Mathematics teaching matters: making complex mathematical ideas accessible to primary level children

Abstract

Reform of mathematics curricula has led to the expansion of topics such as algebra, data and probability being taught to primary level children. This new subject matter can be challenging for primary teachers to teach as some teachers have not previously engaged with these topics as students themselves and also some of these areas have traditionally been considered secondary school topics. Furthermore, while there is a wealth of concrete manipulatives available to teach topics such as number and shape and space there is less so for these ‘newer’ areas of mathematics curricula. This paper reports on the combined efforts of teacher educators, teachers, and pre-service teachers to conceptually engage primary children with algebraic concepts, function and variable, through the use of appropriate models. Lesson Study was the primary method used to support a focus on examining teaching and the effectiveness of models through the design and implementation of ‘study lessons’. Insights into children’s learning of algebraic concepts are presented in addition to an examination of how good teaching using manipulatives can lead to powerful mathematical reasoning by young children. Video evidence of the findings will be presented and discussed.