MERGA47 Keynote Speakers
Professor Susanne Prediger
TU Dortmund University
BIOGRAPHY
Susanne Prediger is a full professor in Mathematics Education at TU Dortmund University and director of the DZLM research network (the German National Centre for Mathematics Teacher Education) at the IPN Leibniz Institute for Science and Mathematics Education. Her research focuses on conceptually oriented and language-responsive instructional approaches and their theoretical and empirical foundations, and on topic-specific professional development research and implementation research, both in design research studies and intervention studies. She was president of the European Society for Research in Mathematics Education and is member of the ICMI executive committee.
Professor Bethany Rittle-Johnson
Vanderbilt University
BIOGRAPHY
Bethany Rittle-Johnson, PhD, is the Anita S. and Antonio M. Gotto Chair in Child Development and a professor in Psychology and Human Development at Vanderbilt University in the USA. Her research focuses on how children learn mathematics and how to improve their learning. Children’s algebraic thinking is a central focus of this research, including if and how patterning knowledge supports mathematics learning. She collaborates with teachers and educational researchers to apply and test her research in classroom settings. For example, with Dr. Jon Star, she developed a Compare and Discuss Multiple Strategies instructional routine and developed and tested supplemental curriculum materials to support this routine in high-school algebra classrooms.
KEYNOTE ABSTRACT: Comparing and Discussing Multiple Strategies to Promote Learning in Mathematics Classrooms
Comparison is a powerful learning process that improves learning in many domains. For over 10 years, my colleagues and I have researched how we can use comparison to support better learning of school mathematics within classroom settings. In 5 short-term experimental, classroom-based studies, we evaluated comparison of solution methods for supporting mathematics knowledge and tested whether prior knowledge impacted effectiveness. We next developed supplemental Algebra I curriculum and professional development for teachers to integrate Comparison and Explanation of Multiple Strategies (CEMS) in their classrooms and tested the promise of the approach when implemented by teachers in two studies. Benefits and challenges emerged in these studies. I will conclude with evidence-based guidelines for effectively supporting comparison and explanation in the classroom. Overall, this program of research illustrates how cognitive science research can guide the design of effective educational materials as well as challenges that occur when bridging from cognitive science research to classroom instruction.
Clements-Foyster Lecture
The Clements-Foyster Lecture is an annual award, established in honour of the two founding members of MERGA in 1976/1977, Professor Ken Clements (then at Monash University), and John Foyster (then based at the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER)). The first Clements-Foyster lecture was given in 2005, by Professor David Clarke, and since then, each year one Australian, New Zealander or a member from the South East Asian rim countries, is invited to present the Annual Clements-Foyster Lecture.
Professor Catherine Attard
Western Sydney University
BIOGRAPHY
Catherine is a Professor in Mathematics Education within the School of Education at Western Sydney University. She is a multiple award-winning educator who has transformed teaching and learning in primary mathematics 17 years. Catherine’s research is focused on student and teacher engagement with mathematics education, including issues surrounding the pedagogical practices that influence students’ engagement. Catherine is also actively researching contemporary teaching practices that incorporate digital resources including generative AI, and she is a Chief Investigator on an Australian Research Council Discovery grant investigating the practices of middle leaders in Australian schools. Catherine has won several teaching awards, including a 2016 Australian Awards for University Teaching (AAUT) Teaching Excellence Award, an Office of Learning and Teaching citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning and the Western Sydney University Vice-Chancellor’s Excellence in Teaching Award. She is the current President of the Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers (AAMT), immediate past President of MERGA, and a past president of the Mathematical Association of New South Wales (MANSW). Catherine is also the author of the leading mathematics education blog, engagingmaths.com, author of several popular mathematics teacher resource books and co-author of the book Technology-enabled Mathematics Education: Optimising Student Engagement.
KEYNOTE ABSTRACT: Unlocking Minds: Exploring the Pendulum of Mathematics Pedagogy
Current debates and the related impact of policymakers and educational leaders on teaching and learning in mathematics is a cause of concern and even anxiety amongst researchers and teachers alike. While these debates are playing out differently across the world, there are common challenges we face. In this lecture I draw on voices from previous Clements-Foyster lectures and use the lens of my own experiences as teacher, researcher, and leader of MERGA and AAMT to discuss and explore the current pedagogy debate in mathematics education. I argue against the use of a narrow evidence base that is fuelling the debate and I reflect on the current and potential future impact of research emerging from MERGA as a collective, and individual members.
Timetable
