Effectiveness of Professional Development in Mathematics - Essay Example

The Effectiveness of Professional Development in Mathematics and the underlying principles of such development in determining the implementation of numeracy strategy in producing quality teacher learning Table of contents: 1. Introduction 2. Research problem and focus for review 3. Methodology & questions to use in research 4. Literature review 5. Conclusion 1. Numeracy is one of the key-point learning skills included in school curriculum. "This has placed numeracy on educational agendas and has lead to system level responses to ensure high levels of numeracy learning. One such response has been the development of the Archdiocesan Numeracy Strategy through the Catholic Education Office, Sydney" (1). Numeracy is one of the most important part of pre-school and school learning. "It is our skills in numeracy that allow us to read a bus timetable, estimate the cost of a basket full of groceries, and transfer a 2-dimensional plan into a 3-dimensional reality. In the future, our children are likely to need higher levels of numeracy as adults than we do today" (2). We live in the twenty first century - it is time of globalization, high technologies and great information values, so it is very important children to possess appropriate knowledge of processing information, large part of which are figures, graphs and diagrams. It is necessary for children to develop numeracy skills since childhood - these skills are determined in their further mathematical education and development. 2. The problem is methodological approach to the numeracy strategy teaching in schools and pre-school institutions. "The Archdiocesan Numeracy Strategy focuses on ensuring that children develop their numeracy skills and understandings from the earliest years of schooling and that a love and enjoyment of numeracy is fostered" (2). The first phase of the system focuses on children up to four and their learning of the number system. "Assessment Guided Learning is a key element of the Archdiocesan Numeracy Strategy. Assessment Guided Learning means that teaching and learning is informed by what the child can do" (2). Quality teacher learning is tightly connected with the teachers' qualification and lesson modelling ways - it needs to choose the most appropriate teaching methods for developing children numeracy skills. The main focus of the review is the teachers' professional development in mathematics and its application in numeracy strategy implementation. The teacher who works with the numeracy strategy must be very competent as he teaches small children, and numeracy skills are determined in children' further mathematical development. The growth of competence and expertise in classroom teaching is clearly crucial for teacher's professional growth and for the effectiveness of the whole Mathematics teaching system. A teacher must know how to teach well. Teaching numeracy, he must develop his own teaching skills such as: knowledge, comprising the teacher's knowledge about Mathematics, pupils, curriculum, teaching methods, the influence of teaching and learning of other factors, and knowledge about the teacher's own teaching skills; decision making, comprising the thinking and decision making which occurs before, during and after a lesson, concerning how best to achieve the educational outcomes intended; action, comprising the overt behaviour by teachers undertaken to foster pupil learning. Using numeracy strategy, lesson planning and preparation must take into account the specificity of the subject thought. These skills are involved in selecting the educational aims and learning outcomes intended for a lesson and how best to achieve these. It would be better if a lesson has the following structure: "Introduction - Warm up, revision/questioning, concept and language development, statement of goals and/or outcomes; Middle Phase - Activities in groups or pairs, hands on, extension, graded, levelled or open-ended tasks; Final phase - Sharing, reviewing and consolidating" (3). These phases are very important for necessary learning of the material. Achieving professional development in Mathematics, teachers must "facilitate learning, explicit planning and teaching, be competent, develop confidence, provide opportunities for students to explore, participate, explain and share, high expectations" (3). Teachers make pupils "enjoyed maths games, activities and challenges, liked using their brains" (3). Teaching practice is changed by a numeracy focus teacher. Its main features are: " more focused teaching; open-ended questions; sharing mental strategies; less emphasis on formal algorisms; greater challenges, higher expectations; linking to real life" (4). One of the main underlying principles of the teacher professional development in Mathematics is obviousness principle. A teacher must understand that it is necessary to explain numeracy applying obvious daily-life examples. It needs to develop an appropriate model of classroom display. Shapes and numbers can be "represented in word and symbol" (5). A teacher must develop abstract and concrete thinking of children. These can be achieved by professionalism of a teacher and his correct lesson management: "management plan for developing numeracy - roles & responsibilities; collaborative planning; professional learning teams; movement to authentic numeracy - more hands on and less reliance on text book and rote learning; combination of assessment and tracking ideas" (3). Teachers' professional development is very important for the numeracy strategy implementation. Numeracy focus teachers must "attend 4 days number training, implement strategy and professional development at school level, attend 2 days Space and Measurement training" (4). This training helps the teacher to create a positive classroom climate that is very important for good numeracy learning. They also "attend regional training, complete between session activities and reading; Plan, organise and deliver school training program (e.g. staff meetings); Organise, support school implementation; Develop model classrooms; Support Principal in development of Annual Numeracy Plan" (4). Improved learning outcomes of pupils are provided with plan focused activities which is carried out by the teacher. He must identify growth points of children which are based on an assessment test called Clinical Interview. "The Clinical Interview is used by teachers to help them find out what the child can do. The teacher interviews the child on a one-to-one basis" (2). It is the key-point of further pupil success monitoring. "This interview involves the child doing tasks that involve counting, place value, addition and subtraction and multiplication and division" (2). So this kind of assessment covers all initial mathematical skills needed for the next pupil development. "The interview gives the teacher information about what the child can do in Number, as well as giving the teacher information about the strategies the child uses to complete the various tasks" (2). "This information from the Clinical Interview is then used by the teacher to plan lessons that will develop skills and understandings in children about Counting, Place Value, Addition and Subtraction, and Multiplication and Division" (2). This assessment produces high quality teacher learning as there is the information the teacher can make a start from for effective teaching and learning. While introducing the numeracy strategy, the teacher continues "assessment and tracking of student progress" (4). There are some effective assessment types the teacher must know: "There are two types of assessment: assessment of learning and assessment for learning. Assessment of learning is a summative assessment to ascertain the level a child has reached which could be termly or annually or at the end of a key stage" (6). The level of pupil initial learning is tested by the Clinical Interview. "Assessment for learning is the ongoing day-to-day formative assessment that takes place to gather information on what a child or group of children understand or do not understand and how future teaching will be adapted to account for this" (6). All types of assessment are used for children's growth monitoring. There are some aspects of it: "Children are better at explaining their reasoning and strategies; children enjoy mathematics more, look forward to mathematics time and expect to be challenged; the development of a 'give it a go' mentality is evident, with greater overall persistence; children are thinking more about what they have learned and are learning; all children are experiencing a level of success" (7). Effective planning preparation and lesson presentation helps the teacher to assess children appropriately and according to numeracy strategy specification. "Effective ongoing day to day assessments would include effective questioning; observations of children during teaching and while they are working; holding discussions with children; analysing work and reporting to children; conducting tests and giving quick feedback and engaging children in the assessment process" (6). The effectiveness of professional development in Mathematics makes the teacher possible to carry out effective reflection of previous teaching practice as well as necessary ideas on further plans and achievement. These also can be achieved through: "management plan for developing numeracy - roles & responsibilities; collaborative planning; professional learning teams; movement to authentic numeracy - more hands on and less reliance on text book and rote learning; combination of assessment and tracking ideas" (3). These are underlying principles in determining the implementation of numeracy strategy in producing quality teacher learning. 3. There are some methods used in the research. The most effective of them are: survey research, qualitative interviewing and content analysis. Questions to use in the research are the following: 1. What are the key features of the numeracy strategy 2. What are the Project Officer functions 3. Why do the numeracy skills attract so much attention in schools and pre-school institutions 4. What is the planning and preparation role in a good lesson presentation on numeracy strategy topics 5. What is the role of assessment in numeracy strategy learning 6. What are the main factors of good lesson preparation and lesson presentation 7. What are the Numeracy Focus Teacher functions 8. What types of assessment are applied in growth points evaluation 9. How can appropriate numeracy learning be achieved 10. What are the key development issues for numeracy learning 11. What is the use of tasks given to pupils 12. What are the key features of the classroom display model 13. How can shapes and numbers be presented for better numeracy learning 14. What classroom equipment is the most appropriate for better numeracy learning 15. What game and educational methods can be applied by a teacher for better numeracy learning 16. What is the role of language in numeracy strategy learning 17. What are the main points of research based professional development must be applied in numeracy strategy teaching 18. How can positive learning outcomes for pupils be improved 19. What changes in teaching practice are necessary to be done 20. What are the objects and subjects of the numeracy strategy plan 4. Literature covered numeracy strategy and assessment is rather extensive. Here are some key-point works devoted to the matter considered. Reconceptualising Numeracy for New Times (by Robyn Zevenbergen). The article covers necessity of changes in numeracy teaching and the role good numeracy teaching plays in modern education and development. Assessing and reporting in Teaching and Learning: Implementing National Profiles (by Joan Warhurst). "Joan Warhurst is the editor of a report in which the outcomes of a two-day seminar in the ACT in July 1994 on assessment and reporting are documented. Keynote addresses together with perspectives from teachers, administrators, unionists and academics are included" (8). "Primary Mathematics and the Developing Professional (by Alison Millett with Jeremy Hodgen, David C. Johnson, Valerie Rhodes and Shirley Simon)" (9). The book covers the problem of professional development and numeracy strategy, role of textual materials and intensive training, etc. Measuring Up: Assessment, Evaluation and Educational Disadvantage (by RW Connell, KM Johnston & VM White). "This study brings together two important educational concerns that are normally kept apart in discussions about education: judgements about the quality of learning and teaching (assessment and evaluation) and attempts to redress social injustices in the provision and quality of schooling (poverty and educational inequality)" (8). 5. The principles of professional development in Mathematics and methods of learning outcomes improving indicated above are very important in numeracy strategy quality teacher learning. In addition to that, "one unexpected outcome of the strategy has been the creation of spaces, both at system and school levels, for conversations about knowledge, assessment, pedagogy classrooms and children's learning that has gone beyond numeracy and the implementation of the strategy" (1). The strategy is carried out by high professional teachers applying the most appropriate teaching methods and taking into account all the subject features. All the principles of professional development in Mathematics are effectively applied in quality teacher learning. As a result, "the remaining primary schools will become part of the strategy in 2003. There are plans to develop the strategy further to include the Space and Measurement strands as well as the Middle Years of schooling (Years 5-8)" (2). References 1. ASCA, Conferences. (http://www.acsainc.com.au/pages/csp) 2. CEO, Sydney, General Curriculum. (http://ceo.syd.catholic.edu.au/curriculum/general.html) 3. What's Making the Difference in Numeracy (http://ceo.syd.catholic.edu.au/curriculum/general.html) 4. Archdiocesan Numeracy Strategy. (http://ceo.syd.catholic.edu.au/curriculum/general.html) 5. Classroom Display. (http://ceo.syd.catholic.edu.au/curriculum/general.html) 6. The Standards Site, Department for Education and Skills. (http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/numeracy) 7. Numeracy Archdiocesan Strategy. (http://mail.iwest.myinternet.syd.catholic.edu.au/schools/files/numeracy_presentation_janice.ppt) 8. ASCA. Assessment and Reporting. (http://www.acsainc.com.au/pages/csp) 9. Education and Professional Studies. (http://www.kcl.ac.uk/education/research/leverhulmepublics.html) 10. Final Report of the National Evaluation of National Indigenous English Literacy and Numeracy Strategy (NIELNS). (http://www.dest.gov.au/sectors/indigenous_education/publications_resources/national_indigenous_english_literacy_numeracy_strategy/executive_summary.htm) Read More