Professional Work
Professional Development in Relation to Mathematics Education
The provision of professional development for teachers is one of the
responsibilities of those who do research in relation to the subject areas of
the school curriculum. While part of this may be associated with expository
writing about content or outcomes of research, at times the professional
development itself is the subject of reflection, research and writing. Three
major projects in which the University of Tasmania has been involved in the
1990s have produced a number of publications meant to inform teachers, educators
and systems of the merits of various methods of professional development, in
particular in relation to mathematics teaching.
The first project was the Mathematics and Teaching Project, sponsored by DEET
during 1992-3, as one of three pilot projects on Curriculum Development in
Teacher Education across the nation. It arose based on the recommendations of
the Discipline Review of Teacher Education in Mathematics and Science concerning
the professional development of mathematics teachers. Significant in the project
was the emphasis on teachers discovering the excitement of mathematics and on
the provision of a program for teachers from K-12 and TAFE. This was
accommodated by a Core unit for all teachers and four Extension units catering
for K-4, 5-8, 9-12, and TAFE teachers, each having 10 participants. The
development of the program and its evaluation are covered in several
publications and a text book published in 1994 including the main components of
the program. Significant in the project was the cooperation of professional
mathematicians, mathematics educators and consulting teachers from the four
sectors of the education system.
The second, much smaller, project was funded through the Australian Association
of Mathematics Teachers, Inc. (AAMT) from a DEET National Collaborative
Curriculum Project to disseminate the message of a National Statement on
Mathematics for Australian Schools published by the Australian Education Council
in 1991. The part of the project carried out in Tasmania was associated with the
Chance and Data strand of the curriculum. After trialing with a support group of
30 Tasmanian teachers, ten modules were refined for teachers and parents, to
introduce the main ideas and to motivate teachers to further professional
development in this new area of the curriculum. These were subsequently
published in the Maths Works series by the AAMT and formed the basis for the
initial work in the last project.
The third project was another sponsored by DEET through the AAMT entitled,
“Learning the Unlikely at Distance Delivered as an Information Technology
Enterprise,” shortened to LUDDITE. During the first year, the project employed
the narrowcast satellite television network in Victoria (ISLN) to provide
professional development to teachers within Victoria, eastern South Australia
and southern New South Wales, who had access to the necessary equipment in their
schools. Four 1.5-hour programs were telecast in late 1994and early 1995. During
telecasts, responses from participants in schools were received by telephone and
fax from the schools to the television studio and presenters were then able to
talk to participants via telephone or show written and graphical material on a
graphics camera. In the second year, Luddite's objectives were extended in three
ways. It was decided to assemble a more complete set of resources for teaching
chance and data than those used in the four telecasts. There was a perceived
need to achieve visual contact with the participants. It was also considered
important to expand the geographic region reached with the technology. The first
objective was met by putting together a package of materials to cover all
aspects of teaching chance and data for grades 5 to 9. The second and third
objectives were met by using videoconferencing rather than satellite television.
This allowed for the presenters to see the participants as well as vice versa.
One link was based at the Adelaide TAFE centre with transmission to TAFE studios
in Alice Springs, Brisbane, Mt Gambier, Perth and Townsville. The other video
conferencing took place within the state of Tasmania between Hobart and Burnie
using an internal network of the University of Tasmania. In the third year it
was decided to move to consolidation of content and presentation, further
developing the package of content materials by using CD-ROM technology. The
lack of personal contact with the presenter was catered for to some extent by
including video clips of the developers of the CD explaining aspects of its use.
The major output of the project was the C&D PD CD, a CD-ROM containing links to
a text and video, and all other material considered essential for the teaching
of chance and data (e.g., classroom activities, motivational video clips,
responses of students to questions, curricula from around Australia, and
software for students’ use with associated activities). The CD-ROM was
trialled
with 35 teachers around Australia and a final report for DEETYA was produced in
early 1997.
A further professional development outcome of the third project was “Chance and
Data in the News,” incorporated into the Hobart Mercury’s News in Education
homepage on the Internet. Based on articles from The Mercury, discussions were
written to motivate the use of the articles as the basis for classroom
activities. This site has been updated several times, doubling its size and
adding a section on “Numeracy.” It is now called “Numeracy in the News.”
References
References for Mathematics and Teaching Project
1. Chick, H.L., & Watson, J.M. (Eds.) (1994). Mathematics and Teaching: Topics
for the Professional Development of Teachers. Adelaide: Australian Association
of Mathematics Teachers. (391 pp.) [ISBN 1 875236 27 9]
2. Watson, J.M. & Chick, H.L. (1993). A model for professional development in
mathematics. In T. Herrington (Ed.), New Horizons New Challenges (pp. 309-316).
Adelaide, SA: Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers.
3. Chick, H.L. & Watson, J.M. (1993). Involving mathematicians in the
professional development of teachers. Australian Mathematical Society Gazette,
20, 121-124.
4. Watson, J.M. & Chick, H.L. (1993). Professional development through the
Mathematics and Teaching Project. Australian Senior Mathematics Journal, 7(2),
4-8.
5. Chick, H., Collis, K., Donaldson, J., & Watson, J.M. (1995). Professional
development in mathematics for teachers: Who, what, why and how. In A. Richards,
G. Gillman, K. Milton, & J. Oliver (Eds.), Flair: Forging links and integrating
resources (pp. 65-71). Adelaide, SA: Australian Association of Mathematics
Teachers.
References for Maths Work Project
1. Watson, J.M., Ransley, W., & Reeves, H. (1993). Chance and data workshop
activities. In T. Herrington (Ed.), New Horizons New Challenges (pp. 317-326).
Adelaide, SA: Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers.
2. Watson, J. & Reeves, H. (1993). Take a chance on maths. Adelaide, SA:
Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers. (30 pp.) [National Mathematics
Week Publication]
3. Watson, J. (1994). Maths Works: Teaching and Learning Chance and Data.
(assisted by W. Ransley) Adelaide: Australian Association of Mathematics
Teachers. [Presenter’s Handbook, 123 pp.; Participant’s Handbook, 186 pp.;
Overhead Transparency and Handout Masters, 158 pp.]
References for LUDDITE Project
1. Watson, J.M. (1995). Statistical literacy: A link between mathematics and
society. In A. Richards, G. Gillman, K. Milton, & J. Oliver (Eds.), Flair:
Forging links and integrating resources (pp. 12-28). Adelaide, SA: Australian
Association of Mathematics Teachers. Reprinted in Reflections, 20(3), 36-45,
August, 1995.
2. Watson, J.M. (1996). Reflections on videoconferencing and hypertext as media
for professional development. In R. Zevenbergen (Ed.), Mathematics Education in
Changing Times: Reactive or Proactive (pp. 165-176). Melbourne: Mathematics
Education Lecturers’ Association.
3. Watson, J.M. (1996). The C&D PD CD. [~CD-ROM] (Assisted by J.B. Moritz and S.
Anderson) Hobart: DEETYA, AAMT, Inc., and University of Tasmania.
4. Watson, J.M., Baxter, J.P., Olssen, K.H., & Lovitt, C. (1996). Professional
development at distance as an information technology enterprise. Asia Pacific
Journal of Teacher Education, 24, 139-146.
5. Watson, J. M., & Moritz, J. B. (1997). The C&D PD CD: Professional
development in chance and data in the technological age. In N. Scott & H.
Hollingsworth (Eds.), Mathematics creating the future (pp. 442-450). Adelaide:
Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers, Inc.
6. Watson, J.M. (1997). Chance and Data for Luddites. Australian Mathematics
Teacher, 53 (3), 24-29.
7. (53) Watson, J.M., & Baxter, J.P. (1997). Learning the unlikely at distance
as an information technology enterprise: Development and Research. In J.B.
Garfield & G. Burrill (Eds.), Research on the role of technology in teaching and
learning statistics (pp. 285-299). Voorburg: International Statistical
Institute.
8. Watson, J.M. (1997, September). Distance education using technology for
mathematics teachers. In Challenge & Change in science, mathematics and
technology education: Conference prodeedings (p. 19). Canberra: OECD.
[http://www.ash.org.au/teachers/smteoecd/astahtm/watson.htm]
9. Moritz, J.B., Lannen, B., & Watson, J.M. (1997). A ~CD-ROM for professional
development in chance & data. In D. Clarke, P. Clarkson, D. Gronn, M. Horne, L.
Lowe, M. Mackinlay & A. ~McDonough (Eds.), Mathematics: Imagine the
possibilities, MAV 1997 (pp. 335-343). Melbourne: Mathematical Association of
Victoria. [Victoria]
10. Watson, J.M. (1998). Professional development of teachers using ~CD-ROM
technology. In L. ~Pereira-Mendoza (Ed.), Statistical education ¬ Expanding the
network. Proceedings of the Fifth International Conference on Teaching
Statistics (pp. 921-927). Voorburg: International Statistical Institute.
11. Watson, J.M. (1998). Technology for the professional development of
teachers. In H.S. Park, Y.H. Choe, H. Shin, & S.H. Kim (Eds.), Proceedings of
the ICMI – East Asia Regional Conference on Mathematical Education Volume 1 (pp.
171-190). Korea: Korea Society of Mathematical Education. [Text of invited
keynote at international conference.]
12. Watson, J.M. (1997, September 15). Putting claims to class test. The Hobart
Mercury, p. 24.
Numeracy in the News
http://ink.news.com.au/mercury/mathguys/mercury.htm
Contact me...
Faculty of Education
University of Tasmania
Private Bag 66 Hobart Tasmania Australia 7001
Phone: 61-3-6226-2570; Fax: 61-3-6226-2569
Jane.Watson@utas.edu.au