Biodiversity Loss: Learnings and recommendations from the Citizens' Assembly

Biodiversity Loss: Learnings and recommendations from the Citizens’ Assembly. Earth Institute, UCD, Dublin, Ireland, 2 February 2023Invited presentation to the Earth Institute about biodiversity loss. The Citizens' Assembly was convened to examine how the State can improve its response to the issue of biodiversity loss, and to bring forward proposals in that regard. Aoibhinn explores the learnings from the exercise of the Citizens' Assembly as it concludes its work and shares some of the key recommendations which will be presented to the Oireachtas

Launch of the Citizens' Assembly on Biodiversity Loss

House of Lords, Bank of Ireland, College Green, DublinPresentation to launch the report and recommendations of Ireland's Citizens' Assembly on Biodiversity loss. The Assembly was launched in early 2022 and met on six occasions between May 2022 and January 2023. At its final meeting on 21 January 2023, the Assembly voted on a series of propositions that were the culmination of careful deliberation and debate, informed by detailed input from experts, stakeholders and the general public

Lesson Study and the Longitudinal Impact on the Development of Teacher Community

A Centre for Research in Mathematics Education Collaborative Lesson Research Seminar: Lesson Study and the longitudinal impact on the development of teacher community. School of Education, University of Nottingham, United Kingdom, 15 March 2022 (Online)Teacher communities are a powerful vehicle for educational reform, but require particular structural and environmental elements in order to develop. Research has demonstrated the value of Lesson Study in supporting the development of teacher communities, where teachers’ work is fundamentally anchored in teaching and learning and where school-based collaboration is encouraged. In this presentation we will examine research on the development of teacher community through Lesson Study, based on a framework by Grossman et al. (2001). We review a case study of mathematics teachers in a school participating in successive cycles of Lesson Study and, returning to the school six years later, we look at the longitudinal impact of teachers’ participation in Lesson Study. As part of the research findings, we will consider the features that contributed to this teacher community. The discussion will consider further avenues of research considering Lesson Study and the development and sustainability of teacher community

Supporting teachers to engage with Structured Problem Solving in their Junior Cycle classrooms –developing Educative Curriculum Materials for use with Lesson Study

MEI 9: 9th Conference on Research in Mathematics Education on Conceptualising Success in Mathematics Education, DCU, Dublin, Ireland, 10-14 October 2023Successive curriculum reforms in Ireland have led to an increased emphasis on problem-solving approaches to teaching mathematics. However, there is little research to suggest that classroom practices have changed significantly. In this paper we outline the design of a set of Educative Curriculum Materials (ECMs) as part of a professional development intervention, which aims to support teachers to incorporate Structured Problem Solving into their classroom practice. These materials are designed to be used in Lesson Study as part of a professional development intervention. We begin by describing Structured Problem Solving and the challenge it poses for teachers, before outlining the role professional development, and specifically ECMs, can play in supporting teachers with this approach. Finally we highlight some key features of the ECMs currently being developed.Irish Research Counci

Maths Sparks: Promoting student engagement and developing skills in presentation, communication and team-work

Two prominent concerns of mathematics education at third level are: improving the engagement of undergraduate students who have chosen to study mathematics and developing these students’ communication skills. Maths Sparks: Problem Solving Workshops is a mathematics enrichment programme where workshops are designed by undergraduate students and presented to post-primary pupils. This programme is run by the UCD School of Mathematics & Statistics and is funded and supported by Science Foundation Ireland and UCD Access & Lifelong Learning. Undergraduate students apply to volunteer in the programme, which is run over the course of one semester, with the opportunity to develop their skills of designing a mathematics workshop, working in a team, facilitating mathematical learning, presenting to a large audience and communicating their knowledge of mathematics. Each two-hour workshop is designed by a group of two to three students, under the guidance of academic staff in the UCD School of Mathematics & Statistics, and is presented as part of a series of workshops to senior post-primary pupils.Science Foundation IrelandUniversity College DublinSFI DiscoverUCD Access & Lifelong LearningUCD College of ScienceUCD School of Mathematics & Statistic

What Knowledge do Teachers use in Lesson Study? A focus on Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching and Levels of Teacher Activity

This chapter combines the frameworks of Ball, Thames, and Phelps (J Teach Educ 59:389–407, 2008) and Margolinas, Coulange, and Bessot (Educ Stud Math 59:205–234, 2005) to demonstrate the elements of subject and pedagogical content knowledge utilized at varying levels of teacher activity in a cycle of lesson study. Qualitative data generated in a mathematics-based lesson study, conducted with eight primary school teachers in Switzerland, is analyzed and visualizations of the knowledge occurring at each phase of lesson study are provided. This fine-grained analysis of the mathematical knowledge incorporated by teachers in lesson study demonstrates that all forms of Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching, at each level of teacher activity, can occur across a cycle. In addition, the paper provides evidence that phases of lesson study do not necessarily occur in succession but can rather take place in a confluence of teachers’ work across a full cycle.Royal Irish AcademyMovetia Swiss National Agency2023-06-28 JG: PDF replaced with correct titl

Maths Sparks Problem Solving Workshops. Vols. 2 and 3

Maths Sparks is a series of workshops for senior-cycle post-primary students, designed and run by volunteer undergraduate students and academic staff of the UCD School of Mathematics & Statistics. The workshops were created to encourage more young people to consider pursuing mathematics and mathematics-based courses at third level, through demonstration of the applications of mathematics outside of the Irish post-primary school curriculum. Through interactive workshops, based on sense-making and students’ articulation of their mathematical thinking, these workshops can provide students with an opportunity to explore topics within the broad subject of mathematics and potentially impact their attitudes towards and self-confidence in mathematics.Science Foundation IrelandUniversity College Dubli

Harnessing spatial thinking to support mathematics teaching and learning

The 8th Conference on Research in Mathematics Education in Ireland (MEI 8), Dublin, Ireland (held online due to Coronavirus outbreak), 15-16 October 2021There is a growing consensus that spatial thinking is fundamental in how students conceive, express and perform mathematics. Decades of research show that building spatial skills yields measurable impacts on learning. This paper highlights however that the translation of research into explicit and systematic classroom practices to support spatial thinking in post-primary mathematics is not widespread. The aim of this paper is to: present a rationale for spatially enhancing mathematics curricula and pedagogy; to consider some existing tools and frameworks in the field; and to highlight the need for research that develops our understanding of effective practice that promotes spatial thinking in the mathematics classroom

Is fear DEIS chun chainnte: An initiative to support teaching for robust understanding in post-primary mathematics classrooms

MEI 9: 9th Conference on Research in Mathematics Education on Conceptualising Success in Mathematics Education, DCU, Dublin, Ireland 10-14 October 2023This paper outlines a research project which aims to support the pedagogical practices of Mathematics teachers in socioeconomically underprivileged post-primary schools. In Ireland, the socioeconomic background of a student continues to determine how likely they are to experience high-quality post-primary education and make the transition to further or higher education. This is particularly relevant in mathematics, which remains a gateway subject in accessing third-level education. This research aims to address such inequity by supporting teachers to incorporate student-centred practices in their mathematics pedagogy. The project is undertaken in two phases: First, case studies of high-quality mathematics teaching and learning will be conducted in four schools. The findings from the case studies will inform the design of an intervention, which will involve 10 pilot schools across Ireland in the 2023-24 academic year. The research team (and research Mathematicians) will collaborate with the schools and support the teachers to reflect on and reform their teaching by engaging in school-based Lesson Study. This paper provides an outline of the project and initial findings which will contribute to research on the teaching and learning of mathematics in Ireland.Irish Research Counci

Unpacking the motivational variables which impact engagement in Lesson Study: Mathematics teaching self-efficacy and attitudes towards self-development

Lesson study has received significant attention as a model of professional development among mathematics teachers. Evidence highlights its effectiveness in improving pedagogical practices and student learning, however, less is known about the predispositions which may encourage teachers’ participation in Lesson Study or the impact of participation on teachers’ attitudes. Such findings are relevant considering the voluntary context of teachers’ participation in professional development in Ireland. This research investigates the motivational variables which impact teachers’ participation in Lesson Study, specifically their self-efficacy in teaching mathematics for conceptual understanding and their attitudes towards self-development in Lesson Study. Post-primary mathematics teachers (N = 64), spanning various levels of experience in Lesson Study, completed a survey using a set of pre-validated scales. Findings indicate that teachers’ mathematics teaching self-efficacy is a significant predictor of their participation in Lesson Study. Furthermore, the research finds that teachers’ familiarity with Lesson Study impacts the likelihood of their participation in this model of teacher education. These findings build upon previous knowledge in this field and demonstrate the significance of teaching self-efficacy as a presage variable for developing a positive disposition towards Lesson Study. The paper discusses the implications of these findings for teacher education in Ireland.Ahead of print to check citing and date details in 6