This presentation reports on a multi-year professional development and research project designed to enhance the teaching of mathematics to Grade 9 students in Ontario, Canada. A model of nested networks of professional learning communities (PLCs) was used to enhance mathematics teachers’ understanding and use of effective pedagogical practices. Ten secondary schools across the province each set up a PLC comprised of classroom teachers, an administrator, a district mathematics leader, and a resource teacher, which met for a full day once a month over two years. The purpose of these meetings was to explore practices and activities to enhance the teaching and learning of mathematics; however each PLC determined how they would work and the focus of this work. These PLCs were networked through a research team who visited and documented the monthly meetings and set up meetings of all 10 PLCs to enhance the learning through sharing across PLCs and focused learning to address teachers’ needs. Analysis of the transcripts of monthly meetings, interviews, and focus groups, provides evidence of shifts in practice and perspectives on students’ capabilities. Several components of the project were essential to the learning, including respecting PLC autonomy, recognizing and supporting the needs of the PLCs, and providing opportunities to share the ideas generated within each PLC with other PLCs, generating new learning. A follow-up study to this project shows that for many participants, practices developed during the project persist and informal professional learning through their connections with other participants has continued.

Authors:
Christine Suurtamm, University of Ottawa, Canada

About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Christine Suurtamm is currently Professor Emeritus of Mathematics Education at the University of Ottawa, Canada

See this presentation on the full schedule – Thursday Schedule

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