2014 Conference Proceedings

KEYNOTE ADDRESS

Custodians of Quality: Mathematics Education in Australasia Where from? Where at? Where to? – Peter Galbraith

Evolution of Singapore’s School Mathematics Curriculum – Berinderjeet Kaur

Mathematics Education Development Research in Teaching- Learning in Practice – Barbara Jaworski  

 

SYMPOSIA

A Framework for Teachers’ Knowledge of Mathematical Reasoning – Sandra Herbert

A Primary Teacher’s Developing Understanding of Mathematical Reasoning – Esther Yook-Kin Loong

Design-based Research for Professional Learning for Cultural Mathematics – Geori Kravia & Kay Owens

Developing Noticing of Reasoning through Demonstration Lessons – Leicha A. Bragg & Colleen Vale

Elementary Teachers in Papua New Guinea’s Professional Learning for Cultural Mathematics – Kay Owens, Vagi Bino, Geori Kravia, Cris Edmonds-Wathen, Priscilla Sakopa, Kila Tau, & Martha Kull

Evaluating the Professional Learning for Cultural Mathematics in Papua New Guinea’s Elementary Schools – Vagi Bino, Priscilla Sakopa, Kila Tau, & Martha Kull

Foundation Content Knowledge: Pre-service Teachers as Half-empty or Becoming Fluent? – Megan Anakin & Chris Linsell

Foundation Content Knowledge: Pre-service Teachers’ Attainment and Affect – Naomi Ingram & Chris Linsell

Foundation Content Knowledge: Providing support for pre-service teachers – Chris Linsell & Naomi Ingram

Personal Number Sense and New Zealand Pre-Service Teachers – Karen Major & Pamela Perger

Pre-service Teachers Mathematics Content Knowledge – Chris Linsell, Megan Anakin, Naomi Ingram, Karen Major, & Pamela Perger

Professional Learning for Cultural Mathematics in Papua New Guinea’s Elementary Schools – Kay Owens, Geori Kravia, Cris Edmonds-Wathen, & Priscilla Sakopa

Students’ Mathematical Reasoning and Teachers’ Developing Understanding of Mathematical Reasoning – Colleen Vale, Leicha Bragg, Sandra Herbert, Esther Loong, & Wanty Widjaja

Technology-Enhancement for Papua New Guinean Professional Learning – Vagi Bino & Cris Edmonds-Wathen

Year 3/4 Children’s Forms of Justification – Wanty Widjaja

 

RESEARCH PAPERS

Item Context Factors Affecting Students’ Performance on Mathematics Items – Felipe Almuna Salgado & Kaye Stacey

From Arithmetic to Algebra: Sequences and Patterns as an Introductory Lesson in Seventh Grade Mathematics – Diana Grace Aniban, Von Christopher Chua, Jellen Garcia, & Levi Esteban Elipane

Early Career Teachers, Mathematics and Technology: Device Conflict and Emerging Mathematical Knowledge – Catherine Attard & Joanne Orlando

Linking GeoGebra to Explorations of Linear Relationships – Belinda Aventi, Penelope Serow, & Steve Tobias

Undergraduate Mathematics Students’ Pronumeral Misconceptions – Caroline Bardini, Jill Vincent, Robyn Pierce, & Deborah King

Teacher Identity and Numeracy: Evaluating a Conceptual Framework for Identity as a Teacher of Numeracy – Anne Bennison

Towards a Fresh Understanding of the Relationship Between Teacher Beliefs about Mathematics and their Classroom Practices – Kathy Brady

Affordances: Ten Years On – Jill P. Brown & Gloria Stillman

Gender, Parental Beliefs and Children’s Mathematics Performance: Insights from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children – Colin Carmichael

Primary Students’ Perceptions of their Mathematics Learning – Jill Cheeseman & Angela Mornane

Exploring Group Dynamics of Primary 6 Students Engaged in Mathematical Modelling Activities – Chan Chun Ming Eric

Noticing Critical Incidents in a Mathematics Classroom – Ban Heng Choy

Preliminary Investigations of Pre-service Teacher Numeracy – Audrey Cooke

The Value of Emoticons in Investigating Student Emotions Related to Mathematics Task Negotiation – Fabio D’Agostin

Undergraduate Mathematics Study Groups: What Mathematical Talk Actually Takes Place? – James Dalitz

Asking Questions and Performing Mathematics Identity – Lisa Darragh

The Mathematical Self-belief of Year 7 Students – Nicole Dimarakis, Janette Bobis, Jenni Way, & Judy Anderson

How Students Explain and Teachers Respond – Ove Gunnar Drageset

Why Lesson Study Works in Japan: A Cultural Perspective – Marlon Ebaeguin & Max Stephens

Indigenous Languages and Mathematics in Elementary Schools – Cris Edmonds-Wathen, Priscilla Sakopa, Kay Owens, & Vagi Bino

Development of Fourth-grade Students’ Understanding of Experimental and Theoretical Probability – Lyn English & Jane Watson

A Working Understanding of Numeracy in the Secondary Setting – Elizabeth Ferme

An Investigation of Students’ Errors in Logarithms – Raman Ganesan & Jaguthsing Dindyal

Devising Principles of Design for Numeracy Tasks – Vince Geiger, Merrilyn Goos, Helen Forgasz, & Anne Bennison

Race in the Outback: Investigating Technology Designed to Support Number Development in a Preschool Serving an Under-Resourced Community – Kristy Goodwin & Peter Gould

The Association between Students’ Number Knowledge and Social Disadvantage at School Entry – Peter Gould

Different Versions of the Same Lesson Plan: Implications on the Lesson Design – Jane Greenlees, Sitti Maesuri Patahuddin, & Tom Lowrie

Mathematics Teaching as Praxis – Peter Grootenboer & Christine Edwards-Groves

Developing a ‘Conjecturing Atmosphere’ in the Classroom through Task Design and Enactment – Jodie Hunter

Big Challenges and Big Opportunities: The Power of ‘Big Ideas’ to Change Curriculum and the Culture of Teacher Planning – Chris Hurst

Do Teachers Make Decisions Like Firefighters? Applying Naturalistic Decision-Making Methods to Teachers’ In-Class Decision Making In Mathematics – Dan Jazby

Social Theories of Learning: A Need for a New Paradigm in Mathematics Education – Robyn Jorgensen

Using Coaching to Improve the Teaching of Problem Solving to Year 8 Students in Mathematics – Christine Anestis Kargas & Max Stephens

Comparison of a Targeted Intervention Program Delivered Face-to-Face and by Personal Videoconferencing for Primary and Middle School Students with Mathematical Learning Difficulties – Eugenie Kestel

Probabilistic Reasoning and Prediction with Young Children – Virginia Kinnear & Julie Clark

Will this Net Work?: Development of a Diagnostic Interview – Rose Knight & Vince Wright

The Effect of Professional Learning on Early Algebra Teachers’ Content Knowledge in Nigeria – Omolola Ladele, Christine Ormond, & Mark Hackling

Leading a New Pedagogical Approach to Australian Curriculum Mathematics: Using the Dual Mathematical Modelling Cycle Framework – Janeen Lamb, Takashi Kawakami, Akihiko Saeki, & Akio Matsuzaki

Pre-Service Teachers’ Use of Library Databases: Some Insights – Janeen Lamb, Sarah Howard, & Michael Easey

Using Video Diaries to Record Student Attitudes and Emotions towards Mathematics in Year Three and Year Six Students – Kevin Larkin & Robyn Jorgensen

Teachers Repositioning Culturally Diverse Students as Doers and Thinkers of Mathematics – Generosa Leach, Roberta Hunter, & Jodie Hunter

Learning from Assessment: NAPLAN and Indigenous Students – Gilah Leder & Helen Forgasz

Who is Really Interested in Mathematics? An Investigation of Lower Secondary Students’ Mathematical Role Models – Kester Lee & Judy Anderson

Learning Stories: Making Mathematics Learning Visible – Rachel Lim, Glenda Anthony, & Claire McLachlan

Opportunities to Promote Mathematical Content Knowledge for Primary Teaching – Sharyn Livy & Sandra Herbert

The Impact of an Intervention Program on Student Approaches to Learning: A Case Study – Bernadette Long

Do Students Solve Graphic Tasks with Spatial Demands Differently in Digital Form? – Tom Lowrie, Ajay Ramful,Tracy Logan, & Siew Yin Ho

“I don’t really understand probability at all”: Final Year Pre-service Teachers’ Understanding of Probability – Nicole Maher & Tracey Muir

PPELEM: A “Creative” Interviewing Procedure for Gaining Insights into Teacher and Student Mathematics-related Beliefs – Andrea McDonough & Sarah Ferguson

Does Inquiry Based Learning Affect Students’ Beliefs and Attitudes Towards Mathematics? – Darren McGregor

Young Australian Indigenous Students’ Growing Pattern Generalisations: The Role of Gesture when Generalising – Jodie Miller

Research Guided Practice: Student Online Experiences during Mathematics class in the Middle School – Maria Mojica-Casey, John Dekkers, & Rose-Marie Thrupp

A Reflective Approach to NAPLAN: Exploring the Implications of Students’ Responses to an “Adding Fractions” Item – Patricia Morley

Flipping the Classroom: A Case Study of a Mathematics Methods Class – Tracey Muir & Helen Chick

Developing Young Students’ Meta-Representational Competence through Integrated Mathematics and Science Investigations – Joanne Mulligan & Lyn English

The Complexity of One-Step Equations – Bing Ngu

Defining Mathematical Giftedness – Linda Parish

Online Students’ Perceptions of Interactive Tools to Support Postgraduate Learning of Mathematics – Elena Prieto & Kathryn Holmes

Quantitative Relationships Involving Additive Differences: Numerical Resilience – Ajay Ramful & Siew Yin Ho

Mental Calculation Strategies of a Student Attending a Special School for the Intellectually Disabled – Rumi Rumiati & Robert J. Wright

Connecting Social and Mathematical Thinking: The Use of “Real Life” Contexts – Carly Sawatzki

What Australian Primary School Students Value in Mathematics Learning: A WIFI Preliminary Study – Wee Tiong Seah & Tasos Barkatsas

Newcomers’ Experiences of MERGA 36 – Yvette Semler & Michael Cavanagh

School Mathematics Leaders’ Perceptions of Successes and Challenges of their Leadership Role within a Mathematics Improvement Project – Matt Sexton & Ann Downton

Teacher Practices: How they Promote or Hinder Student Engagement in Mathematics – Karen Skilling

Using Percentages to Describe and Calculate Change – Beth Price, Kaye Stacey, Vicki Steinle, & Eugene Gvozdenko

Students’ Willingness to Engage with Mathematical Challenges: Implications for Classroom Pedagogies – Peter Sullivan, Doug Clarke, Jill Cheeseman, Angela Mornane, Anne Roche, Carly Sawatzki, & Nadia Walker

The Role of Challenging Mathematical Tasks in Creating Opportunities for Student Reasoning – Peter Sullivan & Aylie Davidson

The Technological Enframing of Mathematics Education – Steve Thornton

Beliefs of Teachers Who Teach Intensive One-to-one Intervention about Links to Classroom Teaching – Thi L. Tran & Robert J. Wright

Improving the Effectiveness of the Whole Class Discussion in the Summary Phase of Mathematics Lessons – Nadia Walker

Developing Students’ Functional Thinking in Algebra through Different Visualisations of a Growing Pattern’s Structure -Karina J Wilkie & Doug Clarke

“Change my Thinking Patterns towards Maths”: A Bibliotherapy Workshop for Pre-service Teachers’ Mathematics Anxiety – Sue Wilson & Monica Raven

The Effect of Language, Gender and Age in NAPLAN Numeracy Data – Tim Wilson & Tasos Barkatsas

Symmetrical Measuring: An Approach to Teaching Elementary School Mathematics Informed by Yup’ik Elders – Monica Wong, Jerry Lipka, & Dora Andrew-Ihrke

Supporting the Development of Number Fact Knowledge in Five- and Six-year-olds – Jenny Young-Loveridge & Brenda Bicknell

Fostering the Promise of High Achieving Mathematics Students through Curriculum Differentiation – Simone Zmood

Comparing the Score Distribution of a Trial Computer-Based Examination Cohort with that of the Standard Paper-Based Examination Cohort –Nathan Zoanetti, Magdalena Les, & David Leigh-Lancaster

Arithmetical Strategies of a Student with Down syndrome -Rumi Rumiati

Developing Pre-Service Teacher Capacity to Make Appropriate Choices of Tasks and Resources through Diagnostic Assessment of Children’s Work – Chris Hurst

 

SHORT COMMUNICATIONS

Collegial Peer Observation as a Means of Influencing Change in University Mathematics Teaching – Merrilyn Goos & Paul Hernandez-Martinez

Conceptual Development in Mathematics: Longitudinal Connections from Network Analysis of Multiple Choice Assessments – Geoff Woolcott, Daniel Chamberlain, & Rassoul Sadeghi

Cultural Identities and Mathematics Learning – Angel Mok

Designing Professional Development: Beyond General Principles – Seyum Getenet, Rosemary Callingham, & Kim Beswick

Developing Critical Reflection for Primary School Mathematics Teachers through Laboratory Class Cycle – Lu Pien Cheng

Development of a Set of Mathematical Modelling Rubrics – Siew Yee Lim & Hui Yi Ting

Dyscalculia, from a Teacher’s Perspective – Ann Williams

Early Childhood Educators as Teachers of Mathematics – Susan McDonald & Louise Thomas

Enhancing Mathematics and Science Teacher Education in Regional Australia: Modules for Primary Mathematics Pre-service teachers – Geoff Woolcott, Adam Harris, Jackie Reid, & Robert Whannell

Evidence of Evolutionary Changes in the Nature of Interactions in Fully Asynchronous Online Mathematics Courses – Sven Trenholm

Exploring Mathematics Engagement in the Middle Years of School – Janette Bobis, Jenni Way, & Maryam Khosronejad

Investigating the Representations of Students’ Problem Solving Strategies – Nor Azura Hj Abdullah, Masitah Shahrill, & Maureen Siew Fang Chong

Learning in Undergraduate Mathematics: The Trial of a Delivery Innovation – Bill Barton

Like Topsy, “it just growed”? Or did it? The Ongoing Development of a Strategy Teaching Model – Gregor Lomas

Mathematics and English Teachers’ Views and Expectations of iPads: A Pilot Study – Janelle Hill

Mentoring to Alleviate Anxiety in Pre-Service Primary Mathematics Teachers: Working at the Coal-face without having to Look over your Shoulder – Timothy Perkins

Middle Years Students Using Mathematics to Communicate a Local Issue – Margaret Marshman

Modelled Lessons Raise More Questions than Answers – Louise Hodgson

Multiple Multiplication Methods – Jyoti Jhagroo

Responses to “the Scary Question”: How Teaching Challenges Impact the Use of Knowledge and its Development – Kim Beswick & Helen Chick

Scaffolding Formative Assessment Approach – Visualize Learning – Annika Grotherus

Self-efficacy and Attitude toward Mathematics: A Multigroup Invariance Analysis and Gender Difference – Elizar & I Gusti Ngurah Darmawan

SPOT Diagrams of a Partially Correct Construct – Caroline Yoon

Teachers’ Beliefs and Practice in Teaching Early Algebra – Christina Lee, Omolola Ladele, & Christine Ormond

The Contribution of a Poetics of Mathematics Classroom Interaction to Curriculum Design – John Kusznirczuk

The Development in Integrating Mathematical Modelling into the Curriculum: Results of a Pilot Study – Maureen Siew Fang Chong & Masitah Shahrill

The Flipped Classroom Model: A Literature Review – Duncan Symons & Cath Pearn

The Meaning Making of Meaning Makers “Experienced Mathematics Teachers” Interpretations of their Own Professional Practice – Malin Lindwall Ehrnlund

The Performance Characteristics of Early Education Children in Mainstream Classrooms with Respect to Critical Mathematical Thinking – Chrissy Monteleone, Roger Vallance, & Paul White

Towards an Investigation of the Pedagogical Content Knowledge of University Mathematics Teachers – Greg Oates, John Hannah, David Holgate, & Kevin McLeod

TPACK as an Analytical Tool to Understand Mathematics Teaching with Technology – Sitti Maesuri Patahuddin & Barney Dalgarno

Understanding Media in Mathematics Education: Media and Extensions of the Students – Hiro Ozasa, Takeshi Okawa, & Akio Matsuzaki

Using iPads for Assessment in the Mathematics Classroom – Naomi Ingram & Sandra Williamson-Leadley

Using Metaphors to Investigate Pre-service Primary Teachers’ Attitudes to Mathematics – Kathy Brady & Tiffany Winn

Using Picture Books to Implement the Mathematics Curriculum: The Missed Opportunities – Jennie Marston

What does Ability Mean in Mathematics Learning? – Rose Golds

Why Knowledge of Fractions is Important for Algebraic Readiness in the Middle Years of Schooling – Catherine Pearn

 

POSTERS

Assessment Literacy among Primary School Mathematics Teachers – Hazel Tan, Ng Kit Ee Dawn, & Cheng Lu Pien

Mathematics Learning and Exceptionality through a Complexity Lens – Rumi Rumiati & Geoff Woolcott

The Ebb and Flow of Themes in 37 years of Mathematics Education Research by MERGA – Harry Kanasa

Using the Interconnected Model of Professional Growth as a Dynamic Tool for School Improvement – Malin Lindwall Ehrnlund

 

ROUND TABLES

Co-constructing Mathematical Inquiry Communities through Professional Development with Teachers – Roberta Hunter, Jodie Hunter, Zain Thompson, & Trevor Bills

Enhancing Productive Mathematical Noticing During Lesson Planning with Lesson Play – Halilah Bte Salim Alkhatib, Chen Ailing, Winnie Koh Mei Ling, Kang Hway Choon, & Choy Ban Heng

Exploring Mindfulness within Mathematics Learning Environments – Joanna Higgins & Raewyn Eden

Factors Influencing Student Decision on Senior Secondary School Subjects – Michael Jennings & Peter Adams

Inspiring Mathematics and Science in Australian Teacher Education – Merrilyn Goos, Judy Anderson, Kim Beswick, Judy-Anne Osborn, Caz Sandison, James Dalitz, Kathryn Holmes, & Elena Prieto-Rodriguez

Mathematics Support Teacher (MST): How Do We Help Students Maintain Mathematical Gains? – Fiona McDiarmid

Numeracy … Scientificity: Identifying, Linking and Using the ‘Big Ideas’ of Mathematics and Science for More Effective Teaching – Chris Hurst

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.