Abstract
This chapter reviews current perspectives on math learning difficulties in Australia. It presents an overview of Australia’s math performance ranking on several international indices. It describes state-by-state differences in definitions of MLD, assessment approaches, and support offered to students with MLD. Furthermore, it describes limitations in many professional training programs in facilitating an understanding of MLD and dyscalculia and highlights cases where professional training is based on contemporary educational neuroscience research. The chapter reviews state-by-state math curricula and suggests they tend to be more pragmatic than informed by theory. Insofar as theory is articulated, it is usually in the context of Piagetian or Vygotskian theory, rather than contemporary educational neuroscience. Moreover, many teaching practices recommended in curricula documents are arguably aligned with embodied cognition theory, although this is not mentioned in the documents. It is noted that some best practice training programs are aware of the DSM-V’s definition of specific learning disabilities and dyscalculia, as well as contemporary research on MLD. The chapter concludes with a review of recent Australian math neurocognition research that is slowly being incorporated into math educational practice.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-5. Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Association.
AUSPELD. (2015). Understanding learning difficulties: A practical guide. Available from http://auspeld.org.au/resources
Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers (AAMT). (1997). Policy on numeracy education in schools. Adelaide, Australia: AAMT.
Australian Capital Territory: Education and Training. (2013). Taskforce on Students with Learning Difficulties: Final Report. http://www.det.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/483819/taskforce-learning-difficultiesFAweb.pdf
Australian Census. (2016). http://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/D3310114.nsf/home/2016+Census+National
Australian Council for Curriculum and Assessment. (2017). Mathematics – Australian curriculum.http://www.acara.edu.au/verve/_resources/Content_for_Foundation_-_Learning_area_content_descriptions.pdf
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2013). National Assessment Program Literacy and numeracy. http://www.nap.edu.au/_resources/NAPLAN_2013_National_Report.
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2016). Annual Report 2015–2016. www.acara.edu.au/docs/default-source/corporate-publications/acara-2015-16-annual-report.pdf?sfvrsn=2
Australian Senate Stansding Committee on Education and Employment. (2016). http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Education_and_Employment
Butterworth, B. (1999). The mathematical brain. London: Macmillan.
Butterworth, B. (2003). The dyscalculia screener. London: NferNelson.
Butterworth, B. (2005). The development of arithmetic abilities. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 46, 3–18. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.2005.00374.x
Clements, D. H., & Sarama, J. (2007). Real math building blocks. Easton Commons: SRA/McGraw-Hill.
Clements, D. H., & Sarama, J. (2009). Learning and teaching early math: The learning trajectories approach. London: Routledge.
Education Services Australia. (2016). https://www.esa.edu.au/
Elkins, J. (2001). Learning disabilities in Australia in research and global perspectives in learning disabilities. In D. P. Hallahan & B. K. Keogh (Eds.), Essay in honor of William M. Cruickshank (pp. 181–195). New Yory: Routledge.
Gelman, R., & Butterworth, B. (2005). Number and language: How are they related? Trends Cognitive Science, 9, 6–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2004.11.004
Gray, S. A., & Reeve, R. A. (2014). Preschoolers’ dot enumeration abilities are markers of their arithmetic competence. PLoS One, 9(4), e94428.
Gray, S. A., & Reeve, R. A. (2016). Number-specific and general cognitive markers of preschoolers’ math ability profiles. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 147, 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2016.02.004
Learning differences convention. (n.d.). http://www.learningdifferenceconvention.com/
Milton, M. (2001). Who helps children who have learning difficulties in numeracy. Australian Primary Mathematics Classroom., 6, 6–10.
National Assessment Program – Numeracy and Literacy. (2016). https://www.nap.edu.au/
Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability. (2015). https://www.education.gov.au/nationally-consistent-collection-data-students-disability-guidelines
NSW Department of Education and Community. (2011) http://www.dec.nsw.gov.au/about-us/how-we-operate/annual-reports/annual-report-2011
Peard, D. (2010). Dyscalculia: What is its prevalence? Research evidence from case studies. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 8(2010), 106–113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2010.12.015
Reeve, R. A., & Gray, S. A. (2015). Number difficulties in young children: Deficits in core number? In S. Chinn (Ed.), The international handbook for mathematical difficulties and dyscalculia (pp. 44–59). London: Routledge.
Reeve, R. A., Reynolds, F., Humberstone, J., & Butterworth, B. (2012). Stability and change in markers of Core numerical competencies. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General., 141, 649–666. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0027520
Reeve, R. A., & Waldecker, C. (2017). Evidence-based assessment and intervention for dyscalculia and Maths disabilities in school psychology. In M. Thielking & M. D. Terjesen (Eds.), Handbook of Australian school psychology: Integrating international research, practice, and policy (pp. 197–213). Switzerland, Europe: Springer International. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-45166-4_10
Rohl, M., & Greaves, D. (2005). How are pre-service teachers in Australia being prepared for teaching literacy and numeracy to a diverse range of students? Australian Journal of Learning Disabilities., 10, 3–8. https://doi.org/10.1080/19404150509546780
Skues, J. L., & Cunningham, E. G. (2011). A contemporary review of the definition, prevalence, identification and support of learning disabilities in Australian schools. Australian Journal of Learning Difficulties, 16(2), 159–180. https://doi.org/10.1080/19404158.2011.605154
South Australia Department of Education and Child Development. (2016). https://www.decd.sa.gov.au/
Thomson, S., De Bortoli, L., & Underwood, C. (2016). PISA 2015: A first look at. Australia’s results. Melbourne, Australia: Australian council for educational research https://research.acer.edu.au/ozpisa/
Thomson, S., Wernert, N., O’Grady, E., & Rodrigues. (2016). TIMSS: A first look at Australia’s results. http://research.acer.edu.au/timss_2015/
TIMSS 2015 and TIMSS Advanced 2015 International Results. (n.d.). TIMSS International Study Center. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
United Nations Human Development Index. (2013). http://hdr.undp.org/en/content/education-index
Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA). (2017). Victorian Curriculum: Foundation–10. [electronic version]. Retrieved January 30, 2017 from http://victoriancurriculum.vcaa.vic.edu.au/
APA Publication Guide is I have correctly referenced the publication Childhood Development. (2014).
Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development. (2014). Mathematics learning pathways for children birth to five years. Unpublished manuscript, Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Victorian Department of Education and Training Review of the Program for Students with Disabilities. (2016). http://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/about/department/PSD-Review-Report.pdf
Watson, J., & Bond, T. G. (2007). Walking the walk: Rasch analysis of an exploratory survey of secondary teachers’ attitudes and understanding of students with learning difficulties. Australian Journal of Learning Difficulties, 12, 1–9.
White, C. Y., & Elkins, J. (2000). Preservice primary education and the teaching of students with learning difficulties or with disabilities in the areas of literacy and numeracy. In C. E. Van Kraayenoord & J. Elkins (Eds.), Literacy, numeracy and students with disabilities: Teacher Education (pp. 21–50). Canberra, Australia: Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Reeve, R.A. (2019). Mathematical Learning and Its Difficulties in Australia. In: Fritz, A., Haase, V.G., Räsänen, P. (eds) International Handbook of Mathematical Learning Difficulties. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-97148-3_16
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-97148-3_16
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-97147-6
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-97148-3
eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)