In early 2020, due to the COVD-19 pandemic, Australian schools were closed and students began an unprecedented time of remote learning. The current study aimed to understand how teachers planned and implemented mathematics learning programs for their students, the challenges they encountered, as well as the degree to which their students were motivated or engaged when learning mathematics at home. Two teachers from two Australian primary schools who shared a similar contemporary teaching and learning philosophy emphasising inquiry-based learning were interviewed, and students were surveyed anonymously about their engagement (cognitive, emotional, social and behavioural) when learning mathematics from home. Findings indicated that both teachers were concerned about effectively catering for all students and assessing student progress and engagement with the tasks. Survey data revealed most students displayed positive engagement with remote learning experiences, except for the lack of opportunity to learn mathematics with and from their peers.

Low levels of student engagement in mathematics education has been a growing concern in the Australian context and internationally. In this chapter, we will explore how value alignment strategies (Scaffolding, Balancing, Intervention and Refuge) could be used to rework conflict, resentment and disengagement of students in the mathematics classroom. When students are encouraged to discuss their individual thoughts and opinions, ideas and approaches, students' values and identities become more apparent. We also begin to explore the notion of identity as an extension to the completed work on value alignment strategies. We propose a possibility that value alignment strategies could be the catalyst in many more students proclaiming that 'mathematics is my most valuable subject!' Keywords Values • Value alignment strategies • Student engagement • Student disengagement • Mathematical identity

Using nation-wide survey data (N=2328) from China, this study investigates how social support from family, peers, and teachers influence low-income household children’s (from 13 to 15 years old) academic resilience, as well as how academic resilience mediates the relationship between social support and children’s academic achievement. Structural equation modelling was adopted to analyse the data. The results reveal that (1) low-income household children’s family, peer, and teacher support are associated with their academic resilience; (2) peer support and academic resilience of low-income household children significantly relate with their academic achievements; (3) academic resilience plays a full mediation role in teacher support and a partial mediation role in peer support on children’s academic achievement. The implications of this study on theory and practice, the limitations, and future research directions are discussed.

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Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore whether the four value alignment strategies available to educators (Scaffolding, Balancing, Intervention and Refuge) previously identified in the mathematics education literature comprehensively capture educator value alignment strategies in an intervention context. Design/Approach/Methods: To this end, we analyse semi-structured interview data with two teacher-leaders involved in the Getting Ready in Numeracy (G.R.I.N.) intervention program through a value alignment lens. Findings: We ascertain that a fifth strategy, the Beacon strategy, is needed to describe the range of value alignment strategies employed by educators in the G.R.I.N. program. The Beacon strategy involves the educator digging in and reasserting their expectations until the student behaves in a manner that aligns with the educator’s values. In part it involves the educator being able to recognise their own values and clearly communicating these values to students. Originality/value: This article further explores strategies that educators have at their disposal for aligning their values with those of their students. The uncovering of the Beacon strategy is particularly valuable as it suggests that educators could be purposefully pursuing value alignment even when they do not appear to take any active steps to move further towards their students’ sets of values.

This paper outlines a tutoring initiative intended to re-engage students who have become alienated from mathematics class at school. The initiative is focused on priming students for their subsequent mathematics lessons, and is referred to as "Getting Ready in Numeracy" (G.R.I.N.). Following a discussion outlining the principles of G.R.I.N., data from interviews with G.R.I.N. tutors and classroom teachers are presented. Findings suggest that participating in G.R.I.N. enhanced student engagement in mathematics and helped foster a growth mindset. Analysis of interviews also revealed some of the challenges associated with the initiative, in particular, issues relating to communication and coordination, such as: understanding the purpose of G.R.I.N., timetabling, planning and having sufficient students in the target group. In addition, in some instances, tensions between the professional and pedagogical expertise of the G.R.I.N. tutor and classroom teacher required navigation. Recommendations for mitigating these challenges and tensions are put forward, all of which are reliant on strong leadership and support for the program at the school level.

Using data from the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS; 2013), this article explores teachers’ needs, support, and barriers in their professional development. The research finds that Australian teachers expressed greater needs in information and communication technology (ICT) use and new technology training for teaching, while Shanghai teachers required more assistance to satisfy students’ individual learning and pedagogical competencies. More than 80% of Australian and Shanghai teachers received scheduled time to support their participation in professional development, whereas less than 20% of Australian and Shanghai teachers received monetary or nonmonetary support. In terms of barriers, Australian and Shanghai teachers reported two significant barriers that conflicted with their participation in professional development: “working schedule” and “a lack of incentives to take part.” This article reveals implications of the study in the design of an effective professional development program for Australian and Shanghai teachers and ends with discussing the limitations of the research and future research directions.

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