An examination and comparison of infant teachers’ challenges and priorities for teaching numeracy in DEIS and non-DEIS primary schools

Background: The area of mathematics in the early years of primary school has seen significant changes in the past number of years due to curricular reform and policy developments. The Aistear Framework was introduced and in recent months, the new primary mathematics curriculum. Yet, research illustrates that there is limited research on teacher pedagogy in early mathematics (Anthony and Walshaw 2009). Following a review of the existing literature, evidence suggested that little is known of the challenges and priorities of teachers in infant classes and how they compare in DEIS and non-DEIS schools. Aim: The research aimed to examine and compare Infant teachers’ challenges and priorities for teaching numeracy in DEIS and non-DEIS primary schools Method: This quantitative study was based on the post-positivism paradigm and data were collected through an online survey. Findings were generated and compared from infant teachers’ responses in DEIS and non-DEIS schools. Results: Overall, infant teachers in DEIS schools experienced more difficulty in teaching early mathematics, particularly in the areas of assessment, documenting students’ learning and building on student’s prior-to-school mathematical experiences. In contrast to these results, infant teachers from non-DEIS schools reported more challenges in developing a mathematical understanding of students whose first language is not that of the schools. Conclusion: Irish infant teachers from both DEIS and non-DEIS schools face several challenges in their classrooms. Such challenges hold implications for practice, policy nationally and internationally and future research in teachers’ pedagogy.N