Teachers as Learners: Engaging Communities of Learners in Mathematical Modelling Through Professional Development

Abstract

Mathematical modelling is a cyclic process in which a modeller evaluates a real-life scenario using mathematics. It is rarely included in the curriculum for pupils prior to secondary school in the United States and is thus unfamiliar to most elementary teachers. In this study, we begin by describing our perspectives and stance on professional development for elementary school teachers in mathematical modelling from both content and pedagogical aspects. We then describe how engaging teachers and students in mathematical modelling promoted mathematical communities of practice through classroom values of relevance, access, and engagement. Findings from a narrative analysis of field notes and transcripts from teacher study groups suggest that when teachers create modelling tasks with these values in mind, modelling provides opportunities for all students to use mathematics to solve problems that matter to them in a way that fosters and benefits community.

Pembangunan Profesionalisme Guru Matematik Sekolah Rendah: Kajian Literatur Bersistematik

“…Hanya 3 kajian empirikal yang menggunakan kaedah gabungan kuantitatif dan kualitatif yang masing-masing dari negara Amerika Syarikat, Australia dan Arab Saudi (Jadual 4). Berdasarkan dapatan yang diperoleh, beberapa kajian empirikal (Fulton et al, 2019;Miller et al, 2019;Biccard, 2019) dikelaskan kepada lebih daripada satu skop kajian mengikut tujuan kajian tersebut dijalankan. Menurut Fulton (2019), ketika guru membuat tugasan pemodelan dengan nilai-nilai di minda, pemodelan memberi peluang kepada semua pelajar menggunakan matematik untuk menyelesaikan masalah yang penting bagi mereka dengan cara memupuk dan memberi manfaat kepada masyarakat.…”

“…Berdasarkan dapatan yang diperoleh, beberapa kajian empirikal (Fulton et al, 2019;Miller et al, 2019;Biccard, 2019) dikelaskan kepada lebih daripada satu skop kajian mengikut tujuan kajian tersebut dijalankan. Menurut Fulton (2019), ketika guru membuat tugasan pemodelan dengan nilai-nilai di minda, pemodelan memberi peluang kepada semua pelajar menggunakan matematik untuk menyelesaikan masalah yang penting bagi mereka dengan cara memupuk dan memberi manfaat kepada masyarakat. Ini jelas menunjukkan bahawa selain melihat kepentingan aktiviti pemodelan matematik kepada guru dan pelajar, impak kepada masyarakat juga dinilai dari segi relevan dan mudah diakses.…”

Conclusions and Future Lines of Inquiry in Mathematical Modelling Research in Education

“…Fulton et al determined four features wrestling with openness in modelling, posing problems, making choices through a creative process, and revisiting ideas and solutions (Fulton et al 2019), as critical to modelling activity and hence task design. The first of these relates to the reality of the messy real-world and the need for modellers to grapple with this in order to make sense of the situation and determine a possible way forward.…”

Using decision theory to understand preservice teachers’ implementations of mathematical modelling

“…The PISA 2018 Assessment and Analytical Framework (OECD, 2019) defines modelling as a central aspect of mathematical literacy and emphasises the role of strategic decisions in the selection of algorithms, concepts, and procedures in search of mathematical solutions to contextual problems (p. 82). Studies show that the authentic, interdisciplinary, community building, and socially interactive nature of mathematical modelling is beneficial for primary grade teachers' and students' learning (English, 2003(English, , 2009Fulton et al, 2019;Mousolides et al, 2008). However, large parts of the educational system hold traditional beliefs that mathematics is a fragmented body of knowledge best to be learnt by imitation of rules and facts (e.g.…”