What is numeracy?

Numeracy has long been an integral part of the Australian curriculum and has been discussed in

importance of teachers developing student’s mathematical knowledge and skills (Goos et al., 2016) to

effectively manage the demands of home, work, community and civic life. (Australian Association of

Mathematics Teachers, 1997). In identifying numeracy across the curriculum, we allow students to make

relevant connections between the syllabus content and its real-life applications (ACARA, n.d.).

Lesson description

The lesson in discussion was aimed at the preliminary Mathematics Advanced course. The class varied in

abilities, however, were performing at higher levels against their comparative cohort with the majority

also studying Mathematics Extension 1. The class included an EAL/ D student and a student with mild

ADHD. This lesson covered using Pythagoras’ Theorem in 3D where students were required to find the

length of the longest stick that would fit inside a rectangular box that they brought from home.

Working in groups, students had to provide a visual estimation of the length of their stick. They then

measured the dimensions of the box using three different units of measurement including to the

nearest centimetre, millimetre and metre correct to 1 decimal place and used Pythagoras’ Theorem to

find the diagonal of the box. Students then checked their answer by cutting up a rolled up piece of

newspaper to size and placing it in their box.

Numeracy Strategies

Purposeful discussions/ challenging numeracy skills

Since students used three different units of measurement, students obtained three different solutions.

Using a probing question, “what do you notice about your results for the different units of

measurement?”, I intentionally sparked a purposeful discussion in each group about how the units

contributed to the accuracy of their solution. In these discussions, students were encouraged to explain

and provide reasons for their responses. This strategy has been noted by numerous research documents
as an effective teaching practice for numeracy (Muir, 2008). It develops a key skill in numeracy of

adaptive reasoning as problem solving becomes a collaborative experience. Students think, justify,

evaluate and reflect on each other’s processes (Sellars, 2018). This has been argued to increase the

relevance of learning mathematics in many workplaces (Sullivan, 2011). Furthermore, these discussions

provide a safe non-judgemental environment for all students to learn and appreciate mathematics in

the absence of ticks and crosses (Sellars, 2018), reducing the risk for disengagement (Tarman, 2016).

The overall outcome of these discussions found that using smaller metric units improves the accuracy of

your measurement and your solution. This inherently caused students to reflect on how the use of

different metric units can ultimately invalidate the accuracy of mathematical calculations. It also allowed

me to informally assess students understanding of units of measurement, a key concept in the NSW

numeracy progression (UuM9) (NESA, 2018). Discrepancies in solutions were also dependant on

depending on any rounding of the irrational numbers produced by Pythagoras’ Theorem. Hence, this

also developed their understanding of place value, another element of the numeracy progression

(QuN11, OwD2) (NESA, 2018.). It highlights how rounding errors restricts the precision of calculations

and demonstrates the interconnectedness of mathematics (Steen, 2001).

Physical/ Digital representations

Goos et al. (2012) model for effective teaching of numeracy claims that using tools such as a physical

model enhances the learning experience for students by placing the problem within a context they may

relate to or encounter in their daily lives (Geiger et al., 2015a). Hence, this activity presented the

problem through a physical model of a box in which students could see and touch rather than a

diagram of a rectangular prism on a sheet of paper. It also helped them physically practice their

measurement and estimation skills, both of which are key numeracy skills (ACARA, n.d.). Students with

ADHD generally learn better through applied content knowledge and hands-on activities (Fugate, 2018).

Therefore, this activity met the learning needs of the student who had mild ADHD, allowing them to

engage with the task and develop their numeracy skills. This is also true for the EAL/D student as the
activity focused solely on applied mathematics eliminating the need to interpret difficult terminology or

worded numerals (Sellars, 2018). Although I did not have any Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI)

students in my class, this method of using hands-on materials has also been advocated in the

development of ATSI students’ numeracy skills and understanding (What Works, n.d.)

Students were also given the option of using the geometric application, GeoGebra, to create a digital

representation of their box. Here, students interacted with the model on the screen and drew lines

within the diagram to imitate the steps required to solve the problem. Again, following Goos et al.

(2012) numeracy model, this digital tool provided a contemporary way of learning mathematics and

mimicked how some problems are now being solved in workplaces (Geiger et al., 2015a) including

architecture and carpentry or even simply designing a shed for your backyard.

Experiences with students + Reflection

One significant experience that I had during this activity was that a few groups found that their

calculations for their stick did fit into their box. For one group, the stick was too long as the box was

constructed using relatively thick cardboard, making the interior dimensions of the box smaller than its

exterior. Another group rolled their newspaper too thickly and therefore, their stick was too long as the

tip did not sit tightly in the box’s corner. Having not expected these complications, I decided to present

it as a challenge for students to see how they could incorporate the unique attributes of their model to

modify their calculations. The students were eager to point out why their solutions were inaccurate, and

I was pleasantly surprised when they also provided a solution to rectify the problem. This gave me a

clear indication on the students’ level of problem-solving skills and how they can adapt their content

knowledge. Upon reflecting on this lesson, this unexpected occurrence was a great opportunity in

challenging students to apply their problem-solving skills in a context that incorporated a real-life

constraint. This presented the applications of mathematics in the light of reality and demonstrated how

mathematics that we use in our daily lives does not always produce perfect and simple answers such as

those presented in textbooks. This is crucial in respects to numeracy as the problem was context
dependent. As teachers, we need to model how numeracy appears outside of the mathematics

classroom and then develop students’ skills in approaching these contextual mathematical problems

(Ferme, 2014).

Although this was not a deliberate strategy for numeracy, I will definitely utilise this as a way to further

challenge students in future lessons. However, I would accompany it with some scaffolding and provide

probing questions to help guide and regulate student thinking (Goos et al., 2017). Some probing

questions could include ‘why is the stick not fitting?” and “how can you adjust your measurements?”

This experience has informed my teaching by planning for unexpected situations. It has also shown that

I need to be flexible in turning these situations into a learning opportunity for students to develop their

numeracy skills and learn mathematics outside of the syllabus.

Another significant experience that occurred during this activity involved a student saying, “what is the

point of doing this?”, with others agreeing. At the time, my response was “this activity demonstrates

how Pythagoras’ theorem can be used to solve a simple problem in 3D and also challenges your skills in

applying Pythagoras’ Theorem to a practical model.”. Many students just accepted this and continued

working. Now, the core element that is used to define effective teaching of numeracy is context, where

students consider the mathematics that they are learning as relevant (Geiger et al., 2015a). I had initially

designed this activity to help students realise how the content they were learning can be applied to a

practical problem which was tangible and visible. However, upon reflection, the student’s comment

made me realise that the context of this problem was still too distant from what students considered as

real-life. Since numeracy is motivated by events that occur within people’s daily lives and work (Steen,

2001), I could have improved students’ learning experiences by linking it to their personal lives or

prospective endeavours. For example, using the contexts of architecture, constructions, navigation and

surveying. To maximise the relevance of numeracy to students’ lives, I must investigate, utilise and

integrate my student’s interests and experiences into my lessons, making learning more meaningful and

interesting (Sullivan, 2011). This experience has made me realise that from the perspective of teachers
some activities may appear to be relevant to students. Nevertheless, we still need to take that extra step

in finding out what students are interested in and are familiar with.

Alternative approach

An alternative approach to improving student numeracy in a mathematics class is utilising rich tasks

which are often open-ended with no single solution. They require the student to investigate, explore

and use higher-order thinking skills to generate a strategy to solve a problem that generally reflects a

real-life situation (Sellars, 2018).

In the same context as the lesson described above, the use of rich open-ended tasks can be applied to

the topic of Pythagoras’ theorem in 3D in the context of designing a roof. In groups, students will

design a roof while adhering to some specifications including the height being 20 metres, the width

being 10 metres and using exactly thirty 10 metre long pieces of wood to ensure stability. Following

their design, students will create a model and showcase their work to the class for discussion. Whilst the

task is not overly complicated, it still challenges students’ numeracy skills in measurement, rounding

decimals and applying Pythagoras’ theorem in 3D.

A rich open-ended task, like this, encourages students to make decisions, take risks, provide reasoning

and collaborate with other students (Sullivan, 2011), which are all general practices when engaging with

real-life mathematics (Sellars, 2018). However, students often tend to avoid facing challenging tasks in

an attempt to reduce the risk of failure (Geiger et al., 2015b). This is especially prevalent in a class of

gifted students who often have a heightened response to expectations and a yearn for success

(Callahan & Hertberg-Davis, 2018). To counter this and promote full engagement, this task will be

accompanied with the necessary scaffolding and prompting to ensure students view the task as

challenging yet achievable (Geiger et al., 2015b). A clear success criterion will also be set to ensure

students know what is required for them to achieve the learning goal (Geiger et al., 2015b). Since this

task does not require the interpretation of difficult terminology and is entirely a practical application of

the content, it is very suitable for EAL/D students (Sellars, 2018) and students with ADHD (Fugate, 2018).
For this task, I would utilise formative assessment throughout the entirety of the activity through active

question and answer and peer assessment. That is, I will consistently investigate students thinking

process, ask them for the reasoning behind their decisions, question if there is a more effective strategy

and also ask for their opinions on the task. This will help me determine where students are with their

learning and identify their strengths and weaknesses. It will also allow me to provide concurrent

feedback to their responses and inform me on what areas require a more targeted teaching approach

(Heritage & Heritage, 2013). Peer assessment will occur during the students’ presentations of their

model design in the format of discussions, utilising a criterion of efficiency, accuracy and creativity. This

will allow students to receive feedback from their peers and gain insights into how they can improve

their own work. It has been also found to stimulate students to self-regulate their learning (Panadero &

Brown, 2017).

References

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Report of the numeracy education strategy development conference. Adelaide: AAMT.

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA). (n.d.) Numeracy.

https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/general-capabilities/numeracy/

Callahan, C. M. & Hertberg-Davis, H. L. (2018). Fundamentals of gifted education: Considering multiple

perspectives (2nd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315639987

Ferme, E. (2014). A Working Understanding of Numeracy in the Secondary Setting. In Mathematics

Education Research Group of Australasia. Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia.

Fugate, C. M. (2018). Attention divergent hyperactive giftedness: Taking the deficiency and disorder out

of the gifted/ADHD label. In S. B. Kaufman (Ed.), Twice exceptional: Supporting and educating

bright and creative students with learning difficulties (pp. 191–200). New York, NY: Oxford

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Geiger, V. Forgasz, H., & Goos, M. (2015a). A critical orientation to numeracy across the curriculum.

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https://doi.org/10.1080/08957347.2013.793190

Muir, T. (2008). Principles of practice and teacher actions: Influences on effective teaching of numeracy.

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NSW Education Standards Authority. (2018). National Numeracy Learning Progression adapted for NSW.

Sydney, NSW

Panadero, E. & Brown, G. T. L. (2017). Teachers' reasons for using peer assessment: positive experience

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Sellars, M. (2018). Numeracy in authentic contexts : making meaning across the curriculum. Springer

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Steen, L. (2001). ‘Mathematics and numeracy: Two literacies, one language’, The Mathematic Teacher,

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Sullivan, P. (2011). Teaching Mathematics: using research informed strategies. Melbourne: ACER Press

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Training. http://www.whatworks.edu.au/upload/1250830936111_file_4Numeracy.pdf