Keeping it Going: Challenges in Sustaining Numeracy Practice

Deborah Gibbs and Marilyn HolmesNew Zealand, along with many other countries, has been investigating ways of raising children’s achievements in mathematics by improving teachers? professional knowledge, skills and confidence. The Numeracy Development Project (NDP) in New Zealand grew out of The New South Wales Department of Education and Training initiative ‘Count Me In Too’ in 2000, and was further developed by ‘research evidence about mathematics education, effective teaching, teacher learning, effective facilitation practice, and educational change’ (Ministry of Education, 2004). Pivotal to the success of the project are facilitators, principals and lead teachers who work with classroom teachers to effect changes in teaching practice. Schools participating in NDP can expect continuous and focussed support throughout their year long professional development. Sustaining the numeracy momentum within a school is a difficult task and can be further complicated by the employment of untrained numeracy teachers or provisionally registered teachers with varying levels of understanding. During their time in the project, lead teachers have mainly an administrative responsibility. However, in subsequent years, it is magnified to include a complex, multi-layered facilitation role. This small study by Deborah Gibbs and Marilyn Holmes highlights two challenging aspects: (a) The needs of untrained numeracy teachers as they try to come to grips with the numeracy project as well as the school?s mathematics programme; and (b) the complexity of the lead teacher’s responsibility in mentoring new untrained staff. Discussion generated around this study will highlight the implications for facilitators in numeracy and pre-service educators. References Ministry of Education. (2004). The Numeracy Story continued. What is the evidence telling us? Wellington: Learning Media.

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Keeping it Going: Challenges in Sustaining Numeracy Practice

Keeping it Going: Challenges in Sustaining Numeracy Practice

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