Research enhances mathematics knowledge
Research done at Luleå University of Technoloy makes mathematics teachers across the country better at teaching. So far, 12,800 teachers has participated in the project called Matematiklyftet
– We have received very positive feedback from teachers who feel that they have gotten a way to talk about mathematics, says Maria Johansson, lecturer in Mathematics Education.
It's the goverment agency Skolverket that's behind Matematiklyftet (Mathematics Initiative). The training is completely web based and designed for teachers from preschool to secondary and special schools. The material is based on research on learning in mathematics and the analysis of Swedish pupils' results in national and international surveys.
Researchers from Luleå University of Technology has worked with the parts directed toward preschool and one of the parts for the upper secondary school.
Teachers with heavy workload
Since Mathematics Initiative takes place locally at schools and is intimately linked to the teachers' regular work, it was important not to add additional assignments to the teachers without using what they already know and do in the business, says Maria Johansson, Lecturer at Luleå University of Technology. She has developed the training program fpr preschool and preschool classes.
– We have used films from our own research where we taped entirely ordinary day in the preschools when lots of different things happen. Then we built our share of Mathematics Initiative around that, says Maria Johansson.
Challenging children's learning
The training package for pre-school/pre-school-classes have been completed since the fall of 2013 and the first revision is underway. Since the entire Mathematics Initiative for pre-school/pre-school-classes takes 1 ½ years to complete, no teacher has gone through the whole training yet.
– But we have still gotten a lot of feedback from the participants. They say that they have been helped to challenge children's mathematical learning in the business they already have, says Maria Johansson.
Participants in Mathemathics Initiative
In academic year 2013/14: approximately 275 principals, 12,800 teachers and 720 math training tutors.
In academic year 2014/15: about 285 principals and education providers, 14,000 teachers and 780 math training tutors.
