Parent and Family Interaction, Engagement and Perception around Mathematics

Abstract

The Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers Inc (AAMT) is the nation’s premier organisation of mathematics educators and federation of associations of teachers of mathematics from all Australian States and Territories. With funding from the Australian Government, the AAMT has established a four-year project, Make It Count: Numeracy, Mathematics and Indigenous Learners. Make It Count, as it has come to be known, has been working in clusters of schools across regional and urban Australia to develop an evidence base of practices to inform the improvement of “learning outcomes of Indigenous students in mathematics” (Morris and Matthews, 2010, p.31). In late 2011, Make It Count Ambassador, Dr Christopher Matthews, invited the authors to apply to AAMT to tender to conduct research in the Make It Count project. As per the submission documents, the AAMT were interested to understand (i) interaction and engagement between the school community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents/families; and (ii) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents/families’ perception of mathematics and its use in the community. The current report is the culmination of our successful bid to provide that research service. The report has been driven by the AAMT’s commitment to understanding the involvement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents and families in their child/ren’s school community, and particularly as that applies to mathematics education at St Peter Claver College, Riverview; a Catholic, co-educational secondary school in the Nerang, Queensland Cluster, which is committed to best practices and quality education for teachers and students, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous. People participating in our data collection activities were of Indigenous (i.e., Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) and non-Indigenous backgrounds, and included: (i) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents/families and other interested community members, (ii) the school and its community, and (iii) Critical Friend(s) of the Project. Data were collected in meetings and yarning circles, and these were held in different settings in the school and the wider community. The stories and comments shared were audio-recorded and later transcribed, which enabled us to respectfully present selected examples of the talk verbatim in the way that the words were actually, originally spoken.