Deakin Research Online This is the published version:

This paper describes an action research project that investigated issues concerning the teaching and learning of numeracy in the middle years. Building on research concerning the middle years of schooling, and their own experience of teaching mathematics in years 5- 8, a group of teachers, drawn from four schools, trialed strategies intended to improve the engagement, attitudes and outcomes of their students in mathematics. The group recommended at the end of the study that mathematics needs to be meaningful for young adolescents. The concept of meaningful mathematics is explored through a description of the actions and findings of the teachers participating in this project. Introduction and background With the current emphasis on numeracy standards the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria implemented an action research project, "Supporting Numeracy Learning in Victorian Catholic Schools", to inform the development of strategies to support numeracy learning. The project involved six teams of teachers and facilitators and this paper is a report on the work of the only team in the project that focussed on numeracy learning and teaching in the middle years of schooling