Classroom.

Using a social-constructivist approach to teach numeracy and mathematics, means that

students construct their knowledge in a setting where social and environmental factors
influence their ability to learn (Simon, 1995). Therefore, a class culture where students are
free to explore and experiment with their ideas without fear of being wrong should be
emphasised. A classroom which does not foster experimentation and exploration can lead to a
negative association with mathematics which can inhibit engagement with the discipline.
Sullivan (2011) notes that it is crucial to develop a productive disposition, which is a feeling
of self-confidence towards mathematical ability in our students. Developing this, for all
students but specifically for the lower ability students helps them engage with the discipline,
as they are not resisting the content (2011). A well designed classroom, learning activities,
and the teachers style help foster a productive disposition, which substantially influences all
students achievement in mathematics (2011). As constructivism views learning as a social
process the environment will allow for a high level of social interaction (Lefoe, 1998).
Therefore, the tables are structured so the students are grouped and face each other, which
allows for easy communication to take place between students (1998). This arrangement is
crucial for a constructivist environment and means that the students can collaborate in their
learning, and therefore engage in peer learning which helps develop both students
understanding (1998).
There are many resources to be experimented with in the classroom, like blocks and
Legos, which students are encouraged to play with. The resources that encourage students to
play relate to an aspect of constructivist learning theory called discovery learning which is a
process where students use explorative play as a means of acquiring knowledge (Duffy &
Cunningham, 1996). In a structured environment, play is an effective tool for students to
construct and experiment with their knowledge (1996). Given this, the teacher must create a

structured learning environment where students can explore within defined parameters to
learn the desired outcomes (Simon, 1995). This means that lessons must ensure that students
of all ages can play and experience mathematical concepts in order to build their
understanding. This works well as a differentiation strategy for some of the students
operating at a lower level, as it is most effectively used in younger children (Duffy &
Cunningham, 1996).
The classroom is bright and colourful, with student work decorating the walls.
Different disciplines within each topic are displayed on the wall, to present the roles that
different subjects have within one broader topic. For example, the students could be studying
aspects of medieval history, within this the students could have looked at catapults. The
catapults have taught the children varied areas of mathematics, science, technology.
Furthermore, they can be included to teach the students about the social history and impact of
catapults. Therefore, the display would not be limited to one discipline, but rather extend out
to any discipline that relates to the topic. This is done to reinforce the links between
mathematics and other disciplines, which reinforces their conceptual understanding through
the contextual transferring of knowledge, and is informed by a connectionist approach to the
teaching and learning of mathematics.

Teaching Numeracy.
The content areas in the Australian Curriculum are number and algebra, measurement
and geometry, and statistics and probability (ACARA: Mathematics, 2014). The Maths300
website offers lesson plans that are developed with a constructivist/connectionist perspective
and offer the ability to easily differentiate the activities. For example, when teaching the
content descriptor ACMSP094, identify events where the chance of one will not be affected
by the occurrence of the other (Mathematics, 2014), the lesson from Maths300 titled Cat

and Mouse (Appendix 1) (Education Services Australia, 2010), could be used. This lesson
involves students experiencing the concept of causation by rolling a dice to determine
whether the mouse gets the cheese or is sent to the cat (2010). Students experience the
concept that the numbers rolled are not determined by previous rolls. This example highlights
a teaching approach where students experience the concept while they construct their
knowledge accordingly, which can be applied to teach each content strand of the Australian
Mathematics Curriculum.

Appendix 1
A simple appealing game about a mouse moving around a board. Depending on dice rolls, the
mouse either wins the cheese or gets sent to the cat. The game turns into a rich
investigation involving many probability and data concepts. Then a computer simulation

allows the investigation to be extended to other boards and even deeper probability analysis.