The preparation of Mathematics Teachers in Australia - ACDS

Table 6.8 Career plans of early career teachers, grouped according to previous employment
Response to the question:
Do you think that you will be teaching secondary school
Mathematics teachers
mathematics in 5 years time?
with < 5 years
teaching experience Yes Probably Unsure No
Teaching as first
profession
(n= 230)
Previously employed
(n=234)
37.0% 33.5% 19.6% 10.0%
49.1% 23.1% 18.4% 9.4%
6.4 The teachers of junior, middle and senior schools mathematics classes
Section 6.2 describes the characteristics of all mathematics teachers, independent of the type of
mathematics that they taught. In this section, teacher characteristics are described from the
perspective of the mathematics taught, rather than the teachers. For example, where the focus is on
middle school mathematics, the characteristics of all teachers teaching at that level is presented.
A teacher-focused analysis of teaching patterns, including analysis of age and teaching experience,
is presented Chapter 3, Section 3.2. This section makes reference to Chapter 3, and to Table 3.5 in
particular.
Teachers of junior school mathematics were the group of mathematics teachers most likely to teach
non-mathematics subjects (Table 6.9). They also tended to be, on average, younger and less
experienced. Conversely, teachers of senior school mathematics are the eldest, most experienced
and least likely to teach non-mathematics subjects. More pronounced differences emerged in the
characteristics of teacher groups when senior school mathematics were analysed by level of
complexity (Table 6.9). Teachers of advanced senior mathematics were typically male, highly
experienced and among the least likely to teach non-mathematics subjects.
As Table 6.9 describes all teachers involved in teaching a particular school level, and because many
teachers were involved in teaching several school levels (see Chapter 3; Table 3.5), some more
pronounced differences in teacher groups were masked. Table 6.10 describes the characteristics of
three groups of teachers with ‘narrower’ mathematics teaching responsibilities - those who teach:
only junior or middle school mathematics; only senior mathematics; or only intermediate or advanced
senior mathematics.
Mathematics teachers who do not teach senior school are far more likely (78%) to teach nonmathematics
subjects than are those who teach intermediate or advanced senior mathematics (44%)
(Table 6.10). The difference in teaching experience is equally marked. Those who do not teach
senior school have a median of ten years teaching experience, in contrast to a median of 22 years for
those who teach only senior school (Table 6.10).
Teachers whose mathematics teaching is restricted to junior school (see Chapter 3, Table 3.5) are,
on average, younger than their colleagues (39.1yrs) (p