Researchers address meaning of maths for new era

Friday, July 3, 2009

Researchers address meaning of maths for new era

How to improve mathematics literacy in ethnic minorities will be among hot topics discussed by teachers and researchers from around the world gathering at the University's Wellington campus next week.

The latest research on boosting maths literacy to help young people cope with the challenges of interpreting numerical information in the 21st century will also feature in Mathematics Education Research Group Australasia conference.

Conference co-convenor Dr Bobbie Hunter says the maths education of today's children is different from their parents. Dr Hunter, a senior lecturer from the School of Education at Albany, is currently researching ways to enhance learning and teaching for Maori and Pasifika pupils.

Graphs and statistics are an intrinsic part of everyday life, from website information to electricity bills, she says. “Students need to be mathematically literate in order to make sense of the world around them."

While New Zealanders are concerned about reading literacy and take pride in achieving it, many are not ashamed to admit they “can’t do maths". Dr Hunter says this attitude is not helpful for equipping young people.

Keynote speakers at the conference are Associate Professors Elham Kazemi from Washington University and Bill Barton from Auckland University.
Dr Kazemi will discuss her findings on enabling teachers to meet the complex demands of teaching mathematics as well as new understandings of how students learn. Dr Barton will discuss examples of different approaches by teachers in developing “mathematical modes of inquiry” and examine “not just what we know mathematically, nor how we behave mathematically, but also at the way we know: how we hold mathematics”.

Professor of Mathematics Marta Civil from Arizona University will speak at the conference on socio-cultural approaches to the teaching of mathematics to ethnic and language minority students.

Conference co-convener Massey senior lecturer in mathematics education Brenda Bicknell says national standards for mathematics achievement will also be discussed. These are issues in Australia and New Zealand.

More than 180 mathematics educators and researchers from New Zealand, Australia, United States, China, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Brunei, Samoa and Britain will attend the conference from July 5-9.

Caption: Visiting mathematicians Associate Professor Elham Kazemi, from the University of Washington, and Professor Marta Civil, from the University of Arizona, at Massey University’s Manawatu campus for a Mathematics Education Research Symposium, a precursor to next week’s conference.

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