CONFIDENCE AND PROFESSIONAL LEARNING: A CASE STUDY OF INDIGENOUS TEACHER ASSISTANTS ATTENDING PROFESSIONAL LEARNING

The focus of this paper is to examine the personal impact professional learning had on ITAs within the mathematics classroom. This paper is based on a four-year longitudinal qualitative study called Representations, Oral Language and Engagement in Mathematics (RoleM). The main study focused on the teaching and learning of mathematics of Indigenous students. As part of this study, Indigenous teacher assistants (ITAs) together with their teachers participated in the RoleM professional learning model (RoleM PL). RoleM PL included professional development workshops, leadership workshops and follow-up visits in the classrooms, which were facilitated by researchers. Nineteen Indigenous teacher assistants from remote, rural and metropolitan Queensland participated in this study. Data were drawn from semi-structured interviews conducted at least once a year with ITAs. An analysis of the interview transcripts highlights the beliefs, attitudes and understandings of Indigenous teacher assistants with regard to their mathematical knowledge and confidence in teaching mathematics. The analysis also identifies the difficulties ITAs were having in teaching mathematics, and how the RoleM professional learning model had benefited them in the mathematics classroom. As a result of participating in the RoleM PL, ITAs confidence increased and they gained insights into how to effectively help their Indigenous students learn mathematics.