Journal article

Maths games are fun and engaging, but what messages do these games send to the students in our classrooms? During mathematics lessons children learn more than just mathematics content; they also come to understand what it means to be a learner of mathematics. In this article I discuss the concept of “mathematics learner identity” and use it as a lens to consider two popular maths games played in primary classrooms in Aotearoa New Zealand. I suggest that some games may be detrimental to the performance of a positive learner identity, while others may be transformative.

COVID-19 relevance: Engaging learning at home / cultural setting

As a result of COVID-19 and the government’s measures to control it, Term 2, 2020 began with New Zealand school students learning from home rather than at school. This article reports on the results of a survey that explored the experiences of some parents of Māori and Pasifika students during their first week of this school-led learning at home (Riwai-Couch et al., 2020). It uses some direct content from the original survey report and summarises other parts. The responses of parents of Māori and Pasifika students are considered separately in two puna kōrero, where we present the parents’ perspectives using direct quotes from the survey. We identify some patterns and themes arising from these voices and finally pose some questions for educators to think about. While the participant numbers were small, the timeliness of the survey is significant. We were able to present initial parent responses from two stakeholder groups whose children are underserved in the New Zealand education system; and did so in real time as the parents were grappling with the changes that were being implemented. Our hope is that, through this process, new possibilities might emerge that could make the school experience more positive for all learners, now and in the future.

COVID-19 relevance: Post-crisis / school closures

Christchurch-based science advisers Sabina Cleary and Carmen Kenton, from Kaha Education, talk about their experiences of supporting teachers during the COVID-19 lockdown. Insights from their eperiences during a previous crisis guided them during COVID-19. They share their thoughts about useful learning to take forward as school life resumes.

Christchurch-based science advisers Sabina Cleary and Carmen Kenton, from Kaha Education, talk about their experiences of supporting teachers during the COVID-19 lockdown. Insights from their eperiences during a previous crisis guided them during COVID-19. They share their thoughts about useful learning to take forward as school life resumes.

As a result of COVID-19 and the government’s measures to control it, Term 2, 2020 began with New Zealand school students learning from home rather than at school. This article reports on the results of a survey that explored the experiences of some parents of Māori and Pasifika students during their first week of this school-led learning at home (Riwai-Couch et al., 2020). It uses some direct content from the original survey report and summarises other parts. The responses of parents of Māori and Pasifika students are considered separately in two puna kōrero, where we present the parents’ perspectives using direct quotes from the survey. We identify some patterns and themes arising from these voices and finally pose some questions for educators to think about. While the participant numbers were small, the timeliness of the survey is significant. We were able to present initial parent responses from two stakeholder groups whose children are underserved in the New Zealand education system; and did so in real time as the parents were grappling with the changes that were being implemented. Our hope is that, through this process, new possibilities might emerge that could make the school experience more positive for all learners, now and in the future.

Teaching Pasifika learners effectively to improve their educational outcomes is an education priority in New Zealand. New ways to maximise learning are needed. This article shows how dance, a cultural experience of many Pasifika learners, offers strong opportunities for enhancing learning across the curriculum while impacting positively on feelings of wellbeing and belonging. Drawing from the first author’s experiences of teaching secondary school mathematics and Poly club, and a wide range of research literature on the many affordances of dance, we describe the potential of Pasifika dance as a culturally responsive and culturally sustaining mathematics pedagogy. Ways to explore the mathematics embedded in the Samoan sāsā dance with students are described using a sample unit outline. Challenges and supports for teachers of mathematics for using Pasifika dance in their mathematics teaching are discussed.

There is limited research about the experiences of teachers (kaiako) teaching paangarau (mathematics) in a Maaori-medium modern learning environment (MLE). This article presents the views of three kaiako (teachers) as they collaborated with researchers and one another to explore an alternative approach to teaching and learning paangarau with 60 Years 4 to 6 children, while taking advantage of the affordances of their MLE. Key findings from this teacher inquiry project indicate that a deliberate change in pedagogical practice and tasks encouraged greater engagement by aakonga (learners) in paangarau sessions. The main challenge that arose for kaiako in this study was that of working with mixed-ability groups. This article shows that teacher inquiry into their practice can be a positive experience for kaiako and learners grappling with the complexities of teaching and learning paangarau in a Maaori-medium MLE.

Statistical investigations, a thread within the statistics strand of the mathematics and statistics learning area (Ministry of Education, 2007), are underpinned by the statistical enquiry cycle. As teachers introduce their students to the statistical enquiry cycle, they are supporting their students to become data detectives, posing and answering investigative questions using data. The statistical enquiry cycle in New Zealand schools is based on the PPDAC model. This article explores the PPDAC model in more detail and emphasises key elements for teaching and learning based on local research.

The first two decades of the 21st century has heralded an unprecedented data revolution increasingly impacting our daily lives. Statistics education must continually update itself to prepare students for this new data-driven world. In this reflection on our research during this time, we discuss how fostering learning from data brought many challenges. We uncovered many gaps in the curriculum and consequently student understanding of the rich network of interconnecting ideas that underpin statistical thinking and reasoning. Teaching statistics in today’s world requires focusing on the big ideas that will endure, particularly as we become immersed in an era of data science and artificial intelligence.