Can improved mathematics outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students really make a difference to employment

opportunities, life outcomes, community economies and enterprise?

As a principal of an urban primary school in SA once said to me,

‘If we can get our students to be literate by the time they leave us in Year 7, we know they’ll get a job when they leave school. If we can get them to be numerate, we know they will

be able to get any job’.

So many projects, so many attempts, so many people trying to make a difference.

So why are we not getting anywhere?

Why do the NAPLAN results year in and year out keep telling us that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students are about two years behind their non-Indigenous counterparts from as early as

Year 3?

1

Numeracy, mathematics & Indigenous Learners: What are the Cluster Findings from the Make It Count project and what do

they mean for teaching and learning

Caty is Senior Project Officer Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education for ACARA. She is also Executive Officer of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mathematics Alliance.

Previously she was Manager Primary Mathematics and Science in DECD SA and between 2009-2013 National Manager Indigenous Programs for the Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers. In this latter capacity, Caty managed the Make it count: Numeracy, mathematics and Indigenous learners project which forms the basis of this paper.

University of South AustraliaAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mathematics Alliance

20 Madeline RoadStirling SA 5152catymorris@icloud.com

2

Numeracy, mathematics & Indigenous Learners: What are the Cluster Findings from the Make It Count project and what do they mean for teaching and learning

The ‘pedagogic dance’ between teacher and student is core to improving maths outcomes of Aboriginal students. In the AAMT Make it count project, teachers’ stories about their ‘dance’ provided rich data for the project’s Cluster Findings. These findings were organised to reflect the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers in relation to professional knowledge, practice and engagement required for improving maths outcomes for Indigenous students. This paper introduces these important Cluster Findings and my thinking about Responsive Mathematics Pedagogy that in academically, socially and culturally responsive to Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander students and their learning needs.

This commentary is based on my work in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education and mathematics education across many years and particularly more recently through managing the Make it count project from 2009-2014. My doctoral study with the University of South Australia was a huge advantage for this project and helped significantly to shape the thinking behind it. More importantly, my relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and academics informed the project and continue to inspire me on many levels. This commentary also draws on my work with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mathematics Alliance.

Make it count: Numeracy, mathematics and Indigenous learners was a project to improve student learning outcomes across Australia through whole-school, sustainable, evidence based practice. It was part of the Australian Government’s ‘Closing the gap’ initiative (2009-2012). Eight clusters of schools sought to find something new or innovative, or adapt something old, that would make a difference.

There were eight clusters of schools spread across urban and regional Australia. Each cluster established a professional learning community (PLC) and developed their pedagogy while engaging in ongoing professional learning. This learning was mostly a combination of the development of cultural competency in teachers working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, and deepening their knowledge of mathematics content and pedagogy. In mathematics, professional learning occurred at a number of levels from classroom activities or ideas, to courses or programs that would be implemented across the school, to learning that was about deep, pedagogic change. Diagram 1 below illustrates these layers. Generally, Make it count teachers were working across all three layers knowing that Layers 1 and 2 were helping them to ‘crack’ open Layer 3 where significant change would occur.

Diagram 1: Layers of professional learningLayer 1: professional learning that looks for ideas to teach the next dayLayer 2: professional learning programs that offer packages or Layer 3: professional learning that is about deep pedagogic change or shift, changes a teacher’s thinking.

3

The PLCs gave educators opportunities to collaborate and generate new knowledge and language, new learning, and new thinking that led to new approaches to teaching. Teachers were committed to adapting, developing, trialing and implementing something new rather than regurgitating more of the same (Harrison, 2007) and were prepared to take risks. Vital to the function of the PLCs was the teacher-researcher partnership where each cluster was partnered with at least one academic or critical friend who, amongst others things, helped build their theory about their pedagogy.

Through the intersection of the three aspects of professional learning mentioned earlier - cultural competency, and mathematics content and pedagogic knowledge - the ongoing action research cycles within the PLCs and the generation of teacher stories, the pedagogic approaches evolved and the notion of responsive mathematics pedagogy. It was important to capture teachers’ stories about this learning and what the learning meant for them; from these and other data, the cluster findings (AAMT, 2013) were formed.

Cluster findings

The Make it count cluster findings were organised to reflect the Domains within the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers of Professional Knowledge (AITSL 2012), Professional Practice and Professional Engagement as they provided a universal language for teachers throughout Australia. Within these three Domains are seven Standards. These Standards were adapted to relate specifically to Aboriginal students and mathematics education:

Domain Professional StandardProfessional knowledge

1. Know Indigenous learners and know how they learn: be aware, be connected, be sensitive2. Know the mathematics content and know the different ways to teach it effectively to Indigenous learners: be a mathematician, be a learner, be coherent and creative

Professional practice

3. Plan for and implement Responsive Mathematics Pedagogy for Indigenous learners that is culturally, academically and socially inclusive: be intentional, be responsive, be effective. All students will benefit4. Create and maintain learning environments in which Indigenous learners feel safe and supported: be sensitive, be demanding, be supportive5. Develop and use tools that assess both affective and cognitive learning outcomes specific to Indigenous learners, provide feedback, and report on student learning: be constructive, be clear, be flexible

Professional engagement

6. Engage with colleagues in professional learning communities in ongoing, action oriented, professional learning and who are prepared to push the boundaries, move outside their comfort zone. Strive for collegial innovation in both Indigenous education and mathematics and numeracy education: be brave, be open, be collegial7. Engage with Indigenous parents, families and community

4

in two-way dialogue: be a listener, be a leaner, be an advocate, be a share of knowledge.

Each of the seven Standards listed above have a number of findings. All of these findings are linked to the inspiring stories and significant episodes of those involved in the project and can be found on the Make it count website: http://mic.aamt.edu.au. All Standards have play a significant role in the development of pedagogy with the Standard of professional practice mirrored in responsive mathematics pedagogy.

The pedagogic dance: Responsive mathematics pedagogy or three ways to catch a kangaroo

The following story, Three ways to catch a kangaroo, provides an excellent introduction to, and metaphor for, the responsive mathematics pedagogy model illustrated in diagram 2 below and the different ways of teaching mathematics; just like the different ways to catch a kangaroo. The story highlights the need to be competent in a number of ways so that at any time, given the circumstances and context, an appropriate strategy can be called upon, or perhaps even a blending or combination of strategies.

Three ways to catch a kangaroo

The first way is to use a boomerang and throw it at the kangaroo. The boomerang hits the kangaroo in the head and knocks it out and there you have it. (Consider the mathematics in this strategy - the physics in relation to velocity, wind, distance, strength and accuracy of the thrower for example). The second way is when a group of people circle the kangaroo and close in on it and captures it as it has nowhere to escape.The third way is to dress up like a kangaroo. You cloak yourself in a kangaroo skin so that the kangaroo thinks you’re one of them, and you sneak up on it and pounce.1

During the Make it count project, the diverse ways of teaching mathematics under development became a contentious issue for clusters. The debate however led them to look more closely at what they were doing and what other clusters were doing. They soon began to see likenesses, connections and possibilities for their own pedagogy and incorporated aspects of other pedagogic practices into their own. From this, my conclusion was that teachers need to be able to teach all three approaches. I developed a model to describe this, naming it Responsive Mathematics Pedagogy as illustrated in Diagram 2. ‘Not one of these is enough in its own right. The three elements interact in a dynamic and generative way.’ (Morris et al, 2012).

1 This story is told with the kind permission of the conveyor of the story and comes from Eora Country in NSW. It is highly likely that the story has many variations in other areas across the country.

5

Diagram 2: Responsive mathematics pedagogy is culturally, socially and academically responsive to the learning needs of Aboriginal students.

Being culturally responsive includes teaching mathematics through culture, Aboriginal ways of learning, Aboriginal pedagogy, and teaching to the cultural needs and knowledges of learners. The ‘8ways’ or 8 Aboriginal ways of learning from Orange Public School is an example of this in action. This Aboriginal pedagogy framework is described by one of its creators, Dr Tyson Yunkaporta2 (2012):

This Aboriginal pedagogy framework is expressed as eight interconnected pedagogies involving narrative-driven learning, visualised learning processes, hands-on/reflective techniques, use of symbols/ metaphors, land-based learning, indirect/synergistic logic, modelled scaffolded genre mastery, and connectedness to community. But these can change in different settings.

In the Make it count Orange cluster, Orange Public School adapted this 8ways framework to develop their own ‘unique’ pedagogy using the eight ways as a starting point for dialogue with school and community to localise their ways of doing things.

Being socially responsive is teaching mathematics through social contexts and is about social inclusion and perspectives within the teaching learning cycle. Making links to potential employment contexts in business and industry can be a part of this. Students see that learning relates to their social worlds but can also lead to important career, lifestyle and community advantage later on in life. An example of this is from the Alberton cluster where the teaching of mathematics was through the deliberate acts of ‘mathematisation and contextualisation’ (Thornton, Statton & Mountzouris, 2012). Social contexts such as a very popular cooking show on television or the learning of mathematics through visual arts (eg drawing, sculpting) were used.

Being academically responsive is about the academic mathematics, the Western mathematics prescribed and required by the Australian curriculum. It is about academic inclusion and teaching to the academic needs of Aboriginal learners. For example, teachers can identity what might be invisible in the Western (Australian Curriculum) mathematics classroom to Aboriginal students. As well as the mathematical concepts, teachers know and understand deeply the cultural tools and language in Western mathematics

2 Tyson Kaawoppa Yunkaporta is a Bama man of Nungar and Koori descent (Aboriginal

Australia).

6

curriculum that might be invisible to Aboriginal students and explicitly teach them, and scaffold the teaching, to make them visible to students.

So, what are some of the things I’ve learned about improving mathematics learning outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students

The cluster findings outline many possibilities to inform schools about ways forward to improving mathematics outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. Since the Make it count project and through my work with Dr Chris Matthews and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mathematics Alliance, there are other important approaches to consider which include:

1. Leadership: this requires leaders who can work successfully at the intersection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education and mathematics education and who have high expectations of themselves, their teachers, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

2. A pedagogy of relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and the school is crucial. Amongst many things, these inform and influence what happens in the classroom and the ‘pedagogic dance’ mentioned earlier.

3. Teachers’ perceptions of mathematics impact on what mathematics they teach and how they teach it

4. Teachers need to have a repertoire of teaching practices as described in the responsive mathematics pedagogy model that they can call on at any moment in the classroom. Learning must link to past, present, and future so students are able to see themselves in the learning, and where it can take them

5. Teachers require ongoing professional learning to deepen mathematics content and pedagogic knowledge and to develop their cultural responsiveness in working with Aboriginal students and their families: Professional learning communities are essential for developing

pedagogy and should, when possible, include a critical friend for teacher-researcher collaboration. Making connections between theory and practice are essential to developing robust pedagogy.

Teacher voice for teachers working with Aboriginal students is essential to improving teaching and learning outcomes. Teachers need safe and supportive places to talk, be challenged and feel uncomfortable, and think deeply about their teaching. PLCs such as those described in this paper can offer the right contexts and conditions for this to happen.

6. Significant episodes for teachers are an important form of research and offer a context for teacher voice. Teacher stories and ethnography can be a powerful vehicle for developing pedagogy.

A ‘new space’

For these six ‘things’ to be collectively achieved, an ‘eco-system’ of relationships (ATSIMA, 2014) is paramount. This ecosystem is the foundation

7

of the pipeline of success for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students – from home to school, from school to further education, and from further education to career opportunities. This means that schools need to form relationships not only with Community but also with business and industry. In 2014, Matthews and Morris wrote that:

There is a strong, tangible desire by communities, educators and employers to make a difference...From community we hear, ‘Aboriginal people have lost so much. It’s time we moved to a new covenant’ (Yunupingu in the 2-3 August Weekend Australian 2014: 17). From educators we know that ‘Many Indigenous students are not reaching their potential in mathematics at schools and subsequently in life beyond school. This must be changed’ (AAMT 2013). From business we hear that ‘Seismic, not incremental, change is required and the time for action is now. These solutions are not expensive and parity is completely achievable with the strength of will from each of us (Forrest 2014: 1).

The timing is ripe to explore the nexus of school, home, Community, and business (Diagram 3) in the context of Indigenous achievement and to investigate what the possibilities might be for the relationships between them. A partnership of these three will create new thinking, new language, new approaches, and will push for social and cultural justice so mathematics can be used for “the purposes of empowerment at both the individual and community levels”.

References

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mathematics Alliance 2015. Creating connection and growing understanding conference summary and report. http://api.ning.com/files/Kxa-PchAiXUV85eUWHVdGL8T2kvc1DtlotwjLPqYnAm2ZbSrell7waOya9rbD5*6*emzwc4Iw7cjcaMz6IfwdpMRAeO0YYfp/Conference_summary_report.pdf (accessed online 7 July 2015)

Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers Inc. Make it count online resource. http://mic.aamt.edu.au (accessed 10 January 2015)

Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership website.

Diagram 3: A ‘new space’ that brings together Community, education and business/industry sectors to improve mathematics learning outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students

Community

Business/Industry

Education

8

http://teacherstandards.aitsl.edu.au (accessed 5 March 2015) Matthews, C. and Morris, C. 2014. Submission to the Forrest Review.

http://indigenousjobsandtrainingreview.dpmc.gov.au/get-involved/public-submissions-2014 (accessed 7 July 2015)

Morris, C., Thornton, S., Statton, J. and Toberty, K. 2012. Numeracy, mathematics and Indigenous learners: Developing responsive mathematics pedagogy. http://www.mes7.uct.ac.za/Morris%20et%20al_Paper.pdf (accessed 4 June 2015)

Thornton, S., Statton, J., and Mountzouris, S. 2012. ‘Developing mathematical resilience among Aboriginal students’, in J Dindyal, L P Cheng & S F Ng (eds), Mathematics Education: Expanding Horizons, Proceedings of the 35th Annual Conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia Inc, 2: 730-737.

Yunkaporta, T. 8 Aboriginal ways of learning. http://8ways.wikispaces.com (accessed 15 August 2012)

9