‘…ākonga can see their language, culture and identity and understand that self-expression is essential for their personal and collective wellbeing and achievement.’ ^[1]

Jayne Senington, Deputy Principal, Takanini School

The Developing Mathematical Inquiry Communities approach explained in BES Exemplar He Tauira 1 was selected from thousands of interventions because well-implemented it had the greatest impact on equity and excellence in mathematics achievement, and the development of collaborative skills and key competencies in the New Zealand Curriculum.

How?

BES Exemplar He Tauira 1 gave examples of the early DMIC ‘smart tools’ that supported teachers in the development of communicative actions, participatory actions and mathematical progressions: The Mathematics Communication and Participation Framework. These smart tools and those that followed, such as the new DMIC Teacher Task Booklets, have been a crucial resource and support for teachers in the ‘how’ of high impact teaching for diverse learners.

To find out more about the lesson structure in DMIC see The Launch, Groupwork, Sharing Back and Connect in the best evidence in action exemplar: Ambitious mathematics for young Pacific learners: Dr Jodie Hunter demonstrates algebraic thinking for tivaevae | Education Counts.

Collaboration skills were built in classroom participation through the ‘talk-moves’. For children worried about disagreeing, the pedagogy included a ‘friendly arguing’ approach in which children learned they could respectfully disagree and give their reasons. The ‘friendly arguing’ kaupapa helped children see how Pacific values could be consistent with their classroom processes.

‘A lot of the work that you put in at the start of the year in particular, the start of the lesson relates to group norms and establishing that the maths environment in your classroom is a supportive one, where you're allowed to make mistakes…I think establishing group norms and having the ability for your students to be able to do that requires you as a teacher first to encourage students to be risk takers, to share their views whether that's in their own language, whether that's using words that are familiar to them, or contexts that are familiar to them. That's something to be encouraged. And when children feel like that is valued in the classroom that has the benefit of making them feel more engaged in their learning, feeling more empowered to take risks…setting those high expectations and a vision that those learners are capable of achieving whatever they put their minds to.’

Jarrod Pihama, Teacher & Maths Lead

‘For our school the mixed ability grouping has been proven in the results we have achieved. Mixed ability grouping played a large role. Mixed ability grouping has allowed teachers to have high expectations of students, it's allowed students to explain their thinking. Students who maybe are stronger in maths - it actually extends their thinking through having to explain to other students as well, having to justify, having to agree or disagree with other students…our most able mathematicians benefit from being within mixed ability groupings because otherwise our results would show that those students were taking a dive and they're not; they're flourishing too.’

Jayne Senington, Deputy Principal

‘You can come into any of these classes, and you can see students naturally sharing their understanding showing off everything they know about mathematics in a respectful way because that's how we do it at home…with their whānau and then confidently standing up in front of the whole class sharing their maths or their understanding that we as whānau did this and we did it because of this and this and this and being able to provide evidence as to why their ideas and understandings work. So what's happening now is our students have moved away from giving a more procedural way of thinking through a maths task to more of a big idea of conceptual understanding of why, for example, the formula for area works.’

Mary Rahiti, DMIC Mentor

‘It's not just how you find the area of a triangle. It's “What does that mean in real life? Where can you apply that? What context can you apply that in your life? What vocations is that applicable to?” So all of that learning they are doing in the classroom; they're beginning to see that as purposeful and meaningful. And the fact that they can see a context for that learning is what is keeping them, I feel, engaged and happy to go home and tell their parents this is what I've learnt.’

Jarrod Pihama, Teacher & Maths Lead

Children can access every strand of mathematics

‘The difference now would be that we have an assessment of every strand of mathematics. Not just number which focussed heavily in the four operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication & division, and fractions. So now you assess geometry, also measurement, algebra all of those other things that are just as important in mathematics but now they are actually being assessed and students are able to share their understandings in those strands of maths.’

Jarrod Pihama, Teacher & Maths Lead

At the heart of Developing Mathematical Inquiry Communities

At the heart of the DMIC impact are changes in teaching and pedagogical practices that not only enable extraordinary achievement gains in mathematics but also give effect to the Key Competencies; a renewed priority in Te Mātaiaho: The refreshed New Zealand curriculum.