Mathematics

7. Development of competencies
8. Experiences and challenges
In each part participants carry out activities in four steps with the following
allocation of time: individual preparation (45 – 60 min), collegial discussions
(90 – 120 min), practical activities/lessons (one lesson), and common follow up
and reflections (45 – 60 min).
The Swedish National Agency for Education invites groups of mathematics
educators and researchers from different universities to develop study
modules. Usually, representatives from two universities build a team for
module development. Each module should be developed within a six to eight
months period and a team gets a budget for work-time. The material
developers’ work is structured and timed around four meetings at the
headquarters of the Swedish National Agency for Education in Stockholm.
Representatives of the central project team give guidelines for the module
development (introductory meeting) and evaluate work progress in three other
meetings scheduled at regular time intervals. Practicing teachers and the
Swedish National Centre for Mathematics Education are also involved in the
material quality evaluation.
The aim of this paper is to discuss the project from a material developer’s
perspective. The paper attempts to highlight a question: what lessons could be
learned from the process of material production for the professional
development of mathematics teachers in Sweden?
2 Findings: reflective insights on the work process
2.1 Starting point
During the introductory meeting for each module the developers learn that the
sources of inspiration for the project have been:
• John Hattie’s studies showing the importance of improving teacher
competence for raising learners’ performance (Hattie, 2009);
• Japanese “lesson study” model consisting of lesson preparation,
auscultation and collegial reflections about the implemented lesson;
• the SINUS project (Germany), in particular a scaling up form of using
study modules, facilitators, and Internet based platform (Ostermeier,
Prenzel, Duit, 2010).
The project leadership made clear for the module developers that
• it is not possible to ask teachers to do auscultations of each other’s
lessons,
• to provide material that demands more than sixty minutes time to
prepare for the first group discussion meeting,
• the module content should encourage discussion of teachers’ own
actions rather than the learners’ performance, and
• all material should be produced in Swedish language only.
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