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    Refocusing on Oral Language and Rich Representations to Develop the Early Mathematical Understandings of Indigenous Students

    Access Status
    Fulltext not available
    Authors
    Blackley, Susan
    Warren, E.
    De Vries, E.
    Date
    2011
    Type
    Journal Article
    
    Metadata
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    Citation
    McDonald, S. and Warren, E. and De Vries, E. 2011. Refocusing on Oral Language and Rich Representations to Develop the Early Mathematical Understandings of Indigenous Students. Australian Journal of Indigenous Education. 40: pp. 9-17.
    Source Title
    Australian Journal of Indigenous Education
    DOI
    10.1375/ajie.40.9
    ISSN
    1326-0111
    URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/22557
    Collection
    • Curtin Research Publications
    Abstract

    This article examines the nature of oral language and representations used by teachers as they instruct young Indigenous Australian students at the beginning of formal schooling during play-based activities in mathematics. In particular, the use of Standard Australian English (SAE), the mathematical register used, and the interplay with mathematical representations during classroom instruction are analysed based upon the teachers' selfreported practices. The data are drawn from structured telephone interviews with 40 teachers in 15 schools from rural and remote or multicultural settings in Queensland at the initial stage of a large, longitudinal study. The specific aim of the study was the identification of effective pedagogical practices that may assist young Australian students from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds to negotiate western mathematical understanding. The findings indicate that despite experience in these settings and focused professional learning sessions, the majority of these teachers report practices which reflect a strong emphasis on literacy acquisition rather than mathematical understanding. It is the contention of the researchers that the use of oral language with a rich selection of mathematical representations strongly supports mathematical understanding.

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    Curtin would like to pay respect to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members of our community by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which the Perth campus is located, the Whadjuk people of the Nyungar Nation; and on our Kalgoorlie campus, the Wongutha people of the North-Eastern Goldfields.