how this contradiction, together with beliefs about mathematics, pedagogy and learners, is expressed in the teaching of grade 3 mathematics. We maintain that the complementarity between teachers’ beliefs and old systemic roles provides an explanation for why teachers of grade 3 mathematics have yet to ‘take-up’ progressive roles. The implications point to the need for teacher development that creates enablers that lead to changes in classroom practices that align with policy-designated, progressive roles in teaching mathematics

The dialectical relationship between theory and practice in the design of an after-school mathematics club

In this article we describe the design process for an after-school Grade 3 mathematics club, based on our experiences running a pilot club in a 2011 research and development project. Working from a sociocultural perspective, we show the progression from an initial multifaceted design to a much simpler, more learner-centred design that speaks directly to our research foci and one which is based on empirical evidence. Our experiences have brought to light the entwined and dialectical nature of the data collection and design processes and the significance of the post-club reflection sessions as a powerful data collection instrument for planning the club sessions. Furthermore, we identify and shape the zone of proximal development for the purposes of our club as the critical design concept for each club session for each learner

Learning affordances and participation enablers within a primary mathematics in-service community of practice:

This article investigates the participation enablers and learning affordances identified by teachers through participation within an in-service community of practice (CoP) of primary teachers called the Numeracy Inquiry Community of Leader Educators (NICLE) in the Eastern Cape. The article draws on three qualitative sources of data: the annual teacher questionnaires of 42 participating teachers, interview data from 8 of the 42 sampled teachers and reflective journal entries of these 8 teachers over the first 2 years of NICLE. All three data sets point to teachers foregrounding the affordances and enablers of NICLE participation across the fundamental elements of a CoP, namely domain, community and practice. We illuminate the way in which teachers' identification of learning affordances relates to these three structural features of a CoP. In concluding, we argue that explicit consideration of these structural elements, and their interrelationship in the design of in-service programmes, could enable clearer articulation of programme aspects and support reflection on the coherence between teacher feedback on these as programmes evolve