The development of young children's mathematical understanding

Early childhood mathematics education research is burgeoning in Australasia. This chapter highlights and critiques key research in the area that has been published between 2004 and 2007. In particular, it considers specific mathematical topics such as number and numeracy, space and measurement, and structure and patterning; contextual matters such as links among home, school, pri or·to·sch 001 settings and community, indigenous learners and mathematics learning as children start school; assessment of mathematics learning in early childhood settings and the professional development of early childhood teachers of mathematics. It concludes with some suggestions for fruitful areas of future research.

Changing teacher professional learning : transitioning from train - the trainer to participatory action research

Diffusion-adoption professional learning models which position teachers ascompliant technicians of policy and practices are limited in their long term effects on teacher professionalism. In contrast, co-researching models of professional learning hold the potential to engage teachers and researchers in explorations of mutual concern which impact on professionalism and contribute to development of both theory and practice.

This article describes professional learning within the context of an Australian state department of education during a period of reform. The contextual influences and design of a collaborative, film-driven participatory action research design which explored teacher learning and application of multiliteracies theory are explored. A spiral of cycles of action research incorporated engagentent with multiliteracies theory and collaborative planning; filming of teacher classroom 'action' and reflective interviews; collaborative observation of and reflection on the resultant filmic artefacts.

The filmic artefacts offered rich multimodal examples of teaching practices,
incorporatíng visual, audio, gestural and spatial classroom information, far beyond the purely linguistic recounts and descriptions which characterise many professional development workshops. Incorporation of collaborative filmic research techniques enabled multimodal observation of teaching practices across a number of sites, with observation unrestricted by temporal or physical parameters.

Filming for professional learning : collaborations in innovation

It is not unusual for academics to bemoan the reticence of teachers in adopting innovative tools and pedagogies, never more so than in the area of new technologies and multimodal literacies in classrooms. Typically, educational bureaucracies seek to dictate change in new technologies through a diffusion-adoption model of professional learning where ‘inservicing’ or ‘professional development’ of teachers is used to influence them to implement curriculum innovations. Typically a set of resources are developed for this purpose and teachers engage with workshop leaders as passive recipients of knowledge rather than active knowledge constructors. This paper explores an alternative form of engagement in which teachers are co-opted as collaborators and documenters of educational change. Its innovation is to use filming of teacher interviews and classroom practice – in this case to extend the teachers’ repertories.

This article will discuss the film-infused model of professional learning which was developed within the context of a research project on literacy teachers’ engagement with multimodality, but has potential for wider application. The research context will be outlined and four elements of a film-infused professional learning model will be discussed in detail. The effects of this model on the resource development and professional learning will then be addressed.

Teacher's professional knowledge and the teaching of reading in the early years

What are the sources of teachers’ professional knowledge for the teaching of reading? This paper reports findings from a study that investigated the role of teachers in the current Research-Policy-Praxis Nexus (RPPN). This was achieved by a specific focus upon constructions of reading in the early years in Victoria, Australia. All of the teacher participants either implemented or coordinated the Victorian Early Years Literacy Program (EYLP) in the primary school setting. These teachers were interviewed in order to hear their views on reading development and reading pedagogy and to identify the sources of this professional knowledge. The findings from this study are important for all teachers and teacher educators as they have implications for teaching practise, teacher education and teacher professional development programs.

Professional learning through narratives of practice

Narratives of practice are a primary means by which educators understand their work, shaping the identities and practices of those who engage with them. Written narratives are examined as a resource for professional learning in three contexts: a writing group for adult educators, a national professional development initiative and a teacher appraisal program.

I haven't changed bigots but … : reflections on the impact of teacher professional learning in sexuality education

This paper reports on aspects of an Australian study into the factors and conditions that make it possible for secondary school health education teachers to include and affirm gender and sexual diversity in their teaching. The study examined the impact of a two-day intervention designed to prepare teachers to use a major new government-funded teaching and learning resource called Talking Sexual Health. The study found that whilst there was a range of personal and structural barriers inhibiting change, professional development and access to teaching and learning resources could indeed impact positively on teachers' willingness and ability to include and affirm diverse sexualities in their health education programs.

Indicative markers of leadership provided by ICT professional bodies in the promotion and support of ethical conduct

Most countries with a mature Information and Communications Technology (ICT industry have at least one professional body (PB) that claims to represent its members working with such technology. Other ICT PBs operate in the international arena. These PBs may differ in membership criteria, jurisdiction and even objectives but all profess to promote high ethical and professional standards. This study seeks to determine the common indicative markers that demonstrate that an ICT PB is offering leadership in identifying, promoting and supporting ethical conduct amongst a variety of constituencies including its own members and beyond. An extensive literature review identified over 200 prospective markers covering a broad range of potential activities of an ICT PB. These were grouped into nine major areas: ethical professional practice; continuous professional development; research and publication; education of future professionals; members’ career development; social obligations; professional engagement; preserving professional dignity/ reputation and regulation of the profession. These markers were arranged hierarchically in a word processing document referred to as a “marker template”. An analysis of selected ICT PBs websites was undertaken to confirm and refine the template. It will be used in the future for a comparative study of how professional bodies offer leadership to their various constituencies in the area of ethical conduct.

Interconnecting networks of practice for professional learning

The article explores the complementary connections between communities of practice and the ways in which individuals orchestrate their engagement with others to further their professional learning. It does so by reporting on part of a research project conducted in New Zealand on teachers’ online professional learning in a university graduate diploma program on ICT education. Evolving from social constructivist pedagogy for online professional development, the research describes how teachers create their own networks of practice as they blend online and offline interactions with fellow learners and workplace colleagues. Teachers’ perspectives of their professional learning activities challenge the way universities design formal online learning communities and highlight the potential for networked learning in the zones and intersections between professional practice and study.
The article extends the concepts of Lave and Wenger’s (1991) communities of practice social theory of learning by considering the role participants play in determining their engagement and connections in and across boundaries between online learning communities and professional practice. It provides insights into the applicability of connectivist concepts for developing online pedagogies to promote socially networked

Different spaces : staff development for Web 2.0

This paper reports on a collaborative staff development activity run across two Australian universities, for academic staff integrating Web 2.0 technologies into their teaching. It describes a three-week long virtual workshop on teaching with wikis, where participants in two groups developed a group project as students and then assessed the work as teachers. Participants were guided through a central Wikis in Higher Education wiki which provided the resources and communication supports. The experience suggested that teaching in a Web 2.0 space requires new thinking about pedagogy and that peer learning and the development of an online community are helpful for effective professional development. In closing, the paper reflects on the successes and limitations of this virtual workshop model.

Public and personal domains : professional standards for teachers of English in Australia

For many teachers the term ‘professional standards’ conjures up notions of benchmarks against which to measure their performance. This is to locate standards in a public domain that is external to individual teachers, defining their professional role largely in terms of their accountability to other stakeholders in education. The following article argues an alternative view of standards as mediating between public and personal domains. Those domains should remain distinct – indeed, sometimes they may exist in a productive tension – but for standards to have any purchase with the profession they must be personally meaningful. The author draws on both his experience in teaching graduate English students in the pre-service Diploma in Education course at Monash University and his research in a national project to develop subject specific standards for primary and secondary teachers of English. The project, Standards for Teachers of English Language and Literacy in Australia (STELLA), is federally funded and involves a consortium of universities, state government bodies and the two English teaching associations, whose members constitute the panels of teachers at the heart of the project.

Why use action research for teachers’ professional learning in PNG?

This paper reports on a study of the use of action research for remote primary school teachers’  professional learning in two provinces in PNG. There is significant international literature and research available on the characteristics of professional learning models that lead to quality outcomes for teachers and students alike. Action research is one approach to professional learning that includes a number of these internationally recognised characteristics. It constitutes an inquiry-based approach that encourages teachers to reflect on their own practices, and take ownership of the solutions to problems occurring in their own contexts.

The project draws on the international literature and research on effective professional learning, as well as the particular requirements of teachers in remote areas of Papua New Guinea, to develop a model for professional learning that could be adopted as a sustainable and effective approach to improving student learning outcomes. Improving such outcomes is essential in countries such as Papua New Guinea as they strive to achieve the Millennium Development Goal of Universal Basic Education.

The paper first provides a rationale for using action research in the context of remote schools in Papua New Guinea. A critique follows of the issues associated with the methodology and how these issues were resolved throughout the action research process and, finally, the paper concludes with some suggestions on how this model can be appropriated in other countries’ contexts.

Promoting Fundamental movement skill development and physical activity in early childhood settings : a cluster randomized controlled trial

The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility, acceptability and potential efficacy of a physical activity program for preschool children. A 20-week, 2-arm parallel cluster randomized controlled pilot trial was conducted. The intervention comprised structured activities for children and professional development for staff. The control group participated in usual care activities, which included designated inside and outside playtime. Primary outcomes were movement skill development and objectively measured physical activity. At follow-up, compared with children in the control group, children in the intervention group showed greater improvements in movement skill proficiency, with this improvement statically significant for overall movement skill development (adjust diff. = 2.08, 95% CI 0.76, 3.40; Cohen’s d = 0.47) and significantly greater increases in objectively measured physical activity (counts per minute) during the preschool day (adjust diff. = 110.5, 95% CI 33.6, 187.3; Cohen’s d = 0.46). This study demonstrates that a physical activity program implemented by staff within a preschool setting is feasible, acceptable and potentially efficacious.

Early childhood educators : some identified issues in professional learning in science

In a small research project, four case studies were developed around the science education of pre-school centres. Mixed quantitative and qualitative approaches were used as the pre-school teachers were asked information about their qualifications and those of other staff; science experiences within their Early Childhood (EC) setting and the opportunities they had for science education professional development. As part of the research, educators were questioned about the science they provided and their comfort in teaching science. The interviews revealed that EC educators indicated that they provide a large number of varied experiences, although often they were unsure of the science content or the science understanding. They felt that this limited their abilities to develop the science activities further. Early Childhood Educators also indicated that whilst there was access to some science professional development, more would be welcome. The types of professional development which they felt would be most beneficial were “hands-on” play experiences – a “quick fix” approach. This paper will discuss the findings of the research through a socio-cultural framework, noting some of the issues identified during our discussions with the educators.