Māori medium children’s views about learning mathematics: possibilities for future directions

Pre-European traditional Māori education in New Zealand was integrated and holistic. With Western influence many Maori children struggled to achieve at school. Māori medium education based on retaining Māori values, language and culture therefore emerged to provide an alternative avenue for education. A key element in this initiative is to increase children’s engagement with, and learning of, mathematics. Views from 61 Year 5-8 children in Māori medium contexts have been sought to provide insights about their mathematics education. This paper discusses some of these views and raises possibilities for future directions to support the momentum of this positive initiative

Lessons from children in Māori medium for teachers: Encouraging greater efficiency when learning to multiply.

This research explores the responses of 44 Year 7-8 students from four Māori medium schools who were asked to solve a multiplication word problem. The findings show that there was a range of mental strategies displayed by the children, 29 of whom were able to solve the problem. However, data also indicates that 15 children were not able to either access the problem or utilise an appropriate strategy to solve it. This paper discusses the strategies shared by all of these children and suggests avenues to further support learners to become multiplicative thinkers

Researcher-teacher collaboration in Māori-medium education: Aspects of learning for a teacher and researchers in Aotearoa New Zealand when teaching mathematics

This paper describes aspects of learning for a teacher in a Māori-medium Year 7–8 classroom and two mathematics education researchers from a university when they collaborated on a project supporting children to develop their ideas about transformation geometry. Key principles of kaupapa Māori (Māori ideology) methodology such as ako (reciprocal learning), manākitanga (showing care, respect and kindness) and whanaungatanga (family-like relationships) were integral to the initiation and facilitation of the research. Data presented is qualitative and derived largely from wānanga ā-kanohi (face-to-face discussion) between the participants. Results revealed that the collaborative partnership was conducive to developing insights into the complexities of learning mathematics in an indigenous setting. Issues of collegiality, learning mathematics in a second language, teacher mathematical knowledge and appropriate contexts for learning mathematics are analysed and discussed

Conceptions, language, culture and mathematics and the New Zealand curriculum.

In this paper we explore two conceptions of mathematics that are evident in literature. Mathematics as a static body of knowledge is one conception, and another is of mathematics being an endeavour that is constructive and creative. With the release of The New Zealand Curriculum (Ministry of Education, 2007), we formalised our ongoing debates about these conceptions by constructing and using metaphors to explore and refine our ideas. In some parts of the curriculum document, there is juxtaposition with a conception of mathematics being social, constructive and creative. However, other aspects of the document appear to reflect the conception of mathematics as a body of knowledge. We express a concern that this latter conception of mathematics may become privileged over other possibilities. We therefore explore what constructive, creative mathematics might look like in a classroom

"Twenty percent free!": So how much does the original bar weigh?

Ngarewa Hawera and Merilyn Taylor describe a rich task based on a real world situation that stimulated a great deal of mathematical reasoning. Their research on how students attempted the task is most revealing

Using an interactive whiteboard and a computer-programming tool to support the development of the key competencies in the New Zealand curriculum

Does children’s use of the software Scratch provide potential for the enhancement of key competencies as they work in pairs at the interactive whiteboard (IWB)? This article looks at how children using Scratch collaborated and managed their projects as they set about designing, constructing, testing and evaluating a game for others to play, a task that provided a sustained challenge over six weeks and beyond. The findings showed that the key competencies of participating, contributing, and relating to others were enhanced by the collaborative use of Scratch at the IWB, and that creative and conceptual thinking processes were sustained. Children became increasingly adept at using Scratch, and some children, previously thought to have poor social skills, began to articulate their understandings to others. While a guiding and scaffolding role was evident in teachers’ actions, close monitoring of group progress and direct input from teachers is required to keep the challenge high but achievable, and to extend children’s knowledge and thinking as they use Scratch at the IWB

Children’s views of their teacher’s role in helping them learn mathematics

This paper reports on data from 183 nine-to eleven-year old children attending six Waikato schools. An analysis is provided of children’s responses to a question about their teacher’s role in helping them learn mathematics. Four major roles were identified, including mentor, classroom manager, transmitter of information, and arbiter of decisions. The implications for students’ mathematics learning of viewing their teacher in each of these roles are then discussed. The importance for teachers of recognising the ways they are perceived by their students is also considered

“I Learned Quite a Lot of the Maths Stuff Now That I Think of It”: Māori Medium Students Reflecting on Their Initial Teacher Education

Research involving preservice or initial teacher education (ITE) indicates that mathematics education is a vital component of study. Little is known however, of indigenous student views of their compulsory mathematics education courses for a teaching degree. This research contributes to that knowledge space as it explores Māori medium ITE students’ perceptions of mathematics education in Aotearoa New Zealand. A thematic and qualitative analysis of a focused group discussion provides insights into key factors that students reported as significant links between their university and practicum experiences (teaching practice in schools). Some suggestions for strengthening that programme were also expressed. Findings indicate that factors linked to teacher ‘cultural competencies’, including an ethic of care, respectful relationships, revision of content knowledge, language learning, assessment practices, exposure to different ideas and planning and pedagogy were important. Navigating student-mentor teacher tensions as well as clarifying the significance of ideas in texts were highlighted as areas for strengthening. Mathematics educators preparing students for indigenous primary school settings may find this study useful

Students' perspectives on the nature of mathematics

This paper reports on one small component of a much larger study that explored the perspectives of students towards mathematics learning. Students were asked “What do you think maths is all about?” Some students responded in terms of mathematical content. Others commented on learning in general, or on problem-solving in particular. Some students talked about the usefulness of mathematics for everyday life. An overwhelming number of students answered the question by talking about the importance of mathematics for the future

Grappling with the complexity of the New Zealand Curriculum: Next steps in exploring the NZC in initial teacher education.

Teacher educators in New Zealand are charged with supporting student teachers' understandings of the New Zealand Curriculum document (Ministry of Education, 2007). Integral to this challenge is the need to provide relevant knowledge and understandings that are contextually and pedagogically appropriate (Fullan, 2007; Jasman, 2003). Aspects of the "front end" of the New Zealand Curriculum document such as the vision, principles, values and key competencies along with the learning area statements need to be understood by newly graduated teachers who will be applying this curriculum in their own classrooms. This paper reports on ongoing research investigating and reflecting on student-teacher understandings of these components of the New Zealand curriculum, on completion of three different compulsory papers within the Bachelor of Teaching degree and Graduate Diploma of Teaching (Primary). Implications for pre-service teacher education and for supporters of provisionally registered teachers are considered