Can improving teachers’ knowledge of mathematics lead to gains in learners’ attainment in mathematics?
It is wellknown that the majority of South African learners achieve extremely poorly in mathematics. Many claim that one of the causes of this poor attainment is teachers’ weak knowledge of mathematics, and propose that improving teachers’ mathematical knowledge would improve learner attainment. How...
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| Format: | Article |
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Education Association of South Africa
2015
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| Online Access: | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/32553/ |
| _version_ | 1848794433657503744 |
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| author | Pournara, Craig Pillay, Vasen Hodgen, Jeremy Adler, Jill |
| author_facet | Pournara, Craig Pillay, Vasen Hodgen, Jeremy Adler, Jill |
| author_sort | Pournara, Craig |
| building | Nottingham Research Data Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | It is wellknown that the majority of South African learners achieve extremely poorly in mathematics. Many claim that one of the causes of this poor attainment is teachers’ weak knowledge of mathematics, and propose that improving teachers’ mathematical knowledge would improve learner attainment. However, the evidence-base for this proposed solution is currently relatively weak. We report on a quasi-experimental study examining the learning gains of Grade 10 learners from five secondary schools in the Johannesburg area whose teachers participated in a year-long professional development course aimed at improving the teachers’ knowledge of mathematics for teaching. Statistical analyses of pre- and post-test results show that the intervention group of learners (N = 586) taught by teachers who had participated in the professional development (N = 14) outperformed a matched control group of learners (N = 217) taught by teachers in the same schools (N = 7). An effect size of =0.17 for the intervention group is equivalent to two months’ additional progress. While the learning gains are small, they are statistically significant. These findings provide empirical support for claims that attending to teachers’ mathematical knowledge can impact learners’ attainment. Suggestions are made regarding the form and substance of such professional development. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T19:16:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | nottingham-32553 |
| institution | University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T19:16:07Z |
| publishDate | 2015 |
| publisher | Education Association of South Africa |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | nottingham-325532020-05-04T20:07:56Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/32553/ Can improving teachers’ knowledge of mathematics lead to gains in learners’ attainment in mathematics? Pournara, Craig Pillay, Vasen Hodgen, Jeremy Adler, Jill It is wellknown that the majority of South African learners achieve extremely poorly in mathematics. Many claim that one of the causes of this poor attainment is teachers’ weak knowledge of mathematics, and propose that improving teachers’ mathematical knowledge would improve learner attainment. However, the evidence-base for this proposed solution is currently relatively weak. We report on a quasi-experimental study examining the learning gains of Grade 10 learners from five secondary schools in the Johannesburg area whose teachers participated in a year-long professional development course aimed at improving the teachers’ knowledge of mathematics for teaching. Statistical analyses of pre- and post-test results show that the intervention group of learners (N = 586) taught by teachers who had participated in the professional development (N = 14) outperformed a matched control group of learners (N = 217) taught by teachers in the same schools (N = 7). An effect size of =0.17 for the intervention group is equivalent to two months’ additional progress. While the learning gains are small, they are statistically significant. These findings provide empirical support for claims that attending to teachers’ mathematical knowledge can impact learners’ attainment. Suggestions are made regarding the form and substance of such professional development. Education Association of South Africa 2015-08 Article PeerReviewed Pournara, Craig, Pillay, Vasen, Hodgen, Jeremy and Adler, Jill (2015) Can improving teachers’ knowledge of mathematics lead to gains in learners’ attainment in mathematics? South African Journal of Education, 35 (3). ISSN 2076-3433 learning gains; mathematics teacher knowledge; professional development http://www.sajournalofeducation.co.za/index.php/saje/article/view/1083/579 doi:10.15700/saje.v35n3a1083 doi:10.15700/saje.v35n3a1083 |
| spellingShingle | learning gains; mathematics teacher knowledge; professional development Pournara, Craig Pillay, Vasen Hodgen, Jeremy Adler, Jill Can improving teachers’ knowledge of mathematics lead to gains in learners’ attainment in mathematics? |
| title | Can improving teachers’ knowledge of mathematics lead to gains in learners’ attainment in mathematics? |
| title_full | Can improving teachers’ knowledge of mathematics lead to gains in learners’ attainment in mathematics? |
| title_fullStr | Can improving teachers’ knowledge of mathematics lead to gains in learners’ attainment in mathematics? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Can improving teachers’ knowledge of mathematics lead to gains in learners’ attainment in mathematics? |
| title_short | Can improving teachers’ knowledge of mathematics lead to gains in learners’ attainment in mathematics? |
| title_sort | can improving teachers’ knowledge of mathematics lead to gains in learners’ attainment in mathematics? |
| topic | learning gains; mathematics teacher knowledge; professional development |
| url | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/32553/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/32553/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/32553/ |