The preparation of Mathematics Teachers in Australia - ACDS

Chapter 1: Context of the study
In recent years a number of studies have raised concerns about the current and future supply of
mathematics and science teachers in Australia’s secondary schools. In particular, the review chaired
by Professor Kwong Lee Dow, Australia’s Teachers: Australia’s Future 3 highlighted the need for
comprehensive statistics relating to teacher workforce trends and teacher education.
In 2004, and in response to the recommendations of Australia’s Teachers: Australia’s Future, the
Australian Council of Deans of Science commissioned the Centre for the Study of Higher Education to
conduct a study into science teaching in Australian secondary schools 4 . The resulting report, Who’s
Teaching Science?, described the qualifications, teaching patterns, demographics and career plans of
science teachers, including teachers of senior school biology, chemistry and physics. Mathematics
teaching, however, was not included in the science study.
Ensuring the quality of mathematics teaching in Australia’s schools is a recognised priority of both
state and federal governments. A recent report from the Victorian Government’s Education and
Training Committee detailed an inquiry into mathematics and science education that included an
examination of teacher supply and demand, and teacher quality in Victoria 5 . In 2005, the Australian
Government’s Department of Education, Science and Training commissioned a study into
mathematics and ICT education in primary and secondary non-metropolitan schools 6 . The present
study sought to complement such studies through a nationwide survey of secondary schools, with a
focus on mathematics teaching and teachers.
As the present report reveals, high quality mathematics teaching requires that teachers are well
equipped with knowledge and skills in both mathematics as a discipline, and mathematics teaching
methods. Mathematics teachers tend to specialise in mathematics teaching, further suggesting that
out-of-field teaching is not a viable option for staffing mathematics classes. This study contributes new
findings on the staffing patterns of mathematics teaching in schools, and the challenges faced by
schools in recruiting and retaining mathematics teachers. It provides new information on the
characteristics, career plans and attitudes of mathematics teachers that might assist in the training,
recruitment and retention of future teachers. In addition, the report provides information on the
professional development requirements of mathematics teachers. The project’s findings are
presented around five themes:
• The distribution of mathematics teaching in schools, including the number of people teaching
mathematics and the range of subjects they teach (Chapter 3).
• The tertiary qualifications of mathematics teachers: the levels of study deemed necessary by
heads of mathematics departments (Chapter 4); teachers actual qualifications; their
satisfaction with their tertiary preparation for their current teaching roles; and their attitudes
toward ongoing professional development (Chapter 5).
• The demographic characteristics and employment histories of mathematics teachers (Chapter
6).
• The supply of mathematics teachers, including recruitment difficulties experienced by schools
and the career plans of mathematics teachers (Chapter 7).
• The factors attracting people to a career in mathematics teaching (Chapter 8).
3
DEST (2003a)
4
Harris, Jensz & Baldwin (2005)
5
Education and Training Committee, Parliament of Victoria (2006)
6
SiMERR (Project in progress)
1