MERGA

2012 Conference Proceedings

2012 Conference Proceedings

KEYNOTE ADDRESSES

Mathematics Education as a Multicultural Field of Research and Practice: Outcomes and Challenges – Michèle Artigue

MERGA 2012: Where We’ve Been, Where We Are, and Where We’re Going – M. A. (Ken) Clements

What Can and Should We Learn from International Studies of Mathematics Achievement? – Frederick K.S. Leung

 

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS AWARD

A Learning Community for Pre-service Secondary Mathematics: Learning With and From Each Other – Michael Cavanagh

 

SYMPOSIA

Are Online Quizzes an Effective Tool for Mastering Basic Algebra? – Wayne Read & Patrick Higgins

Monitoring and Analysing Attendance in First Year University Mathematics Tutorials – Patrick Higgins & Wayne Read

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Doing it Differently: The Ups and Downs of Peer Group Learning – Shaun Belward & Jo Balatti

Working Through the Practice Architectures of First Year University Mathematics Teaching – Jo Balatti & Shaun Belward

 

RESEARCH PAPERS

Exploring the Use of iPads to Engage Young Students with Mathematics – Catherine Attard & Christina Curry

Teaching Algebra Conceptually: The Process of Bringing Research to Practitioners – Megan Anakin & Ayelet Lazarovitch

Influences of Self-Perceived Competence in Mathematics and Positive Affect toward Mathematics on Mathematics Achievement of Adolescents in Singapore – Shaljan Areepattamannil & Berinderjeet Kaur

Socially Response-able Mathematics Education: Lessons from Three Teachers – Bill Atweh & Kate Ala’i

Improving First Year Mathematics Teaching Through Making Connections: An Action Research Approach -Jo Balatti & Shaun Belward

Teaching Mathematics in a Project-Based Learning Context: Initial Teacher Knowledge and Perceived Needs – Kim Beswick, Rosemary Callingham & Tracey Muir

Stories From the Classroom: The Developing Beliefs and Practices of Beginning Primary Mathematics Teachers – Kathy Brady

Teacher Subject Matter Knowledge of Number Sense – Hannah Briand-Newman, Monica Wong & David Evans

Mathematics as it Happens: Student-Centred Inquiry Learning – Chris Brough & Nigel Calder

How Does Teacher Knowledge in Statistics Impact on Teacher Listening? – Tim Burgess

An Experienced Teacher’s Conceptual Trajectory for Problem Solving – Barbara Butterfield

Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching of MERGA Members – Rosemary Callingham, Kim Beswick, Julie Clark, Barry Kissane, Pep Serow, & Steve Thornton

Emotions and the Development of Statistical Literacy – Colin Carmichael

The Effects of Creating Rich Learning Environments for Children to Measure Mass – Jill Cheeseman, Andrea McDonough & Sarah Ferguson

Developments in Pre-service Teachers’ Mathematics for Teaching of Fractions – Mohan Chinnappan, Tricia Forrester & Elise Thurtell-Hoare

Mathematics Knowledge for Teaching: Evidence from Lesson Study – Mohan Chinnappan & Ui Hock Cheah

Characteristics of Problem Posing of Grade 9 Students on Geometric Tasks – Puay Huat Chua & Khoon Yoong Wong

Alternative Starting Point for Teaching Fractions – Jose Luis Cortina, Jana Visnovska & Claudia Zuniga

Concept Cartoons as a Way to Elicit Understandings and Encourage Reasoning about Decimals in Year 7 – Samone Davidson & Mike Askew

Block Model Approach in Problem Solving: Effects on Problem Solving Performance of the Grade V Pupils in Mathematics – Niño Jose P. de Guzman & Rene R. Belecina

Constructing and Consolidating Mathematical Entities in the Context of Whole-Class Discussion – Thérèse Dooley

Male Students’ Perspectives Concerning the Relevance of Mathematics – Pilot Study Findings – Michael Easey, Elizabeth Warren & Vince Geiger

Spatial Metaphors of the Number Line – Cris Edmonds-Wathen

Reinventing the Wheel: Historical Perspectives on Theories for Interpreting Discourse Patterns in Mathematics Classrooms -Nerida F. Ellerton, Pongchawee Vaiyavutjamai & M. A. (Ken) Clements

Young Children’s Metarepresentational Competence in Data Modelling – Lyn English

Challenges in Responding to Scaffolding Opportunities in the Mathematics Classroom – Sarah Ferguson

Using Classroom Episodes to Foster Prospective Teachers’ Didactical Knowledge: Issues for Teacher Education – Rosa Tomás Ferreira, Luís Menezes & Maria Helena Martinho

Interpreting Graphs: Students Developing an Understanding of Covariation – Noleine Fitzallen

Young Pedestrians’ Gendering of Mathematics: Australia and Spain – Helen Forgasz, Gilah Leder & Inés Ma Gómez-Chacón

The Progress of Grade 1 Students Who Participated in an Extending Mathematical Understanding Intervention Program – Ann Gervasoni, Linda Parish, Teresa Hadden, Carole Livesey, Kate Bevan, Melissa Croswell & Kathie Turkenburg

Auditing the Numeracy Demands of the Australian Curriculum – Merrilyn Goos, Shelley Dole & Vince Geiger

Gesture Types for Functions – Sandra Herbert

Evaluating Middle Years Students’ Proportional Reasoning – Annette Hilton, Geoff Hilton, Shelley Dole, Merrilyn Goos & Mia O’Brien

Singapore Students’ Performance on Australian and Singapore Assessment Items – Siew Yin Ho & Tom Lowrie

Developing Teacher Understanding of Early Algebraic Concepts Using Lesson Study – Jodie Hunter

Designing Opportunities for Prospective Teachers to Facilitate Mathematics Discussions in Classrooms – Roberta Hunter & Glenda Anthony

Professional Learning for Teaching Assistants and its Effect on Classroom Roles – Chris Hurst & Len Sparrow

Curriculum Leadership: Reforming and Reshaping Successful Practice in Remote and Regional Indigenous Education – Robyn Jorgensen (Zevenbergen)

Digital Games for Learning Mathematics: Possibilities and Limitations – Robyn Jorgensen (Zevenbergen) & Tom Lowrie

Influences of Metacognitive and Self-Regulated Learning Strategies for Reading on Mathematical Literacy of Adolescents in Australia and Singapore – Berinderjeet Kaur & Shaljan Areepattamannil

Identifying Stages in a Learning Hierarchy for Use in Formative Assessment – the Example of Line Graphs – Kaye Stacey, Beth Price & Vicki Steinle

Get Into Vocational Education (GIVE): Motivating Underperforming Students – Gillian Kidman, Tom Cooper & David Nutchey

Mathematical Proficiency and the Sustainability of Participation: A New Ball Game through a Poststructuralist Lens – Mary Klein

Developing a Culture of Collaboration – Janeen Lamb & Jana Visnovska

K-2 Make it Count Students’ Views of Mathematics – Gilah Leder & Helen Forgasz

Variation and Mathematics Pedagogy – Allen Leung

Supporting Secondary Novices’ Efforts to Implement Student- and Discourse-Centred Pedagogical Practices – Gary Lewis

The Hammer-and-Nail Phenomenon in Mathematics Education – Kien H. Lim

Impulsive-Analytic Disposition in Mathematical Problem Solving: A Survey and a Mathematics Test – Kien H. Lim & Amy Wagler

Teaching Algebra Conceptually: Student Achievement – Chris Linsell, Lynn Tozer, Megan Anakin, Anna Cox, Rachel Jones, Eric McAuslan, Donna Smith & Garry Turner

Does Knowing More Advanced Mathematics Ensure Effectiveness of Working Towards Demonstrating Specialised Mathematical Content Knowledge of Second-Year Pre-Service Teachers? – Sharyn Livy

The Development of an Assessment Tool: Student Knowledge of the Concept of Place Value – Karen Major

Projects, Puzzles and other Pedagogies: Working with Kids to Solve Local Problems – Margaret Marshman

The Impact of a Professional Learning Intervention Designed to Enhance Year Six Students’ Computational Estimation Performance – Paula Mildenhall & Mark Hackling

An Exploration into Growing Patterns with Young Australian Indigenous Students – Jodie Miller & Elizabeth Warren

The Four-Three-Four Model: Drawing on Partitioning, Equivalence, and Unit-Forming in a Quotient Sub-Construct Fraction Task – Annie Mitchell

Virtual Mathematics Education: Using Second Life to Model and Reflect upon the Teaching of Mathematics – Tracey Muir

Developing Pedagogical Strategies to Promote Structural Thinking in Early Mathematics – Joanne T. Mulligan & Michael C. Mitchelmore

The Influence of Gender, Parents, and Background Variables on Perceived Usefulness of Mathematics among Grade 7 Students in Mozambique – Adelino Murimo

Problem Categorisation in Ratio – A Closer Look – Norhuda Musa & John Malone

Student Understanding of Large Numbers and Powers: The Effect of Incorporating Historical Ideas – Mala S. Nataraj & Michael O. J. Thomas

The Concept of Generalised Number: Valuable Lessons from the History of Algebra – Mala S. Nataraj & Michael O. J. Thomas

Mathematics Anxiety in Secondary School Students – Lay Keow Ng

Students’ Summaries of Mathematical Lectures: Comparing the Discourse of Students with the Discourse of Lectures – Magnus Österholm

Identity and Ethnomathematics Projects in Papua New Guinea – Kay Owens

Let’s Count: Evaluation of a Pilot Early Mathematics Program in Low Socioeconomic Locations in Australia – Bob Perry, Ann Gervasoni & Sue Dockett

Trialling a Professional Statistical Literacy Hierarchy for Teachers – Robyn Pierce, Helen Chick, Jane Watson, Michael Dalton & Magdalena Les

The Classicist and the Frequentist Approach to Probability within a TinkerPlots2 Combinatorial Problem – Theodosia Prodromou

Diffusion of the Mathematics Practical Paradigm in the Teaching of Problem Solving: Theory and Praxis – Khiok Seng Quek, Yew Hoong Leong, Eng Guan Tay, Tin Lam Toh & Jaguthsing Dindyal

Coordinating Known and Unknown Quantities in a Multiplicative Context: Problem Conceptualization, Affordances and Constraints – Ajay Ramful

Strategies Used by Students to Compare Two Data Sets – Robyn Reaburn

Exploring Student Reflective Practice during a Mathematical Modelling Challenge – Trevor Redmond, Raymond Brown, Joanne Sheehy & Harry Kanasa

Steps in Developing a Quality Whole Number Place Value Assessment for Years 3-6: Unmasking the “Experts” – Angela Rogers

On Diagnosis and Intervention: Helping Students with Special Needs Learn Fraction Ideas Involving Decimal Numbers – Rebecca Seah

Chinese Primary Students’ Mathematical Task Types Preferences – Wee Tiong Seah & Anastasios (Tasos) Barkatsas

Mathematical Modelling for Singapore Primary Classrooms: From a Teacher’s Lens – Cynthia Seto, Thomas Mary Magdalene, Ng Kit Ee Dawn, Chan Chun Ming Eric & Wanty Widjaja

Empirical Evidence for Niss’ Implemented Anticipation in Mathematising Realistic Situations – Gloria Stillman & Jill P. Brown

Supporting Teachers in Choosing and Using Challenging Mathematics Tasks – Peter Sullivan, Doug Clarke, Debbie Michaels, Angela Mornane & Anne Roche

Insights into Ways that teachers plan their Mathematics Teaching – Peter Sullivan, David Clarke, Doug Clarke, Peter Gould, David Leigh-Lancaster & Gerard Lewis

Students’ Ways of Knowing and Learning Mathematics and Their Ways of Interacting with Advanced Calculators – Hazel Tan

Pedagogical Content Knowledge in Mathematical Modelling Instruction – Liang Soon Tan & Keng Cheng Ang

Developing Mathematical Knowledge through Social Justice Pedagogy with Young Adult Arab Women – Mohammed Goma Tanko & Bill Atweh

Developing Mathematical Resilience among Aboriginal Students – Steve Thornton, Joanne Statton & Sophie Mountzouris

Use of Practical Worksheet in Teacher Education at the Undergraduate and Postgraduate Levels – Pee Choon Toh, Tin Lam Toh, Foo Him Ho & Khiok Seng Quek

The Effect of Small-Group Game Play Activities on Number Sense Performance – Rashidah Vapumarican & Manu Kapur

Average Revisited in Context – Jane Watson & Helen Chick

Teaching for Abstraction: Collaborative Teacher Learning – Paul White, Sue Wilson & Michael Mitchelmore

Australian Pre-Service Teachers Overseas Tour: Implications for Mathematics Teaching and Learning – Allan Leslie White

Investigating Pre-service Teachers’ Mathematics Anxiety Using the Revised Mathematics Anxiety Scale (RMARS) – Sue Wilson

A Revolving Model of Pre-service Teacher Development in Mathematics – Susanna Wilson

Nature of an Attitudes toward Learning Mathematics Questionnaire – Khoon Yoong Wong & Qian Chen

Profiling Students’ Capacities to Link Number and Algebra in Years 5, 6 and 7 in Nanjing, China – Wenbin Xu, Max Stephens & Qinqiong Zhang

Problem Posing in Mathematical Investigation – Joseph B. W. Yeo

Predictive Validity of Numeracy Entry Requirements for University: Pre-service Teachers’ Mathematics Knowledge and Attitudes – Jenny Young-Loveridge, Brenda Bicknell & Judith Mills

 

SHORT COMMUNICATIONS

A Longitudinal Study Preparing Preservice Teachers to Learn and Teach Mathematics with Technology – Leah A. Nillas

Alleviating Maths Anxiety through Mentoring in an Emotional Intelligence Framework – Timothy Perkins

An Analysis of Students’ Strategies for Area Measurement and its Curricular Implications – Jeenath Rahaman

Classroom Goal Structure, Achievement Goals, and Achievement: A Multilevel Mediational Analysis of Longitudinal Data – Wenshu Luo & David Hogan

Critical Reflection as an Important Pathway to Pre-service Teachers’ Development (A Snapshot) – Kwee Gek Chua

Developing an Intervention Program for Students at Risk Drawing on the Strengths of Successful Existing Programs – Bernadette Long

Developing Computational Fluency in Multi-Digit Multiplication: A Learning Trajectory Approach – Kristen Tripet, Janette Bobis & Jenni Way

Developing Statistical Literacy: Student Learning and Teacher Education – Hélia Oliveira, Rosa Tomás Ferreira, Ana Henriques, João Pedro da Ponte, Carolina Carvalho, Ana Paula Canavarro & Susana Colaco

Do not Call on Me: Mathematics Anxiety among Students with Learning Differences – Michelle L.W. Bower & Suriza van der Sandt

Early Childhood Mathematics: The Case of More or Less – Mohan Chinnappan & Amy Chan

Examining Opportunities and Constraints in the Use of Context Based Experiences for Engaging Indigenous Australian Students in the Learning of Numeracy – Kate Naughtin

Harnessing the Power of Cloud Computing for Mathematical Modelling in Two Different Schools – Bock Boon Lim, Mei Chuen Chen, Trevor Redmond & Joanne Sheehy

iMPaCT-Math: Programming as a Means to Motivate Exploration of Foundational Algebraic Concepts – Kien H. Lim, Eric Freudenthal, Art Duval & Amy Wagler

Investigating the Interrelationships Between Teachers’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge and Student Achievement Within Vocational High School Context – Vesife Hatısaru

Problem@Web: A Project around an On-line Problem Solving Mathematical Competition in Portugal – Susana Carreira, Hélia Jacinto, Jaime Silva, Juan Rodriguez,Nélia Amado, Nuno Amaral, Rosa Tomas Ferreira, Sandra Nobre, Isa Martins & Silva Reis

Seeing is Believing: Building Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching Through Demonstration Lessons – Louise Hodgson

Teachers’ Perceptions of Student Engagement and Disengagement in Mathematics – Karen Skilling, Janette Bobis, Andrew Martin, Judy Anderson & Jenni Way

The Use of Open-Ended Tasks as an Instructional and Assessment Tool – Kum Fong Foo, Leng Low, Yen Ping Pang, Wai Leng Lye & Cherng Ginn Kenneth Lui

Transforming Children’s Mathematical and Scientific Development: A Longitudinal Study – Joanne Mulligan, Lyn English, Michael Mitchelmore & Nathan Crevensten

Translation of Word Problems by Year 6 Lower Ability Students: An Action Research Project – Min Chern Lim & Kai Kow Joseph Yeo

Using Students’ Algebraic Thinking to Support Teacher Learning – Shikha Takker

 

ROUND TABLES

Developing Self-Regulated Teacher Learners to Improve Student Outcomes in Mathematics – Janette Bobis, Jenni Way & Judy Anderson

Models and Modelling for the Future – Lyn D. English, Richard Lesh, Kit Ee Dawn Ng & Gloria Stillman

Professional Conversations among Mathematics Educators – Rosemary Callingham, Kim Beswick, Helen Chick, Julie Clark, Merrilyn Goos, Barry Kissane, Pep Serow, & Steve Thornton

Students’ Conceptions of Equality – Megan Anakin, Chris Linsell & Jeffrey Smith

Teachers’ Mathematical Knowledge and Practice – Mohan Chinnappan

Teaching Mathematics Respectfully: Preparing Culturally Responsive Mathematics Teachers – Robin Averill & Megan Clarkall 4 p missing

Short Communications & Round Tables

The following documents are essential to read and complete when considering submitting a short communication or round table to the MERGA conference (available in the Submission section of this website).

  • MERGA Paper Template – to be used to write the abstracts which are then submitted to the MERGA conference website
  • MERGA Publication Agreement – to be submitted on the MERGA conference website at the time of the abstract submission

Short communications are suitable for reports that do not fully meet the requirements for published papers. These might include works in preliminary stages, reports of pilot projects, initial reviews of literature, ideas or suggestions for future study, and briefer discussions of particular issues. Short communications allow new researchers to obtain feedback on projects in a constructive and supportive environment, and foster the building of links between researchers with similar interests.

Abstracts are required for short communications and round tables. They must be prepared using the conference template. The abstracts will be reviewed by the Editorial Team and, if accepted, will be published in the conference proceedings. Presenters are invited to prepare a paper for distribution at the conference, but these papers will not be included in the proceedings.

Presentation of short communications – Short communications are presented by author(s) only. At least 5 minutes is to be allocated for audience questions and open discussion.

Beth Southwell Practical Implications Award

The Beth Southwell Practical Implications Award (BSPIA) recognises high-quality mathematics education that produces insights for the teaching profession and/or student learning.

The award consists of $500 and a plaque to be presented at the Conference.

Nomination process 

There are two ways a paper can be nominated for the BSPIA:

  • Self-nomination: When you submit your conference paper, check the box that asks if you would like to apply for the BSPIA.
  • Nomination via peer-review: Anyone who submits a Conference paper for peer-review will be considered for nomination by the reviewers. 

Single and co-authored papers are eligible for consideration.

When you write your paper, please ensure that you observe all general paper submission requirements including the maximum page length.

Judging process

Submissions must be deemed eligible for publication in the Conference proceedings by the initial reviewing panel. Submissions accepted for presentation only will be excluded from consideration.

The judging panel will consist of two MERGA members and two AAMT nominees and will be chaired by the VP Development.

The judging criteria are:

  • Identification of a persistent and significant research problem
  • Synthesis of recent research literature and relevant policy initiatives
  • Robust methodology producing valid, reliable findings
  • Insightful discussion of practical implications for the teaching profession and/or student learning
  • Clear, succinct style of academic writing

Winners are notified four weeks prior to the Conference and are invited to present a keynote at the annual conference.

The Beth Southwell Practical Implications Award page on this website provides further information, including the history of the award and recent winners.  

Research Papers

The following documents are essential to read and complete when considering submitting a research paper to the MERGA conference (available in the Submission section of this website).

  • MERGA Paper Template – to be used to write the papers which are then submitted to the MERGA conference website
  • MERGA Publication Agreement – to be submitted on the MERGA conference website at the time of the paper submission

Research papers can take two major forms: 

1. Reports of empirical investigations 

When empirical investigations are reported (such as in an experimental intervention, confirmatory study, or action research, etc.), the paper should also include

  • a statement of rationale for methodologies used in collecting and analysing data;
  • a critical discussion of data findings in the light of the research literature; and
  • in the literature review, prior work in the area should be acknowledged and an explanation of how the work reported in the paper builds on that earlier work should be included.

2. Reports that are not based on empirical research including:

  • a theoretical discussion;
  • a position paper;
  • a report of scholarly enquiry in progress;
  • a literature review, a meta-study;
  • an account of a new initiative;
  • a reflective critique of practice; or
  • any mixture of these or other recognised scholarly forms.

When the work is a theoretical discussion, a position paper, a report of scholarly inquiry in progress, a review of literature, a theoretical study, a meta-study, an account of a new initiative, a reflective critique of practice or any mixture of these or other recognised scholarly forms, the material presented must be discussed critically, and alternative points of view relating to themes presented should be appropriately argued.
It is expected that presenting authors will have 40 minutes to present their work at the conference. At least 10 minutes must be allowed to field questions and comments from the audience.

Structure of research papers – All papers for publication in the conference proceedings should contain the following:

  • a statement of the problem/issue and a discussion of its significance;
  • a critical analysis of the research literature as it relates to the topic of the paper; and
  • conclusions and implications for mathematics education derived from the study.

All papers must respect MERGA’s ethical guidelines relating to research work. Papers should not be more than the set length. (Formatting details and WORD template are available from the submissions). In addition, papers must be: readable; free of grammatical, spelling and typographical errors; and adhere strictly to style requirements advertised by the conference proceedings Editorial Team.

Originality – Only research papers that are substantially different from work that has been published previously will be considered for publication in the conference proceedings and/or presentation at the conference.

Reviewing of research papers – Research papers will be blind reviewed by a panel of peers approved by the conference committee. The main purpose of the refereeing process is to contribute to the growth and development of quality practice in mathematics education research. Thus reviewers are asked to assist authors by providing helpful feedback and to comment on the suitability of papers for presentation at the conference. Accordingly, it will not be assumed that published papers presented at the conference will be as polished as articles in scholarly journals. Referees will be asked to assess papers being reviewed against the accepted norms for scholarly works presented at MERGA conferences, as set out above.

Each conference proceedings’ Editorial Team will exercise discretion over the reviewing process.

Reviewers’ comments will be returned to the authors. Authors whose papers are not accepted for publication may be invited by the editorial panel to present their paper at the conference, with an abstract (only) being published in the proceedings. Papers may be rejected outright, with no opportunity for presentation at the conference in an alternative form.

The MERGA website has detailed advice about criteria for reviewing of MERGA papers, review forms, and examples of strong and poor reviews of different types.

Presentation of research papers – Research papers are presented by author(s) only. A maximum of 30 minutes may be used for presenting the paper, and at least 10 minutes is then used for audience questions and open discussion.

Research Symposia

The following documents are essential to read and complete when considering submitting a research symposium to the MERGA conference (available in the Submission section of this website).

  • MERGA Paper Template (to be used to write the papers which are then submitted to the MERGA conference website)
  • MERGA Publication Agreement (to be submitted on the MERGA conference website at the time of the paper submission)

Presentation of groups of published papers related by theme in the form of a research symposium is encouraged. The symposium forum will be particularly suitable for presentations relating to a single large project or presentations that explore topical themes from different and/or related perspectives. Special Interest Groups [SIGs] are encouraged to consider the symposium option as a means for sharing and discussing current research.

A symposium should consist of no more than four presentations of about 15 minutes duration each. The written papers should be half the length of research papers as described for research papers. Both research report types – empirical or non-empirical – are acceptable as published symposium papers.

A brief overview of the symposium (limit one page), including a symposium title, an introduction to the theme/project, and a short introduction to each of the 3-4 contributions, must be submitted with the set of short papers. Please list the symposium convenors as the authors on the first page, and name the paper authors in the text description.

The symposium proposer will also nominate a person to chair the symposium, and a discussant can also be named if desired. This information should accompany the collection of papers submitted for review.

The set of symposium papers (and the overview) will be blind reviewed by a review panel. The main purpose of the reviews is the same as for published papers, and the same criteria are used. The reviewers will be asked to consider the cohesiveness of the set of symposium papers. They will indicate whether the symposium as a whole, and each paper within it, should be “accepted”, “rejected” or if it “requires revision”. If it is deemed that one, some or all of the papers are in need of revision, the reviewers will outline which papers need to be revised and provide suggestions for the required changes. When the revisions are made, the symposium papers will be re-submitted and the set of papers will be sent to the same review panel for further consideration. As with research papers, the final decision about which symposium papers will be published is at the discretion of the Editorial Team.

The date for submission of the collection of symposium papers is the same as for Early Bird papers. This date has been set for the benefit of the group of authors of symposia papers. Should the symposium papers require revision, the authors will have the time to make the corrections and resubmit the set of symposium papers to be re-reviewed by the original reviewers.

Presentation of symposia: Symposia are presented by author(s) only, usually within a 90 min block. At least 10 minutes must be allocated for audience questions and open discussion.

Early Career Research Award

In order to encourage new researchers in mathematics education, MERGA sponsors an award to an author in the early part of her/his career. The award, for excellence in writing and presenting a piece of mathematics education research, consists of a plaque and a prize of $500 and is presented at the annual conference. 

Applying for the award

Entry for the Early Career Research Award is by submission of a written paper for presentation at the conference through the Early Bird process. Conditions of eligibility, information about the judging process, and the criteria judges will observe are indicated below. If you are applying for the Early Career Research Award, please ensure that when you upload your paper on the conference website, you also send an email to the Conference Secretariat indicating that you are an entrant for the Early Career Research Award. Note that at some MERGA conferences there is also a form to complete or a box to tick on the registration form, so check the conference website carefully. Please note that co-authored papers ARE NOT eligible for entry into the Early Career Research Award, nor are Round Table or Symposium papers.

Rules and eligibility for the Early Career Award

The Early Career Research Award page on this website provides further information about this award, including a list of recent winners.

Early Bird Review Process

The Early Bird review process is a form of mentoring, principally for new researchers. However, anyone is eligible to make use of it. Research papers submitted through the Early Bird process must be received by the Early Bird due date (i.e., the closing date in January). They must meet the requirements as set out for MERGA Research Papers. Early Bird papers should be uploaded following a link on the conference website. Authors will be asked to create a login into Oxford Abstracts (our conference management system) and submit the blinded file (anonymised) in the correct template for review.

Early Bird papers undergo a double-blind MERGA reviewing process. There are three possible outcomes of the review, and actions the authors need to follow.

  1. When the paper is accepted (for presentation at the conference and publication in the proceedings), the authors will be asked to provide their full unblinded manuscript and publication agreement.
  2. When small revisions are required, the revised papers will need to be resubmitted by the main submission deadline in March. The changes are considered by the editors, and the papers are not usually sent out for review again. The editors decide whether the paper is accepted for publication as well as presentation at the conference.
  3. When more major revisions are required, the reviewers will provide the author/s with feedback on how to how to strengthen the paper. The paper will need to be resubmitted by the main submission deadline in March, and it will be sent out for a new double-blind review.

Authors are notified of the outcome as soon as possible (usually within a few weeks, and in time for resubmission). Letters are sent to authors to indicate (a) accepted for publication, (b) small revisions required, (c) or major rewriting required.