Australian Journal of Teacher Education - Volume 45 - Issue 1 - Article 1 - "Maths outside of maths": Pre-service teachers’ awareness of mathematical and statistical thinking across teachers’ professional work

Oct 15, 2026

Mathematical and statistical thinking extends across everyday and professional life, not only within mathematics lessons. This paper examines part of a project designed to build pre-service teacher awareness of the mathematical and statistical thinking required throughout primary teachers’ professional roles. The study frames this thinking as embedded curriculum learning, data literacy, and administrative and management tasks, and uses mentor feedback and focus groups to track changing awareness over a year.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages19

Reading Time48 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Context: democratic participation and data use

Invisible everyday role and teachers’ opportunity

Project background (MARKITE)

Research question and study focus

Australian Journal of Teacher Education | Volume 45 Issue 1 | Article 1 | | --- | --- | | 2020
“Maths outside of maths”: Pre-service teachers’awareness of mathematical and statistical thinking across teachers’professional work
Judy Bailey
University of Waikato, [jlbailey@waikato.ac.nz](jlbailey@waikato.ac.nz)
Bronwen Cowie
University of Waikato, [bronwen.cowie@waikato.ac.nz](bronwen.cowie@waikato.ac.nz)
Beverley Cooper University of Waikato
Follow this and additional works at: [https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte](https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte)
Part of the Elementary Education and Teaching Commons | | Recommended Citation Bailey, J., Cowie, B., & Cooper, B. () .“Maths outside of maths”: Pre-service teachers’ awareness of mathematical and statistical thinking across teachers’ professional work. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 45(1) . Retrieved from [https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol45/iss1/1](https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol45/iss1/1) [This Journal Article is posted at Research Online.](This Journal Article is posted at Research Online.)[ ](This Journal Article is posted at Research Online.)[https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol45/iss1/1](https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol45/iss1/1) “Maths Outside of Maths”: Pre-Service Teachers’Awareness of Mathematical and Statistical Thinking Across Teachers’ Professional Work Judy Bailey Bronwen Cowie Beverley Cooper University of Waikato, New Zealand Abstract: Mathematical and statistical thinking is involved across the breadth ofpeople’s home and work life and leisure activities. This paper reports on an aspect of a project that aimed to develop preservice teacher awareness of the mathematical and statistical thinking required across the breadth ofprimary teachers’professional role. This thinking is conceptualised as the mathematics and statistics embedded in each of the curriculum learning areas, in data literacy, and administration and management tasks. Mentor meetings indicated pre-service teachers who were completing a one-year graduate diploma initially had a limited awareness of the extent ofthis thinking. Through focus group discussions across the year participating preservice teachers’ commentary showed an increased awareness and appreciation of the breadth ofcontexts where teachers might encounter mathematics and statistics thinking beyond mathematics lessons. Given awareness is fundamental to learning and subsequent action we posit that developing this awareness during teacher education is important. Introduction Mathematical and statistical thinking are fundamental to effective participation in a democratic society because of the many ways they are implicated in a person’s work, social and home life, and their participation as an informed citizen (Bennison, 2015; FitzSimons, 2013; Hodgen & Marks, 2013; Karaali, Villafane Hernandez, & Taylor, 2016; PIAAC Numeracy Expert Group, 2009; Steen, 2001; Wiest, Higgins, & Frost, 2007) . Most occupations, including teaching, require mathematical thinking of some kind with many of these demands specific to the particular work context (Leder, Forgasz, Kalkhoven, & Geiger, 2015; Noss, Hoyles, & Pozzi, 2000) . Almost every public issue relies on the use of data to inform and/or persuade and so a person’s knowledge of how to interrogate data and data representations, and critique any conclusions and/or implications for action are important for informed participation in a democratic society (Alonzo & Starr 1987; Evans, Tsatsaroni, & Czarnecka, 2014; Jablonka, 2003; Steen, 2001) . In the context of the home, mathematical thinking is central to making sensible decisions about household budgeting, deciding on which mortgage to take, scheduling exercise sessions and so on (Lusardi & Tufano, 2015). Unfortunately, the role mathematical and statistical thinking plays in these various aspects of people’s lives is largely invisible to them (Coben, O’Donoghue, & FitzSimons, 2000; Delvin, 1998; Gal, 2000; Wedege, 2010

FAQs

What is the main focus of the paper?

The paper focuses on pre-service teachers’ awareness of mathematical and statistical thinking across the wider professional work of primary teachers.

How does the paper conceptualize mathematical and statistical thinking in teaching roles?

It is conceptualized as mathematics and statistics embedded in curriculum learning areas, data literacy, and administration and management tasks.

What evidence is used to evaluate changes in awareness?

Mentor meetings and focus group discussions across the year track participants’ commentary and changes in awareness and appreciation of where such thinking can arise.

Oct 15, 2026

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