Examining changes in young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island students and their beginning primary school teachers’ engagement in the teaching and learning of mathematics

This paper examines the outcomes of a 4-year implementation of a mathematics program (Representations, oral language and engagement in Mathematics: RoleM) for Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island students’ learning of mathematics across the first 4 years of primary school (Foundation—Year 3). It specifically aims to determine how engagement in teaching and learning mathematics changes as beginning teachers and student participate in the RoleM project. Data were collected from teachers across the 4 years of the RoleM project who were working in schools with young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. This paper draws on data from 22 beginning teachers (in their first 3 years of teaching) who participated in three semi-structured interviews. Findings indicate that the relationship between the constructs of engagement are potentially on a continuum, with changes in teacher perspectives of their own engagement and students’ engagement acting in a synchronised manner.