Developing Mathematics Knowledge Keepers - Issues at the Intersection of Communities of Practice

Dianne E. Siemon

doi:10.12973/ejmste/75274

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Dianne E. Siemon ¹ ^*

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¹ RMIT University, Bandoora, VIC, AUSTRALIA^* Corresponding Author

Abstract

This paper discusses some issues that arose in the context of a three-year research project on Indigenous mathematics teacher education in the Northern Territory of Australia1. The project was based on the premise that Indigenous student numeracy outcomes are more likely to be improved where students can work on key number ideas and strategies in first language with knowledgeable community members. The research was located at the intersection of three communities of practice involving Indigenous teacher assistants, nonIndigenous teachers, and research team members. While a range of factors variously impacted the project, tensions within and between the communities of practice emerged to challenge the initial design and pose new questions. This paper will describe the research approach and illustrate the need for analyses which accommodate the often “messy relations” between individuals, individuals and communities, and different communities of practice.

Keywords

indigenous teacher education
mathematics education
communities of practice
number concepts
situated learning

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This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article Type: Research Article

EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed, Volume 5, Issue 3, 2009, 221-234

https://doi.org/10.12973/ejmste/75274

Publication date: 22 Jan 2009

Article Views: 1980

Article Downloads: 1022

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How to cite this article

APA

Siemon, D. E. (2009). Developing Mathematics Knowledge Keepers - Issues at the Intersection of Communities of Practice. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 5(3), 221-234. https://doi.org/10.12973/ejmste/75274

Vancouver

Siemon DE. Developing Mathematics Knowledge Keepers - Issues at the Intersection of Communities of Practice. EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed. 2009;5(3):221-34. https://doi.org/10.12973/ejmste/75274

AMA

Siemon DE. Developing Mathematics Knowledge Keepers - Issues at the Intersection of Communities of Practice. EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed. 2009;5(3), 221-234. https://doi.org/10.12973/ejmste/75274

Chicago

Siemon, Dianne E.. "Developing Mathematics Knowledge Keepers - Issues at the Intersection of Communities of Practice". Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education 2009 5 no. 3 (2009): 221-234. https://doi.org/10.12973/ejmste/75274

Harvard

Siemon, D. E. (2009). Developing Mathematics Knowledge Keepers - Issues at the Intersection of Communities of Practice. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 5(3), pp. 221-234. https://doi.org/10.12973/ejmste/75274

MLA

Siemon, Dianne E. "Developing Mathematics Knowledge Keepers - Issues at the Intersection of Communities of Practice". Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, vol. 5, no. 3, 2009, pp. 221-234. https://doi.org/10.12973/ejmste/75274