A teacher of mathematics knows mathematics as a teacher and as a mathematician. Whilst the existing research on teacher knowledge contributes to our understanding of the ways of knowing mathematics as a teacher, little is known about ways of knowing mathematics as a mathematician. Guided by the conceptual framework of mathematical practices (MPs)…

Whilst educational goals in recent years for mathematics education are foregrounded the development of mathematical competencies, little is known about mathematics teachers' competencies. In this study, a group of practising teachers were asked to solve an algebra problem, and their solutions were analysed to determine the competencies apparent…

This paper investigates the expectations that a group of preservice secondary mathematics teachers had for how students would approach four particular algebra problems. Their responses to a set of open-ended items were content analysed. Findings show that the teachers ranged in the expectations that they held for their students. Some teachers…

In Victoria, Australia, senior secondary mathematics students are expected to use technology and thus need to make decisions about using pen-and-paper (P&P) or technology when solving mathematics problems. The predominant technology is a Computer Algebra System (CAS). This study investigated the beliefs about CAS held by twelve Year 11…

Problem solving and reasoning are two key components of becoming numerate. Reports obtained from international assessments show that Australian students' problem solving ability is in a long-term decline. There is little evidence that teachers are embracing problem solving as part of the classroom routine. In this study, we analyse 598 Year 7 to…

Generalisation is a key feature of learning algebra, requiring all four proficiency strands of the Australian Curriculum: Mathematics (AC:M): Understanding, Fluency, Problem Solving and Reasoning. From a review of the literature, we propose a learning progression for algebraic generalisation consisting of five levels. Our learning progression is…

The purpose of this article is to describe a couple of challenging mathematical problems that involve paper folding. These problem solving tasks can be used to foster geometric and algebraic thinking among students. The context of paper folding makes some of the abstract mathematical ideas involved relatively concrete. When implemented…

Successful mathematical problem-solving relies on choices about how best to represent and solve problems. In this article, a range of methods and strategies are presented for solving a single mathematical problem, including novel methods posed by in-service teachers at one Australian university. The variety of problem-solving strategies rely on…

To succeed in mathematics middle-years' students must move from additive to multiplicative thinking and from arithmetic calculations to generalised algebraic strategies. If we ask the right questions this progression can be monitored and prompted through fraction tasks. Students' solution strategies for fraction tasks vary from a dependence on…

This paper provides a set of five indicators of CAS use, which provide a means to analyse a student's written solution to determine whether they used CAS for solving a given problem. These indicators provide a way for researchers and teachers to determine CAS use without requiring classroom observation or the explicit recording of extra…

Explaining appears to dominate primary teachers' understanding of mathematical reasoning when it is not confused with problem solving. Drawing on previous literature of mathematical reasoning, we generate a view of the critical aspects of reasoning that may assist primary teachers when designing and enacting tasks to elicit and develop…

This paper will focus on two students who depended on diagrammatic representations in both a Fraction Screening Test and in a subsequent Structured Interview. One student attempted to use diagrams, with limited success, to identify the correct relationships, and consequently struggled to generalise her strategies as she responded to the questions…

In this article the authors analyze the written solutions of some first year undergraduate mathematics students from Victorian universities as they answered tutorial exercise questions relating to complex numbers and differentiation. These students had studied at least Mathematics Methods or its equivalent at secondary school. Complex numbers was…

In this paper, we report on how Year 5 and 6 students (10 to 13 years old) solve reverse fraction problems; that is, where students are required to find the quantity of an unknown whole given a known partial quantity and its equivalent fraction of the unknown whole. To what extent do students' solutions generalise fraction structures that indicate…

Mathematical models are conceptual processes that use mathematics to describe, explain, and/or predict the behaviour of complex systems. This article is written for teachers of mathematics in the junior secondary years (including out-of-field teachers of mathematics) who may be unfamiliar with mathematical modelling, to explain the steps involved…