This paper addresses an important task teachers face in class: the identification and support of creative and high-achieving students. In particular, we examine whether primary teachers (1) have acquired professional knowledge during teacher education that is necessary to foster creativity and to teach high-achieving students, and whether they (2)…

That the quality of teachers' knowledge has direct impact on students' engagement and learning outcomes in mathematics is now well established. But questions about the nature of this knowledge and how to characterise that knowledge are important for mathematics educators. In the present study, we examine a strand of "Specialised Content…

The research indicated effective mathematics teaching to be more complex than assuming the best predictor of student achievement in mathematics is the mathematical content knowledge of a teacher. This dissertation took a novel approach to addressing the idea of what it means to examine how a teacher's knowledge of mathematics impacts student…

This mixed methods study examined the mathematical preparation of elementary teachers in a Teach for America (TFA) program, focal participants for whom there is scant extant research. Data collection occurred before and after a university mathematics methods course, with a particular focus on the participants' (n = 22) mathematical beliefs,…

We investigate whether and how personal mathematical knowledge at an advanced level impacts on teaching at a lower school level. We study this in the context of functions because understanding them permeates secondary and advanced mathematics. Textbook treatment of these can be patchy, implying a need for knowledgeable teachers to rectify…

The purpose of this case study is to reveal prospective science teachers' knowledge and achievement levels in electricity-related subjects. The data for the study were collected from 44 prospective teachers using three measurement tools. The data were then analyzed using software developed for the Probability and Possibility Calculation Statistics…

Improving the quality of training for no-fee preservice students is crucial in implementing the no-fee teacher education policy. This study used the Preservice Student Professional Growth Questionnaire to survey the level of professional knowledge of the first class (entering in 2007) of Northeast Normal University preservice students during the…

In 2005, the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA), Michigan State University, and the Australian Council for Educational Research took an important step in advancing the field of education by partnering to develop and implement the first international and comparative study of mathematics teacher education.…

The goal of the overall study was to evaluate the potential of Math Recovery (MR), a pullout, one-to-one tutoring program, to increase mathematics achievement among low-performing first graders, thereby closing the school-entry achievement gap by enabling them to achieve at the level of their higher-performing peers in the regular mathematics…

Ireland's "mathematics problem" is well-documented and extensively reported in the media and elsewhere (Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN) 2008; Task Force on the Physical Sciences 2002). Concern primarily lies with post-primary students' underperformance in mathematics coupled with a failure to make a successful transition to…

The study of preservice elementary teachers' knowledge of fractions is important because fractions are notoriously difficult to learn and teach. Unfortunately, studies of preservice teachers' fraction knowledge are limited and have focused primarily on division. The present study included all four operations to provide a more comprehensive…

There are more math classes than there are math teachers to teach them. School administrators often decide how to cover such classes by selecting a person from a pool of other teachers, counselors, and administrators. This can inhibit student progress in math because an appointed math teacher cannot do the job as well as a real math teacher.…

Explores changes in teacher knowledge through curriculum reform in the middle grades. Summarizes middle school reforms across the core subject areas, how some of the recently developed mathematics curricula have been used to improve student learning and enhance teachers' content knowledge, and analyzes responses from teacher interviews on one such…

This is a record of the proceedings of the 30th annual conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia (MERGA). The theme of the conference is "Mathematics: Essential research, essential practice." The theme draws attention to the importance of developing and maintaining links between research and practice and…