Year
2021Credit points
10Campus offering
No unit offerings are currently available for this unitPrerequisites
EDMA290 Mathematics Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment 1 (B-12)
Incompatible
EDMA342 Mathematics Education 2: Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment ; EDMA360 Mathematics: Learning and Teaching 2
Unit rationale, description and aim
The Australian Curriculum: Mathematics aims to ensure that students:
- are confident, creative users and communicators of mathematics, able to investigate, represent and interpret situations in their personal and work lives and as active citizens,
- develop an increasingly sophisticated understanding of mathematical concepts and fluency with processes, and are able to pose and solve problems and reason in number and algebra, measurement and geometry, and statistics and probability,
- recognise connections between the areas of mathematics and other disciplines and appreciate mathematics as an accessible and enjoyable discipline to study.
Pre–service teachers must develop effective instructional and assessment strategies in mathematics to facilitate these curriculum aims for learners.
In this unit, pre–service teachers should develop and implement a responsive curriculum and pedagogy that demonstrates concern for justice and the dignity of all learners. Promoting critical thinking and judgement, this unit will explore theories of mathematical learning, mathematics education research issues, and the implications specifically related to learning, teaching and assessment of the Number and Algebra (rational numbers), and Statistics and Probability curriculum strands. This unit will promote cognitive skills to analyse, consolidate and synthesise a range of different learning activities and teaching approaches. A range of formal and informal assessment strategies will be examined with an emphasis on using student data to inform and differentiate learning and teaching, report on student achievement and meet professional accountability requirements.
This unit aims to provide pre–service teachers with in–depth understanding of the underlying principles and pedagogies that enable teachers to critically evaluate planning, teaching, and assessment strategies for the Australian Curriculum: Mathematics F–6.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
On successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:
LO1 evaluate student learning needs, based on analysis of student assessment data, moderation and consistent and comparable judgement to inform planning for mathematics teaching with reference to the Australian Curriculum: Mathematics and other relevant mathematics curriculum documents (GA1, GA3, GA4, GA5, GA6, GA8; APST 1.2, 2.1, 5.1, 5.3, 5.4)
LO2 research, design and evaluate assessment tasks and rubrics to measure and report student mathematical content knowledge (GA4, GA5, GA8; APST 1.2, 2.3, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5)
LO3 research, evaluate and develop a range of different types of mathematics learning experiences that contribute to an inclusive mathematics pedagogy including open-ended tasks, investigations, teacher questioning and learning contexts that enhance student learning outcomes (GA4, GA5, GA6, GA8; APST 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.5, 3.3, 3.4, 3.6)
LO4 describe and apply strategies, including the ethical use of ICT, that cater for the diverse needs of learners (GA1, GA4, GA5, GA8; APST 1.2, 1.5, 2.1, 2.5, 2.6, 3.3, 3.4, 4.1, 4.5)
LO5 apply pedagogical approaches, student understandings and dispositions in relation to Number and Algebra (focusing on rational numbers, and patterns and algebra), Statistics and Probability (chance and data representation and interpretation) to develop a sequence of learning (GA4, GA5, GA8; APST 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 2.5, 2.6, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 5.1)
Graduate attributes
GA1 - demonstrate respect for the dignity of each individual and for human diversity
GA3 - apply ethical perspectives in informed decision making
GA4 - think critically and reflectively
GA5 - demonstrate values, knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate to the discipline and/or profession
GA6 - solve problems in a variety of settings taking local and international perspectives into account
GA8 - locate, organise, analyse, synthesise and evaluate information
GA9 - demonstrate effective communication in oral and written English language and visual media
GA10 - utilise information and communication and other relevant technologies effectively.
AUSTRALIAN PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS FOR TEACHERS - GRADUATE LEVEL
On successful completion of this unit, pre-service teachers should be able to:
1.1 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics of students and how these may affect learning. |
1.2 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of research into how students learn and the implications for teaching. |
1.5 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of strategies for differentiating teaching to meet the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities. |
2.1 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the concepts, substance and structure of the content and teaching strategies of the teaching area. |
2.2 Organise content into an effective learning and teaching sequence. |
2.3 Use curriculum, assessment and reporting knowledge to design learning sequences and lesson plans. |
2.5 Know and understand literacy and numeracy teaching strategies and their application in teaching areas. |
2.6 Implement teaching strategies for using ICT to expand curriculum learning opportunities for students. |
3.2 Plan lesson sequences using knowledge of student learning, content and effective teaching strategies. |
3.3 Include a range of teaching strategies. |
3.4 Demonstrate knowledge of a range of resources, including ICT, that engage students in their learning. |
3.6 Demonstrate broad knowledge of strategies that can be used to evaluate teaching programs to improve student learning. |
4.1 Identify strategies to support inclusive student participation and engagement in classroom activities. |
4.5 Demonstrate an understanding of the relevant issues and the strategies available to support the safe, responsible and ethical use of ICT in learning and teaching. |
5.1 Demonstrate understanding of assessment strategies, including informal and formal, diagnostic, formative and summative approaches to assess student learning. |
5.2 Demonstrate an understanding of the purpose of providing timely and appropriate feedback to students about their learning. |
5.3 Demonstrate understanding of assessment moderation and its application to support consistent and comparable judgements of student learning. |
5.4 Demonstrate the capacity to interpret student assessment data to evaluate student learning and modify teaching practice. |
5.5 Demonstrate understanding of a range of strategies for reporting to students and parents/carers and the purpose of keeping accurate and reliable records of student achievement. |
Content
Topics will include:
- Research informed approaches to successful mathematics learning that are responsive to the strengths and needs of students from diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds,
- The role of mathematical investigation, inquiry based learning and open tasks for constructing mathematical knowledge and orchestrating mathematical discourse, reasoning, argumentation, and proof,
- Effective resources that support and enhance the teaching and learning of mathematics (e.g., manipulatives, digital technologies, and visual representations)
- Diagnosing and planning for support of learners who are working beyond or below expected outcomes,
- Assessment practices to guide learning and teaching of mathematics (e.g., informal and formal, including diagnostic, formative and summative assessment of cognitive and affective learning),
- Assessment-related issues and the purposes, characteristics, and limitations of various types of assessments,
- Interpreting assessment data and its links to planning and teaching,
- Reviewing national testing requirements and its impact on teaching and learning (e.g., NAPLAN, TIMSS and PISA),
- Strategies to provide accurate written and oral feedback for students about their numeracy development, with exploration of any ethical issues regarding feedback,
- Moderation practices for comparing individual and group differences within classrooms, state and national levels,
- Approaches to planning for mathematics teaching and learning as identified in the Australian Curriculum: Mathematics that
o Incorporates both mathematical content and proficiencies
o Integrates the mathematical content strands to facilitate connections across mathematics
o Addresses the general capabilities and cross curriculum priorities as appropriate
o Articulates effective contexts for mathematics teaching and learning (e.g. children’s literature, real life contexts, games, problem solving and investigations)
o Identifies opportunities to use mathematics across the curriculum
- Current international, national, state, and territory initiatives in mathematics education
The teaching of rational number, algebraic thinking, and probability and statistics as described by the Australian Curriculum: Mathematics will form the content basis of this unit.
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
This unit applies a social constructivist approach to develop understanding of planning and assessment, and skills in applying effective pedagogies through active engagement and collaborative learning. Pre-service teachers will build on their understanding of teaching strategies through critical reading, lecturer/tutor modelling, discussion and practice in tutorials. Teaching skills of planning and assessing, and locating, critiquing and synthesising information will be developed.
Pre-service teachers should expect to participate in a range of the following: lectures, tutorials/workshops/webinars, seminar presentations and group discussions, both online and face-to-face, self-directed study activities and assessment tasks.
This is a 10-credit point unit and has been designed to ensure that the time needed to complete the required volume of learning to the requisite standard is approximately 150 hours in total across the semester. To achieve a passing standard in this unit, students should engage in the full range of learning activities and assessments utilised in this unit, as described in the learning and teaching strategy and the assessment strategy. The learning and teaching and assessment strategies include a range of approaches to support your learning such as reading, reflection, discussion, webinars, podcasts, video etc.
Technology Enhanced Learning
Technology use will be modelled by the teaching team to reflect the nature of technology in 21st century classrooms. Student online platforms will include the Learning Management System, LEO. Online materials will be available in advance and as post-learning material. The announcements platform will serve as the main communication platform for all students. The use of forums will be made available to exchange ideas and reflect on learning.
Assessment strategy and rationale
To enable assessment to best meet the needs of learners, three assessment tasks are outlined below. All learning outcomes are assessed. The assessment options cater for differing learning needs including: designing and evaluating assessment strategies for mathematics; critiquing research literature to inform teaching; and developing a sequence of lessons.
The three assessment tasks and their weightings are designed to allow pre-service teachers to progressively demonstrate achievement against the course learning outcomes. A range of assessment procedures are used to meet the unit learning outcomes and develop graduate attributes and professional standards and criteria consistent with University assessment requirements. (http://www.acu.edu.au/policy/student_policies/assessment_policy_and_assessment_procedures).
Through completing Task 1 pre-service teachers will have the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to use and understanding of the efficacy of diagnostic formative assessment interviews. Through completing Task 2 the pre-service teacher will deepen their understanding of assessment rubrics and their use to assess student solutions to open-ended mathematics tasks or investigations, as well as the affordances and limitations of both 1-1 interviews and assessment rubrics in mathematics. In Task 3 pre-service teachers will demonstrate their ability to critically review research literature and curriculum documents and create recommendations for learning sequences that enhance student understanding and proficiencies in mathematics. These assessment tasks model the ‘real world’ of classrooms and teaching responsibilities.
Minimum Achievement Standards
The assessment tasks for this unit are designed to demonstrate achievement of each learning outcome. In order to pass this unit, pre-service teachers are required to demonstrate achievement of learning outcomes by submitting all assessment tasks and obtaining a combined score of at least 50%.
Assessment in EDMA291 includes a Critical Task: Assessment Task 3 Designing a research-informed Sequence of Learning. This task is core to the demonstration of a number of Australian Professional Teacher Standards. Pre-service teachers must demonstrate mastery of every summative standard listed in the learning outcomes and attain a score of at least 50% in Task 3 in order to pass this unit.
Electronic Submission, Marking and Return
Assessment task submission and return of marked assessment will be done through LEO. Marking will include a moderation process. Assessment returns will occur within the 3 week period as per the Assessment Policy.
Overview of assessments
| Brief Description of Kind and Purpose of Assessment Tasks | Weighting | Learning Outcomes | Graduate Attributes |
|---|---|---|---|
Assessment Task 1 Case Study Analysis You will be assigned a case study (note: other students from your class will be assigned the same case study). Each case study will include details of a learner; their recent learning experiences in mathematics, and their diagnostic assessment and data. Individually, review and analyse the assessment data. Identify:
Compare your findings with a case study partner to arrive at a consistent judgement. Individually, in a concise report suitable for another teacher, describe your learner’s mathematical knowledge and misconceptions displayed, using examples from the assessment data. Include a description of the moderation process undertaken to arrive at the final assessment of the learner. Referring to the learner’s recent learning experiences, propose recommendations for future teaching and learning. The report content should demonstrate alignment to the research literature and ACARA F-6 Mathematics curriculum or equivalent. Also identify sections of the report which are suitable for inclusion in a parent/carer report on student achievement
| 20% | LO1, LO2, LO3 | GA1, GA3, GA4, GA5, GA6, GA8 |
Assessment Task 2 Using assessment rubrics for open-ended tasks or investigations Produce at least 2 worked solutions to one open-ended task that show different approaches to solving the task and which clearly demonstrate MCK. Design an A4 page assessment rubric to assess any possible response for the open-ended task. Compare and contrast the usefulness of the two assessment strategies investigated in Assessment 1 and 2 (1-1 diagnostic interviews and rubrics for open-ended tasks) for gaining knowledge about students’ mathematical knowledge and proficiencies that can be used to provide feedback to students about their learning and to plan future learning opportunities which cater for the diverse needs of learners and contribute to an inclusive pedagogy. | 30% | LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4 | GA1, GA3, GA4, GA5, GA6, GA8 |
Assessment Task 3 Designing a research-informed Overview of Sequence of Learning Critical Task Critically review the literature related to the learning pathway (from F-6) of a mathematics concept (select a concept from rational number, algebra, or statistics and probability), including key skills and strategies, possible student misconceptions and issues that impact on children’s learning i.e., what makes learning this topic easy or hard for students. Discuss recommendations for effective pedagogical approaches to develop the chosen concept, including reference to appropriate curriculum documentation (e.g., ACARA or equivalent, Early Years Learning Framework) in view of the ideas presented in the literature review. Develop an overview for 5 effective sequential learning activities/lessons that form a unit of work for the chosen concept, as well as appropriate assessment strategies for the unit. The overview should reflect the recommendations made in your discussion above. Your unit plan should attend to the following key elements:
| 50% | LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5 | GA1, GA4, GA5, GA6, GA8 |
Representative texts and references
Required text(s)
Australian Curriculum Mathematics. https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/mathematics/
Relevant state and territory Mathematics curriculum documents
Recommended references
Booker, G., Bond, D., Sparrow, L., & Swan, P. (2014). Teaching primary mathematics (5th ed.). Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Australia.
Ball, D. B., & Ruhama, E. (Eds.). (2009). The professional education and development of teachers of mathematics: The 15th ICMI study. New York, NY: Springer.
Diezmann, C., Yelland, N., & Butler, D. (2014). Early mathematical explorations. London, GB: Cambridge University Press.
Goos, M. (2010). Using technology to support effective mathematics teaching and learning. ACER. pp. 67-70 https://research.acer.edu.au/research_conference/RC2010/16august/8/
Perry, B., Lowrie, T., Logan, T., MacDonald, A., & Greenlees, J. (2012). Research in mathematics education in Australasia 2008-2011. Rotterdam, The Netherlands: Sense.
Reys, R. E., Rogers, A., Bennett, S., Cooke, A., Robson, K., Ewing B., & West, J. (2019). Helping children learn mathematics (3rd Australian ed.). Milton, Qld: John Wiley & Sons Australia.
Siemon, D., Beswick, K., Brady, K., Clark, J., Faragher, R., & Warren, E. (2011). Teaching mathematics: Foundations to middle years. South Melbourne, Vic: Oxford University Press.
Van de Walle, J., Karp, K., Bay-Williams, J., & Brass, A. (2019). Primary and middle years mathematics: Teaching developmentally (1st Australian ed). Melbourne, Vic: Pearson Australia.
Wyatt-Smith, C., Elkins, J., & Gunn, S. (Eds.). (2011). Multiple perspectives on difficulties in learning literacy and numeracy (pp. 275-293). Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Springer.