(Download) "Supporting "Out-Of-Field" Teachers of Secondary Mathematics." by Australian Mathematics Teacher * eBook PDF Kindle ePub Free

July 23, 2021

eBook details

Title: Supporting "Out-Of-Field" Teachers of Secondary Mathematics.
Author : Australian Mathematics Teacher
Release Date : January 22, 2010
Genre: Education,Books,Professional & Technical,
Pages : * pages
Size : 195 KB

Description

Principals are very aware that there is a great deal of competition in attracting qualified teachers of mathematics to their school since there are just not enough qualified mathematics teachers out there. Recent studies of the qualifications of teachers in Australian schools have confirmed that there is a crisis in the supply of qualified teachers of mathematics for secondary schooling (Australian Council of Deans of Science, 2006; Harris & Jensz, 2006; McKenzie, Kos, Walker & Hong, 2008). In Australian secondary schools, significant numbers of teachers of junior secondary mathematics (almost 50%) as well as teachers of (usually less advanced) senior mathematics subjects (32%) do not hold the recommended tertiary mathematics qualifications for teaching secondary mathematics (McKenzie et al., 2008). Furthermore, many of these teachers will not have completed pre-service training in mathematics teaching. The outlook is not good. There are falling numbers of students studying tertiary mathematics and the subsequent shrinking of mathematics faculty in Australian universities (ACDS, 2006). Also, enrolments in each Australian state in an advanced mathematics subject in the final year of secondary school, the prerequisite subject for entry to tertiary mathematics, have shown a continuous decline since the turn of the century (Forgasz, 2006). To address these trends the Commonwealth Government has reduced tertiary fees for undergraduate mathematics and science students. However, this program will take at least four years to realise any significant increase in qualified mathematics teachers. Some education systems have put programs in place to increase the supply of teachers in fields of shortage (for example the Career Change Program in Victoria) and the Commonwealth Government has announced a program to attract highly qualified mathematics and science graduates into a school-based pre-service program. However, principals realise that they will need to continue to rely on "out-of-field" mathematics teachers in their schools since these initiative will take some time to change the availability of qualified specialist teachers.