The purpose of this article is to explain the authors' model of numeracy and outline how the project was conducted. The idea of numeracy is a relatively recent one. The term was first introduced in the UK by the "Crowther Report" (Ministry of Education, 1959) and was defined as the mirror image of literacy, but involving quantitative thinking.…

This article presents a lesson that focuses on numeracy. In the lesson, students were tasked to find the best path for a new expressway. The purpose of the activity was for students to gain an appreciation of the complexities associated with designing public infrastructure and to put into practice the mathematical skills. This article also…

This article describes a project that focuses on how a Society and Environment unit could develop required numeracy. This is more of an integrated unit organised around a theme rather than a Society and Environment unit that required specific aspects of numeracy. Suggested data sources for examining students numeracy development included (1) a…

This article describes a project that focuses on numeracy in secondary school mathematics. During the course of the project a teacher had the chance to develop and trial new tasks and styles of teaching and learning numeracy. She became increasingly comfortable with using more extended tasks for learning mathematics. However, she believes that it…

Is the time allowed for National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) numeracy tests sufficient? Is there any evidence that students run out of time and, if so, what are the implications for teachers who prepare students for NAPLAN numeracy tests? In each of the 2010 Years 7 and 9 numeracy tests students were required to complete 32…

This article describes a lesson study on the area of a parallelogram for year 7 students. In Singapore, students in secondary schools are streamed into ability bands. Normal (Academic) is the label for the middle band. The teachers were convinced that Lesson Study provided a valuable platform for professional development. The authors followed the…

The author became aware that there are hundreds of retired teachers in the community who want to continue to learn, or at least to have their intellect stimulated. Some join clubs or read books or do crosswords or even surf the net when they retire, but these folks wanted to be stimulated with some mathematics. The author was initially surprised…

A science teacher has the advantage of hooking learners with all their senses: flashes, bangs and smells. The science labs are something that many learners at the start of secondary school (high school) are eager to explore, and when there is an open day at school it feels unfair that the mathematics department has to try to compete for excitement…

Space-filling curves are related to fractals, in that they have self-similar patterns. Such space-filling curves were originally developed as conceptual mathematical "monsters", counter-examples to Weierstrassian and Reimannian treatments of calculus and continuity. These were curves that were everywhere-connected but nowhere-differentiable (or…

The language of mathematics is unique and complex. One feature of the mathematical register is the use of symbols and abbreviations. Whilst it may be possible for a student to think mathematically in the absence of symbols, the written communication of mathematical ideas cannot be achieved concisely without the use of mathematical symbols.…

This article compares the definition of "box plot" as used in the "Australian Curriculum: Mathematics" with other definitions used in the education community; describes the difficulties students experience when dealing with box plots; and discusses the elaboration that is necessary to enable teachers to develop the knowledge necessary to use them…

This article explores how a focus on understanding divisibility rules can be used to help deepen students' understanding of multiplication and division with whole numbers. It is based on research with seven Year 7-8 teachers who were observed teaching a group of students a rule for divisibility by nine. As part of the lesson, students were shown a…

Reach for the Stars is AAMT's data-collection activity for National Literacy and Numeracy Week, funded by the Australian Government. This year's activity was on the theme "More2books" and many thousands of students and their teachers explored the mathematics of the books in their classrooms. This article presents a version of the findings which…

The term "numeracy" seems to be commonly used in discussions about school mathematics education these days. It is not altogether clear what various school systems intend "numeracy" to mean and whether or not it is meant to replace the term "mathematics", whether it is just one part of mathematics or whether it is meant to signify something else in…

The necessity of using inquiry-based learning (IBL) was recently recommended by studies and reports made for the European Commission. Several European projects are devoted to the widespread use of IBL methods. The effects of using IBL are studied worldwide. In the framework of the Seventh Framework Program (FP7) project PRIMAS, a series of…