An awareness of pattern and structure (AMPS) is critical in young children's mathematical development (Mulligan & Mitchelmore, 2009). AMPS is formally assessed in the early years of school (K-3), in structured conditions using predetermined materials, requiring verbal and written responses. However, children also express mathematical thinking…

Research into human decision making (DM) processes from outside of education paint a different picture of DM than current DM models in education. This pilot study assesses the use of critical decision method (CDM)--developed from observations of firefighters' DM -- in the context of primary mathematics teachers' in-class DM. Preliminary results…

There is an educational expectation that children's natural drawing will develop into proficient mathematical representations and formal diagrams, yet there is little research available to guide the assessment and development of children's mathematical drawing skills. The aim of this paper is to explore how Year 2 children (approx. 7 years) chose…

The purpose of this paper is to describe the development of a framework to facilitate the selection and evaluation of picture books that may be useful in promoting and developing mathematical concepts in young children. Three types of mathematical picture books were initially recognised with intercoder reliability of 0.92. Seven categories were…