Teacher identity as an embedder-of-numeracy: identifying ways to support teachers to promote numeracy learning across the curriculum

Abstract

Numeracy encompasses the capacity to cope with the mathematical demands of life. The context in which mathematics is used is an important dimension of numeracy; so one way that schools can provide opportunities for students to develop this capacity is to take advantage of numeracy learning opportunities across the curriculum. Teachers need to be able to identify these opportunities, and design and implement appropriate tasks in their classrooms for this approach to be successful.Research interest in numeracy is increasing internationally because of growing recognition of the impact of low levels of numeracy: on the economic and social well-being of individuals, and on the economies of countries. Researchers have investigated professional development interventions that support an across the curriculum approach to numeracy but this research does not appear to have examined factors that influence how teachers implement learning from such interventions. This study responds to the question of how teacher identity can be used as an analytic lens to identify factors that influence the ways in which teachers promote numeracy across the curriculum, in order to ascertain ways to assist them in this endeavour.A framework for teacher identity situated in the specific context of promoting numeracy learning across the curriculum was developed and evaluated in this study. Thus, the research was conducted in two phases: a theoretical phase and an empirical phase. A framework for identity as an embedder-of-numeracy along with an adaptation of Valsiner's zone theory was proposed as a way of capturing and understanding both the complexity and dynamic nature of a teacher's identity in this context. An extensive review of literature informed the theoretical phase of the research. Case studies of seven teachers were utilised to re-examine the proposed framework and the sociocultural approach employed. This empirical phase was conducted over a two-year period, with teachers recruited because their participation in a larger study indicated that changes in their identity in relation to promoting numeracy learning were likely over this period. Data sources drawn on to develop the case studies were semi-structured interviews and lesson observations conducted during visits to teachers' schools. The focus of each case study was on the teacher's identity as an embedder-of-numeracy when teaching science or history.The proposed framework for identity as an embedder-of-numeracy was organised by five Domains of Influence: Life History, Knowledge, Affective, Social, and Context. Characteristics that have previously been shown to influence a teacher's identity were included in the framework if it could be argued that they were likely to influence how teachers promote numeracy learning through the subjects they teach. This framework captures the complexity of identity as an embedder-ofnumeracy and could guide the design of empirical studies, but does not reveal how specific identities are formed and possible trajectories these identities mi...