Clements-Foyster Invited Speaker

Professor Peter Grootenboer

Griffith Institute for Educational Research,
Griffith University, Queensland, Australia

The Practice of Mathematics Education

Over the years mathematics education has been examined through a range of theoretical perspectives, and these have predominately been epistemological in nature. However, despite this rich history of research, it still seems that there are some perennial issues with mathematics education, with many learners floundering and large numbers disliking mathematics and viewing it as irrelevant. Therefore, here a different perspective on mathematics education is presented – an ontological practice approach, which complements existing epistemological understandings. Considering mathematics education as practice foregrounds two key factors – the ‘site ontological’ nature of mathematics learning and teaching that highlights its ‘happeningness’, and the sociality of mathematics education. There are two reasons for this practice approach to understanding mathematics education. First, mathematics itself is a practice, and mathematics education is concerned with enabling learners to practice mathematics. Second a practice approach to mathematics could offer insights into the perennial and intractable affective issues of mathematics. Considering these things, here practice philosophy and theory is employed to discuss mathematics education and mathematics education research.

Professor Peter Grootenboer is the Editor in Chief of MERJ and the former Director of the Griffith Institute for Educational Research. His research focuses on four key inter-related areas: practice and practice theory, action research, leadership (middle leading), and mathematics education. His research interests within these fields include: professional practice and practice development; leading change; and the affective dimension of learning. Recently he has focused on mathematics and mathematics education as practice.

https://experts.griffith.edu.au/18950-peter-grootenboer

Professor Peter Liljedahl

Faculty of Education, Simon Fraser University, Canada

Teaching to Learning and Research to Practice—Bridging the Fractal Divides

In mathematics education it is taken as shared that we need to perpetually work on bridging research and practice. In this talk I look at some of the results of the Building Thinking Classrooms project which has been shown to do just that – bridge research and practice. More than this, however, this project has also been shown to bridge teaching and learning – or more specifically, teaching and studenting – a bridge that turns out to be in desperate need of repair.

Dr. Peter Liljedahl is a Professor of Mathematics Education in the Faculty of Education at Simon Fraser University. He is the former president of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (PME), the current president of the Canadian Mathematics Education Study Group (CMESG), senior editor for the International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education (IJSME), on the editorial boards of ESM, JMTE, MERJ, MTL, CJSMTE, and a member of the NCTM Research Committee. Peter is a former high school mathematics teacher who has kept his research interest and activities close to the classroom. He consults regularly with teachers, schools, school districts, and ministries of education on issues of teaching and learning, problem solving, assessment, and numeracy.

https://www.sfu.ca/education/faculty-profiles/pliljedahl.html
https://www.peterliljedahl.com/

Professor Elena Nardi

Appreciating the Intra- / Extra- Mathematical Importance of Mathematics: Added Pedagogical Value Through Rapprochement and Synergy of Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Mathematics Teachers

While mathematics is seen as a sine qua non of curricula around the world, emphasis on appreciating the importance of the topics that constitute the backbone of said curricula within – and, crucially, beyond – mathematics is often limited. I draw on my experiences as mathematics education researcher and (non-research) mathematician to discuss the rarely tapped-into pedagogical potential of rapprochement and synergy amongst three communities of mathematics teachers (primary, secondary, tertiary).

Elena Nardi is Professor of Mathematics Education at the University of East Anglia (UEA) in Norwich, UK. She studied Mathematics (BSc) at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece) and Mathematics Education at the Universities of Cambridge (MPhil) and Oxford (DPhil). Her research is mostly on the teaching and learning of mathematics at university level, as well as: public discourses on mathematics/science; inclusion of mathematics learners with diverse needs; mathematical affect; and, mathematics teachers’ epistemological and pedagogical discourses. Her monograph Amongst Mathematicians: Teaching and Learning Mathematics at University Level was published by Springer in 2008. She recently completed the British Academy funded CAPTeaM project (Challenging Ableist Perspectives in the Teaching of Mathematics; Principal Investigator). She leads UEA’s RME (Research in Mathematics Education) Group. She is IJRUME co-Editor in Chief and ESM, MTL and MTED Editorial Board member.

https://research-portal.uea.ac.uk/en/persons/elena-nardi
https://archive.uea.ac.uk/~m011/

The  Tramsheds Function Centre is co-located alongside the University of Tasmania Inveresk Campus together with the Queen Victoria Museum and Arts Gallery (QVMAG) and commercial premises such as Blue Café.

The University of Tasmania buildings (Library, Stone Building) are a short stroll across outside, next to the QVMAG. 

Image credit the Tramsheds Function Centre

The Tramsheds Function Centre has an Auditorium and two large meeting rooms (one of which will be used for registration/meals). In addition we will use break out rooms in the Library, Stone and railway buildings of the University of Tasmania (all on the Inveresk campus), the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, and possibly the Hotel Grand Chancellor. Receptions will be held in other venues in the city with the Conference Dinner taking place in a space which will permit social distancing and dancing. The Accompanying Persons price of $120 is excellent value as it includes all receptions and the Conference Dinner (which is in excess of $100 per head on its own).

More information about the venue(s) will be made available as the program firms up.

Image credit the Tramsheds Function Centre

Image credit the Tramsheds Function Centre

Image credit the Tramsheds Function Centre