No matter what the subject, becoming a good teacher requires a combination of motivation and specialised professional knowledge.
But new research from a team at Western Australia’s Edith Cowan University (ECU) explores how teaching methods can ultimately lead to better student learning outcomes.
ECU researchers, mathematics educator Dr Vesife Hatisaru and mathematician Dr Julia Collins, have been conducting research into what are called ‘teacher competencies’ – and specifically how they impact student learning outcomes in the field of mathematics.
Lecturer in Mathematics Education in ECU’s School of Education, Dr Hatisaru, explains when it comes to a subject such as mathematics, teachers face even more unique challenges in terms of student engagement and student anxiety. The reason? Mathematics has a wide range of applications and there are societal or parent expectations.
“Our research looks at the perceptions secondary mathematics teachers have of the professional knowledge they need as a teacher, and where they can source that knowledge (e.g., university studies, peer learning, self-study, books, professional development workshops/conferences, research studies, and so on), Dr Hatisaru says.
“These are the perceptions that influence what professional learning decisions teachers make.”
Perceptions of current and future teachers
In two related studies led by Dr Hatisaru, the research investigated the perceptions of future teachers (Hatisaru & Collins, 2023) and practising teachers (Hatisaru, 2023), asking them the following series of questions:
- ‘What type of professional knowledge should a teacher of mathematics have?’
- ‘How important is it for teachers to have this knowledge?’
- ‘How do teachers continue to enhance their professional knowledge?’
- ‘How do they find out about their students’ strategies and understanding of a particular mathematical content’?
The findings reveal teachers in the classroom did place great emphasis on having professional knowledge to teach their subject; however, their perceptions of the knowledge they needed was relatively narrow – with little focus on extending their knowledge in the curriculum or materials or what was emerging on the mathematical horizon.
While future teachers mentioned post-graduate studies as a source of gaining professional knowledge, practising teachers made little reference to higher degree learning or educational research literature as a potential source of knowledge.
“These teachers emphasised collaborative learning, indicating that they found interacting with and learning from their peers as a more useful source of knowledge,” Dr Hatisaru says.
“We know that Australian educational policy emphasises collaboration, so it is no surprise that current teachers are influenced by their educational context and choose to learn by collaborating with their colleagues – but this strategy can hardly replace learning by doing higher degree studies which is more common in some countries.”
In Finland, for example, Dr Hatisaru says current mathematics teachers must have at least a Masters’ degree – “and this is considered one of the main contributory factors behind students’ high academic performance”.
Shifting perceptions
According to Dr Hatisaru, doing higher degree studies, such as a PhD degree, requires a significant commitment of time and money and support from your school principal. The reality, though, is that not all teachers have access to these resources.
“What’s important is to look at how we shift those perceptions and then provide teachers with the support they need to engage in higher degree learning,” Dr Hatisaru says.
“If teachers do not view higher degree learning and research as sources of knowledge, or if they are less aware of the multi-dimensional aspect of teacher knowledge needed to teach mathematics effectively, then this will influence what professional development programs they will attend and what they will acquire from them.”
Doctors Hatisaru and Collins explain this research highlights the importance of collaborations between a ‘maths educator’ and a ‘mathematician’ in terms of bringing diverse and commentary perspective in the field of mathematics education.
The heart of higher learning
While this research looks at mathematics teaching, the findings deliver a valuable insight into the ways teachers’ beliefs shape decisions about pursing higher learning at university.
The findings were presented at the International MERGA conference (Mathematics Education Research Group Australia) and selected from more than 60 research papers as recommended reading for schoolteachers as a Quick Read for practitioners.
Both researchers believe that, although collaborating with peers is an incredibly important piece of the puzzle, “it is not where you gain the most current scholarly knowledge produced in the mathematics education field”.
“This key distinction goes to the heart of how we value higher learning in universities, says Dr Hatisaru.
“We would like to see a study done of the professional development opportunities available to mathematics teachers in Australia, to determine what gaps, if any, are there in professional development opportunities,” Dr Collins says.
