The use of Mathematical Investigations in a Queensland Primary School and Implications for Professional Development

With the introduction of Ways of Working in 2008, Queensland teachers received professional development on using investigations to teach mathematics. This case study explores the extent to which teachers in one Queensland Primary School use this pedagogy. To determine teachers’ beliefs and teaching approaches, a five point Likert scale questionnaire was administered followed by open-ended interviews with three teachers: a beginning, an experienced and an expert teacher. The survey and interview results revealed that teachers generally held a balance of traditional and contemporary attitudes towards teaching maths. This was accompanied by a balance of traditional and contemporary teaching approaches. Teachers believed in the importance of investigations but preferred to spend time developing a sound mathematics knowledge base before allowing students to attempt an investigation. Interviews with the teachers revealed a need for ongoing structured professional development in four areas: approaches to collaborative learning in group work; strategies for teaching the language of mathematics; integration of investigative approaches, and scaffolding learning strategies