The preparation of Mathematics Teachers in Australia - ACDS

Chapter 3: The distribution of mathematics teaching in schools
This chapter describes the distribution of mathematics teaching in schools, including the number of
mathematics teachers per school, their range of teaching responsibilities, and differences in the
pattern of staffing between schools in different states. This data is essential for workforce planning,
and yet is not readily available from existing data sources.
Section 3.1 describes the numbers of mathematics teachers per school and the differences observed
between different state/territory systems. This data was collected through the heads of mathematics
survey, which asked heads to list the number of mathematics teachers at their school irrespective of
whether mathematics constituted all or only part of each person’s teaching responsibility. As an
introduction to this section, the heads dataset is described in terms of state-based representation.
Section 3.2 describes the pattern of teaching responsibilities of mathematics teachers, including the
range of mathematics and other subject teaching. This data was collected from teachers directly. As
an introduction to this section, the pattern of mathematics subject offerings by schools is presented.
This information was collected from heads of mathematics.
While some demographic information is included, the demographics of mathematics teachers is
covered more extensively in Chapter 6.
In summary:
• Schools had, on average, eleven people involved in mathematics teaching per school.
• Most schools offered elementary and intermediate senior school mathematics, while less than
two-thirds offered advanced senior mathematics.
• Mathematics teachers taught a broad range of year levels.
• Fifty per cent of mathematics teachers also taught other subjects.
• Most teachers of senior school mathematics taught only mathematics.
• New South Wales schools had fewer mathematics teachers per school, and these teachers
taught a broader range of mathematics subjects. They were also less likely to teach nonmathematics
subjects.
• The state-based differences in the size of mathematics departments were independent of
school size and geographic location.
3.1 The number of mathematics teachers in schools
3.1.1 Schools represented in the heads dataset
Responses to the survey of heads of mathematics departments were received from 621 schools,
representing all states and sectors (Table 3.1). The number of responses received from each
state/territory reflected the size of the school system in that state/territory, with the possible
exceptions of the Northern Territory and South Australia. The response rate for all other states and
territories was between 19 and 26 per cent. The Northern Territory was under represented at 16 per
cent and South Australia over represented at nearly 30 per cent.
7