The term numeracy is used widely in schools today and brings with it the expectation that students will be taught both how to do the mathematics, alongside an understanding of the concepts associated with the procedural application. One issue, which has arisen with the terminology ‘numeracy classroom’, is how to best support teachers to enhance their teaching of mathematics to allow this understanding to occur. This article stems from a larger research study that analysed the professional knowledge of teachers when teaching numeracy, and the impact their mathematics knowledge and procedural application had on children’s learning. This article presents observations of three teachers teaching a multiplication lesson (the first in a series of lessons over a six-week period) as they developed their students’ understanding of the mathematical concepts associated with the interpretation of the multiplication symbol. An analysis of the findings shows when the teachers used manipulatives, related word problems to the children’s lives, and promoted discussion in groups, a greater understanding of multiplication was apparent.  

No abstract

Nil

New Zealand primary school teachers are expected to regularly reflect on their teaching practice in order to consider the implications of past teaching on future planning. Aligned to teachers’ ongoing reflection, the New Zealand Curriculum (Ministry of Education, 2007) contains a section on effective pedagogy—teacher actions promoting student learning, which includes a Teaching as Inquiry Cycle (pp. 34–35). Embedded within their inquiry, teachers consider the teaching-learning relationship and often turn to frameworks of knowledge for guidance. This article shares the implications of using a framework of teacher knowledge in research. While the framework used contained much detail for the researcher, it overlapped categories and at the same time lacked acknowledgement of some important concepts for teachers in classroom practice. Findings from using a framework in this research were combined with findings from previous research to formulate the Wheel of Professional Knowledge, which was developed for mathematics teachers to use when reflecting on their practice.

We conclude this issue with some advice for teachers as researchers from members of the Division of Education staff at the University of Waikato along with some recommendations for helpful reference books. The emphasis of this article, in the words of four of the staff, is one of the support available to assist education researchers. Educational research is not conducted in solitary but by researchers within a variety of relational contexts. Therefore, University teachers and class peers, supervisors, members of collaborative research teams and journal editors can all provide support in a teacher- researcher’s research journey.