BES Exemplar 1: Developing Communities of Mathematical Inquiry

Developing Communities of Mathematical Inquiry (Alton-Lee, Hunter, Sinnema & Pulegatoa-Diggins, 2012) is the first in a series of five BES exemplars for quality teaching. These exemplars were developed in response to requests from teachers and school leaders for real life examples of effective teaching approaches that accelerate the progress of diverse learners.

It describes how two teachers worked with a researcher to develop classroom learning communities within which students could engage in interactive and dialogic mathematical sense making. Most of the students in both classes were Māori and Pasifika, and the exemplar details significant changes that occurred in teacher knowledge and pedagogy and in student engagement and mathematical practices.

The effect sizes for the gains in both classes were very large: d = 2.39 for Ava’s class and d = 2.53 for Moana’s class. These outcomes represent the equivalent of several years’ progress (compared with business- as-usual teaching) in just one year.

This exemplar can be downloaded as PDF file by accessing the link below.

In terms of Kia Eke Panuku, this culturally responsive and relational approach to teaching mathematics exemplifies deliberate professional acts that teachers can utilise to accelerate the numeracy progress of Māori students.

This way of working provides an example of how schools might active the Ako: Critical Context for Learning model for accelerated student achievement.