Educational Research and Professional Learning in Changing Times: The MARBLE Experience

Educational Research and Professional Learning in Changing Times reports three dimensions of a longitudinal Australian study with the ultimate aim of improving the mathematics learning outcomes for all middle school students in preparation for the quantitative literacy requirements of the 21st century. It was also hoped to improve the prospects for students with the interest to study further mathematics. The project provided professional learning opportunities for teachers, carried out case studies in individual schools, produced well-documented classroom activities in line with the aims, and measured teacher and student change over three years. The three main sections of the book cover the formal data collection and analysis, the qualitative analysis of the case studies, and some of the professional learning activities for teachers. The final section reports the reflections of the authors, especially in relation to the changing educational environment in which the project took place. Many other countries are experiencing similar educational change. The book will supplement other resources for graduate programs for pre-service and in-service mathematics teachers by modeling both a realistic approach to quantitative and qualitative research and a range of practical classroom activities. It will also assist those providing professional learning for teachers in the field unrelated to formal research, as two thirds of the content is based on classroom experiences with mathematics.

Educational Research and Professional Learning in Changing Times reports three dimensions of a longitudinal Australian study with the ultimate aim of improving the mathematics learning outcomes for all middle school students in preparation for the quantitative literacy requirements of the 21st century. It was also hoped to improve the prospects for students with the interest to study further mathematics. The project provided professional learning opportunities for teachers, carried out case studies in individual schools, produced well-documented classroom activities in line with the aims, and measured teacher and student change over three years. The three main sections of the book cover the formal data collection and analysis, the qualitative analysis of the case studies, and some of the professional learning activities for teachers. The final section reports the reflections of the authors, especially in relation to the changing educational environment in which the project took place. Many other countries are experiencing similar educational change. The book will supplement other resources for graduate programs for pre-service and in-service mathematics teachers by modeling both a realistic approach to quantitative and qualitative research and a range of practical classroom activities. It will also assist those providing professional learning for teachers in the field unrelated to formal research, as two thirds of the content is based on classroom experiences with mathematics.

Preface; Section 1: Background and the Marble Project; 1. Introduction; 2. Methodology; 3. Teachers’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge; 4. Student Attitude; 5. Student Performance; 6. Teachers’ Perspectives On The MARBLE Project; Section 2: Case Studies; 7. Case Study 1: A Framework For Numeracy: Working Collaboratively; Case Study 2: An Inquiry Approach to Developing Mathematical Thinking and Communication; 9. Case Study 3: Algebraic Representations of Proportional Relationships; 10. Case Study 4: Beginning Inference in Year 7; 11. Case Study 5: Enrichment Problem Solving for High Ability Middle School Students; 12. Case Study 6: Decimal Division: Student Responses to “3 ÷ 0.5”; 13. Case Study 7: Positive Experiences with Negative Numbers; 14. Case Study 8: Placing Fractions on a Number Line; Section 3: Writing for Teachers; 15. Proportional Reasoning in Middle School Mathematics; 16. Developing Proportional Reasoning with Ratios: Making a Paint Chart ; 17. Estimating Tree Heights for Primary School; 18. Estimating Tree Heights for Middle School; 19. Beginning Inference in a Measurement Context; 20. Exploring Variation in a Manufacturing Context: Licorice ; 21. An Inquiry about Pi as a Ratio ; 22. Measurement and Science: Activities for the Middle Years; Section 4: Reflections; 23. Reflections; References; Appendices ; Index.