Where do you start with upskilling?
A plethora of options exist, according to an analysis of OOF mathematics teaching upskilling initiatives in Australia released last year. Programs range from graduate certificate and micro-credential courses, professional learning and formal accreditations.
However, co-authors Michelle Barker, Merrilyn Goos and Mary Coupland found that evaluations of these programs were scarce and often relied on varied metrics, such as teacher beliefs, practices, and the number of OOF teachers.
What would suit you?
Their Analysis of out-of-field secondary mathematics teacher upskilling initiatives in Australia report highlighted the “complicated landscape” makes it difficult for OOF maths teachers to identify the best-fit courses for their needs.
Add to the mix that educational jurisdictions differ in how they accredit you as ‘in field’ or ‘out of field’ to teach mathematics. In my former home state of NSW, I couldn’t simply ‘call myself’ a maths teacher because I was primary qualified.
I completed many stints of casual out-of-field high-school teaching in the regions, but professional learning at those schools was scarce or ad-hoc at best.
I couldn’t enrol in any state-government-funded program due to my plans to move interstate. The courses I investigated required a full-time commitment to teach maths for two years post-graduation.
Outside of NSW, Australian teachers are registered as just that – teachers – so technically aren’t deemed OOFT when they teach maths, but if they have no content or pedagogical training, chances are they would feel out of field.
So, if you’re confused about the path to take to full upgrading to be and feel in field while teaching maths, the report suggests starting small with some professional development.
A professional learning option
One way to dip your toe in the water before committing to a fully fledged course is to enrol in a short professional learning program that’s being offered in person in NSW, but open to all Australian OOF teachers of mathematics.
The Mathematical Association of NSW (MANSW), based on the outcomes of their collaboration with Southern Cross University (SCU) has developed the program, drawing on national and international expertise in rural, regional and remote teaching of mathematics.
It will run in Armidale from February 26-28, then Orange from March 5 to 7, and focuses on the Year 7 to 10 curriculum.
The program aims for teachers and their leaders to attend with one overlap day, says MANSW’s executive officer, Darius Samojlowicz.
“Educators, who teach subjects without specialised training, face significant hurdles that impact the quality of education our students receive,” he says.
“Through our research partnership with SCU we have identified the systematic challenges that OOF maths teachers face. These challenges are: isolation and loneliness; lack of support and resources; greater workload, including allocation of teaching out-of-field; and time required to ‘fit in’ and belong in regional and remote settings.”
“With these in mind we are able to provide mechanism for systemic feedback, support mechanisms, community of practice, professional learning and professional growth.”
Leaders attend on days one and two, while teachers will attend on days two and three. Spots are limited. To develop the program, MANSW and SCU had to “consider the broad range of skills, experience and backgrounds of the teachers attending the program, recognise and value these”
“We also needed to identify the most important aspects of content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge to address.”
“Teachers will develop a stronger identity as a teacher of mathematics, develop their content and pedagogical content knowledge, and be able to implement a range of effective strategies and practices in their classroom,” Samojlowicz says.
“The program aims to equip educators with the necessary skills and knowledge to overcome pedagogical struggles, a lack of deep content knowledge, diverse student cohorts and knowing how to harness resources.”
It will cover universal approaches to teaching as mechanisms for (subject) boundary crossing, and overarching mathematics teaching approaches.
The program addresses mathematics strand-specific teaching approaches and mathematics content-specific teaching pedagogies.
Another key goal of the program is to help OOF mathematics teachers keep pace with the constant changes in educational policies and curricula.
“We’re keen to keep teachers and leaders updated about the latest information, including frameworks and strategies essential for their professional growth,” says Samojlowicz.
Attendees will learn how to harness open-ended questions, problem solving, differentiation, the Framework for Engagement with Mathematics, and more.
“When teachers boost their practice, students benefit from better instruction and a more supportive learning environment. And, when teachers do regular, high-quality training, they’re more likely to feel a higher rate of job satisfaction and remain in their positions – that’s crucial with current teacher recruitment and retention issues.”
Samojlowicz says the program will offer in-person opportunities for teachers to be part of a supportive community of practice during and after the program.
Participants can join a special interest group for ongoing support and to share best practices.
For more information and to register, email darius@mansw.nsw.edu.au. There are no plans yet for an online version to be offered.
Snaffling a best-fit option for me
While the MANSW program would have suited me perfectly last year, I now live in Victoria and have chosen another path to upgrade as a maths teacher.
It only involves me ‘paying’ with my time: 10 hours a week between March and October. I’ve secured a fully-funded spot in Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) online microcredential for out-of-field maths teachers anywhere in Australia.
CSU is also offering a similar microcredential in science, with both courses funded by the Australian Government’s Microcredentials Pilot in Higher Education.
Through the microcredential, participants can earn credit towards the university’s Bachelor of Educational Studies and can opt to specialise in mathematics, physics, chemistry or biology.
For some years, I’ve been watching the ‘space’ in public and scholarly discourse to track what’s available for teachers looking to upskill in any of the subjects related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
The current wave of short (or shortish) free courses and PL with no strings attached could be a winner, but blink, and you might miss out.
How do you find time to upskill while managing a heavy workload? Think of it as a shortcut to collaborative learning, far more effective than going solo.
After all, there’s safety – and support – in numbers.
