MAE3270 Module 1 Lecture: Professional STEM Educator & Mathematical Mindset

Chapter 1: Introduction

• Evidence-based teaching

  • Teachers are required to gather evidence to document the effectiveness of their teaching

  • Pressure on teachers due to NAPLAN testing, lack of access to quality professional learning, and poor knowledge/understanding/availability of assessment types

  • Encouragement to collect data and evidence during pracs to meet requirements

• AITSL standards

  • 7 standards within 3 domains: professional knowledge, professional practice, professional engagement

• STEM education

  • Stands for science, technology, engineering, and maths

  • Integration of these subjects is important for future productivity

  • Australia needs to produce citizens competent in STEM skills for global competitiveness

  • Australia's ranking in maths is 24th out of 58 countries

Chapter 2: Having Maths Anxiety

• Stagnant academic achievement in maths compared to other countries

• TIMSS (Trends in International Maths and Science Study)

  • Conducted every 4 years with a sample of students in year 4 and year 8

  • Compares performance of students in approximately 60 countries

• PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment)

  • Conducted every 3 years with 15-year-old students

  • Compares performance of students in approximately 72 countries

• Negative perceptions of maths

  • Many students come out of formal schooling with maths anxiety

  • Importance of developing students' interest in STEM

  • Importance of engaging learning experiences to foster enjoyment and engagement with maths

• Student perceptions of maths

  • Shaped by personal experiences, relevance, bad experiences, parent attitudes, and peer pressure

• Contributing factors to negative perceptions of maths

Chapter 3: Allow Any Students

• Bad or poor teaching can lead to negative perceptions of math

  • Being put on the spot with questioning

  • Competitive lessons or activities

  • Unclear explanations

  • Boring exercises from a textbook

  • Depth by worksheet

• Importance of providing students with think time

  • Some students take time to process the question

  • Allow at least a minute before students can answer

• Recognition of the importance of hands-on activities

  • Primary teachers are getting better at this

  • Using materials to develop understanding before moving to the abstract

• Relevance of lessons to the real world

  • Helps students see the application of math outside the classroom

Chapter 4: Changing Students Mindset

• Effective STEM educators need to know more than just math

  • Integration across the curriculum is important

  • Adherence to AITSL standards

  • Efficient integration of digital technologies

• Incorporating proficiency strands

  • Understanding, fluency, reasoning, and problem solving

• Designing lessons to reveal student knowledge and misunderstandings

• Creating challenging and supportive class environments

• Developing the 4 C's: communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking

• Encouraging a growth mindset in students

• Teacher effectiveness is a significant factor in student learning

  • Belief that learning math can be enjoyable

  • Confidence in teaching math effectively

  • Pride and pleasure in student achievements

  • High but realistic expectations for all students

  • Promotion and value of effort and persistence

Chapter 5: Conclusion

• Students respond to effective teachers by:

  • Realizing that effort and persistence pay off

  • Show pride and pleasure in their own achievement

  • Building confidence as they experience success

  • Having high but realistic expectations of themselves

• Attribution theory:

  • Students lacking confidence in math attribute success to luck or having a good teacher (external locus of control)

  • Confident students attribute success to their own ability or intelligence (internal locus of control)

• Students lacking confidence can develop math anxiety due to:

  • Having a number of bad experiences

  • Rarely experiencing success

  • Poor fundamental skills

• Factors that make students feel unsafe in their learning environment:

  • Being ridiculed in the past

  • Being put on the spot with asking questions

  • Disliking the competitive nature of lessons

• Students lacking confidence avoid taking risks and need to be convinced that they can succeed

• Developing a positive growth mindset is important:

  • Students who believe they can get smarter put in extra time and effort, leading to higher achievement

  • Encouraging good strategies and practices, such as asking questions and learning from mistakes

  • Praising hard work and effort cultivates a positive growth mindset

• Increased teacher accountability:

  • Aspiring teachers should reflect on their own beliefs about effective math teaching and learning

  • Consider what worked and what did not work for them

  • Focus on helping students learn, not just disseminating information

  • Enable students to learn by doing, not just working from a textbook or worksheet