In this paper I draw on a particular case that encapsulates some of the most extreme elements of educational disadvantage - poverty, remote location, English as a foreign language, cultural diversity and Aboriginality - to provide a lens for understanding the complexity of coming to learn school mathematics. In so doing, I illustrate the need for…

In remote Aboriginal communities, there are many challenges that confront educators, not the least of which is leadership that challenges the status quo and moves Aboriginal communities forward in their access to, and engagement with, the mathematics school curriculum. This paper draws on data from the "Maths in the Kimberley" (MiTK)…

In this paper we reflect on our combined work in some of the most marginalised educational contexts in the Southern Hemisphere. We draw on the work of Bourdieu to frame the paper. We propose the working in marginalised education settings requires a particular habitus or way of being to be able to play the research game. Underpinning our approach…

Research suggests mathematical stories can support mathematical learning. We discuss an unexpected outcome caregivers of reception year learners (Gr R age 5-6yrs), participating in a mathematics story-time program, shared in interviews. The program, implemented with Gr R learners' caregivers in two South African schools, explained and demonstrated…

As part of a much larger study where spatial reasoning is the focus, this paper draws on the language aspects of this strand of the curriculum. The quarantined part of the project discussed in this presentation is based in remote Indigenous schools. We draw on the challenges of the concept of symmetry and where the language of instruction (and…

The aim of this paper is propositional and is based on research findings which suggest that success in mathematics teaching and reform is contingent upon having key personnel in schools to lead curriculum reform. Based on the outcomes of a large national study on successful practice in the teaching of numeracy for some of Australia's most…

This paper describes the lesson practices at one very remote school that has been highly successful in numeracy. Drawing on a significant body of diverse research that promotes quality teaching and learning, this case study describes the features of the practice that have been implemented across the school. Teachers' voices provide both…

This paper explores the value of different paradigms to explain dispositions towards mathematics among primary school students from different social backgrounds. As part of a larger project designed to elicit students' thinking and attitudes towards mathematics, we seek to develop an explanatory model for the socially-differentiated outcomes in…

This paper is theoretical in orientation and explores the limitations of the current field of mathematics education which has been dominated by social theories of learning. It is proposed that the field is approaching its limits for these theories and there is a need for shift that moves from the idiosyncratic possibilities of subjective meaning…

Accessing children's feelings and attitudes towards mathematics is a challenging proposition since methods for data collection may be fraught in terms of bias and power relations. This paper explores a method using iPads and a video diary technique not dissimilar to the "Big Brother" room with which many children are familiar. We…

Drawing on survey data from over 2000 parents, this paper explores the possibility of early-years swimming to add mathematical capital to young children. Using developmental milestones as the basis, it was found that parents reported significantly earlier achievement on many of these milestones. Such data suggest that the early years swim…

The importance of leadership in changing schools and building quality programs is the focus of this paper. While leadership is often seen as a management aspect of school life, the role of leadership in curriculum change may be quite different from that of school leadership visa-vis the principal. In small remote schools where there are many…

Drawing from Gee's learning principles developed from the digital games environment, we provide a critical analysis of the difference between using these principles in a literacy environment as opposed to a mathematical environment. Using stimulated recall, primary school-aged students played with a number of contemporary digital games. Feedback…