Kerry Smith

Thinking, Reasoning and Working Mathematically: a Teacher's Response to Curriculum Change Kerry Smith

Whilst past research has examined teachers' understanding of the key messages of curriculum reform, research about the practical implementation is limited. To shed some light on this gap, this book describes in detail one teacher's attempt to implement curriculum change. It reveals how and why certain experiences challenge, inspire or motivate the teacher's facilitation and students' uptake of learning processes comprising thinking, reasoning and working mathematically. The researched change involved the teacher's adoption of certain mathematics practices that would arguably result in more effective instructional strategies and investigative learning processes. Student questionnaires were used to determine changes to disposition and willingness to engage in mathematics learning and questionnaires were also used to explicate changes to the teacher's pedagogical beliefs or understandings as a result of implementing the curriculum change. The analysis reveals that change is worthwhile, it is complex, slow and abounds with challenges, yet can be achieved with collegial inquiry. This book would be suitable for those interested in the teaching and learning of primary school mathematics.