The Working Mathematically in a rural context project

The project Working Mathematically in a rural context, from which this web site evolved, was funded in the fourth round of the federal Australian School Innovation in Science, Technology and Mathematics (ASISTM) program. The aim of the project was to assist mathematics teachers in regional and isolated schools in the Riverina region of New South Wales to develop their skills at implementing Working Mathematically methods in Years 7-10 and to develop a bank of Working Mathematically activities suitable for teachers in their position.

The project was coordinated by Associate Professor Michael Mitchelmore, director of the Centre for Research in Mathematics and Science Education at Macquarie University, and Dr Heather McMaster, director of Workingmaths. Support was also provided by the NSW Department of Education and Training and the Isolated Children’s Parents’ Association.

The 18 participating teachers, from 6 Riverina schools, met for an initial workshop in Wagga Wagga in March 2008 and on three further occasions during 2008 by videoconference. Each school developed three Working Mathematically activities focussed on rural life. For each activity, the teachers in each school worked with a farmer to adapt an authentic rural activity to the classroom, trialled their draft with one or more classes in their school, and then revised the activity. The farmers also talked to the students about the various ways in which they used mathematics on the farm. A private web site was set up to facilitate communication between the teachers, farmers and project coordinators. In all, 18 activities were developed by the end of 2008.

Teachers’ and farmers’ formal evaluations, as well as their informal comments during videoconferences and visits, indicate that the project achieved its main goals. Teachers reported that the use of authentic activities set in a familiar context led to far greater engagement on the part of their students, especially the boys. Students who normally did not participate well in mathematics lessons began to show an interest, and some of them even showed surprisingly deep understanding of various mathematical aspects of life on the farm. Teachers felt that they had learnt much from the participating farmers that they would otherwise not have been able to use in their teaching, and the farmers were very appreciative of the teachers’ skills and dedication. However, teachers often had difficulties scheduling the various activities and recommended that they be planned into the teaching program right from the beginning of the year.

The draft and revised activities, comments, photographs and reports produced during the course of the project are still available on this site, but only to authorised persons. Please contact the project coordinator if you have a valid reason for wishing to view this material.

In the first half of 2009, the activities created by the teachers were revised, following teachers’ suggestions, to include an introductory video, photographs and background material (including links to sources of relevant, up-to-date data on the internet) as well as answers and teaching notes. They are now available on this site. An introductory video, Mathematics on the Farm, was also produced in which the four participating farmers recorded how they used mathematics on a day-to-day basis and is available here.

This site is now being maintained by Macquarie University and Workingmaths as a service to the community. It is hoped to add further activities in the future. Please send your suggestions (or, even better, draft activities) to the project coordinator. Offers of financial support are also welcome.