Session Information
03 ONLINE 23 A, Curriculum Innovation
Paper Session
MeetingID: 889 9832 1791 Code: e5Xb8i
Contribution
Numeracy outcomes have been a key focus for recent policy development and implementation of initiatives at all levels of the schooling system in Australia. In 2021, the Department for Education, South Australia, committed to the provision of a 1:1 online tutoring program commencing with a pilot program for year 6 and year 8 students. Other Australian states also implemented similar initiatives that targeted schooling disruptions due to COVID-19 with tutoring programs designed as ‘COVID catch-up’ for students that were negatively impacted during this time. Internationally, various programs have been established to support students, such as the Global Education Coalition supporting up to one million students with online and offline opportunities to support continuity of learning (UNESCO, 2021). The Department for Education in England established one-to-one and small group tutoring programs to support vulnerable students (DfE, 2020) while the French Ministry of Education allocated additional teaching hours after school to support students (OECD, 2020). South Australian students had minimal disruptions to their education in 2020. The Learning+ pilot program was designed to provide no-cost online tutoring for all students whether they were deemed to be at, below or above expected level as previously identified by state-wide testing. Students were chosen from a representative sample of schools.
Four key principles of design were considered for the initiative: Strategic Design, Structural Design, Technical Design and Systematic Development (adapted from Burkhardt & Swan, 2017). Strategic Design focuses on ensuring that the design complements the existing system and that it can be embedded in the existing system while meeting the needs of all stakeholders. Structural Design ensures that the structure, tools and resources are designed to support teaching and to target student learning. The Technical Design components relate to creative design and research-based decision-making. Finally, Systematic Development utilizes feedback and evaluation systems to guide ongoing improvement.
In 2018, The Office of the Chief Scientist released an Occasional Paper outlining key findings for school-wide improvement in mathematics outcomes. One of the key areas for leading improvement in mathematics is creating mastery-oriented learning (eg. focus on learning, understanding and developing skills), as opposed to ‘performance-oriented’ approaches (eg. focus on ability, performance and competition) (Smith, Ladewig & Prinsley (2018). This initiative focused on a Mastery-oriented approach with a strong focus on developing and consolidating conceptual understanding of mathematical topics, leading to improving student engagement and their willingness to participate in mathematical tasks. Examples of Mastery-oriented goals include: 1) Developing competence, 2) A focus on learning, understanding and developing skills, and 3) Orienting students to strive to acquire to improve skills and understanding (Smith, Ladewig & Prinsley (2018).
The pilot program in 2021 was based on Educational Design Research which included the following structures and tools to support mathematics assessment and learning. It also took into account how the available learning time could be maximized for each student.
- Developing a research-based number interview conducted 1:1 with year 6 and year 8 students to identify mathematical knowledge and any misconceptions.
- Resource books to support teaching and learning, with a specific focus on addressing mathematics misconceptions in Number.
- A professional learning program for teachers.
- Establishing Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) with PLC leaders appointed to work with groups of 10 teachers.
The key objectives of this research project are 1) To examine the design of the Learning+ initiative and to provide recommendations for future iterations of the initiative; and, 3) To determine the outcomes from the professional learning program and the utility of the resources for teaching practices and student learning, as evaluated and reported by teachers.
Method
Educational Design Research involves iterations of design seeking to improve practice, and includes researchers and teachers taking an active role in initiating the project and in the design process (van den Akker, Gravemeijer, McKenney and Nieveen, 2006). The purpose of the Learning+ initiative is to improve student outcomes in mathematics while being supported by qualified teachers taking on roles as tutors. The associated research project directly informs the provision of professional learning, developing assessment instruments and teaching resources, and advice based on the Number and Algebra strand for the Australian Curriculum: Mathematics (ACARA, 2014). 487 year 6 students and 686 year 8 students were chosen from a representative sample of SA schools with one-third of students deemed to be at, below and above expected level. All students were offered 2 half-hour online tutoring sessions per week for 10 weeks. To establish each student’s needs, the tutors conducted a one-to-one interview using one of two assessment instruments aligned with the Australian Curriculum: Number and Algebra Strand (ACARA, 2014). An Induction Session was organized prior to the program commencing to introduce expectations for tutoring sessions, and for conducting and reporting of the interview. Each tutoring session was recorded, and goals were set for the following sessions in consultation between the tutor and the student. Reflections on the progress of these goals were completed at the end of each tutoring session and these informed the goals for the next session. The Learning + team supported tutors and the students with connections to technology while the researchers provided ongoing support teaching resources and masterclasses to assist with the tutoring session content. Professional Learning Communities were set up to support the tutors with a Lead Tutor. The Lead Tutors conducted PLC meetings with their team a week before a meeting of PLC Lead Tutors with the Learning+ team and the two researchers. This allowed for sharing of ideas, innovations and resources. The data generated includes: - Curriculum mapping - Mathematics assessment: Number Interviews - Mathematics Interview student results - Individual session goals and progress reflections - Professional learning materials and resources - Video recordings of tutoring sessions The initiative was also evaluated by an external evaluation team using student, parent and teacher surveys and focus group interviews. The Number Interviews were analysed using R analysis software. Qualitative analyses were conducted using NVivo and selected video recordings of tutoring sessions were analysed inductively using Vosaic as part of case studies.
Expected Outcomes
The Learning+ initiative aims to support tutors with professional learning and resources to maximise engagement in tutoring sessions, and to develop students' mathematical understanding of number and algebra topics. Strategic design considerations included the alignment of assessment instruments and tutoring activities with the Australian Curriculum to complement rather than replace students’ mathematics learning at school. The PLC structure was modified to target accessibility and support for tutors in a collegial environment with other tutors, a lead tutor and the researchers. The structural design components were developed, tested and revised based on their intended purpose. For example, the analysis of the interview record sheets provided some valuable insights into how the tool was being used and resulted in adjusting the record sheet and the development of more targeted professional learning about conducting, recording and analysing the results. Technical design considerations were embedded in both resource design and professional learning focusing on content and pedagogical knowledge. Key adaptations to the next iteration include revising the Number Interview questions of the original interviews and including an additional two assessments. This means there are four assessments for Years 6 to 9. Systematic Development utilized feedback and evaluation loops for both the online systems, professional learning and resources. All aspects of the system design process are ongoing. The current concerns regarding outcomes on standardised tests require the use of evidence-based research and contemporary approaches in supporting learning in mathematics. There is a persistent gap in the research on the impact of professional learning, curriculum and assessment advice, resourcing and professional learning community support for learning in mathematics. There is very little research about tutoring one-to-one in the online space. This research project used empirical evidence and research-based approaches to continually refine and redesign a large-scale online tutoring initiative, which was a complex and dynamic process.
References
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA). (2014). The Australian Curriculum: Mathematics. Retrieved from https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/mathematics/ Burkhardt, H., & Swan, M. (2017). Design and Development for Large-Scale Improvement. In Kaiser, G (Ed). Proceedings of the 13th International Congress on Mathematical Education (pp. 177-200). Springer. Department for Education, England. (2020). National Tutoring Programme launched to support pupils in schools across in England. Retrieved from https://nationaltutoring.org.uk/news/national-tutoring-programme-launched-to-support-pupils-in-schools-in-england/ Global Education Coalition [UNESCO]. (2021) Supporting learning recovery one year into COVID-19: the Global Education Coalition in action. Retrieved from https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000376061 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). (2020). The impact of covid-19on student equity and inclusion. Retrieved from https://read.oecd-ilibrary.org/view/?ref=434_434914-59wd7ekj29&title=The-impact-of-COVID-19-on-student-equity-and-inclusion Smith, P., Ladewig, M., & Prinsley, R. (2018). Improving the mathematics performance of chief scientist Australia’s students. Australian Government: Office of the Chief Scientist. Retrieved from https://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/sites/default/files/Improving-the-mathematics-performance-of-Australias-students.pdf van den Akker, J., Gravemeijer, K., McKenney, S., and Nieveen, N. (2006). Educational Design Research. Routledge.
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