(Alice) Rose Dunn Assignment 1A 2092936

Numeracy, or mathematical literacy as it is sometimes known, is a difficult and broad concept to

define. Numeracy is often perceived to be intrinsically linked with mathematical ability (Westwood,
2008). According to the Australian curriculum outline of general capabilities however, numeracy is
the development of the knowledge and skills which allow a student to utilise mathematics across
many curriculum areas and carry those skills into their lives outside of school(ACARA, 2013).
Students use numeracy skills when interpreting, analysing and creating texts involving quantitative
and spatial information such as percentages and statistics, numbers, measurements and directions
(ACARA, 2013). These numerate activities are not unique to the study of mathematics and can be
utilised in any subject area without mathematic skills (Westwood, 2008). As educators, it is
important to understand the difference between numeracy and mathematics and facilitate
numeracy learning which complements the skills and concepts required in many academic
disciplines including drama.
Numeracy is one of the seven general capabilities outlined in the Australian Curriculum which
are geared towards creating learners who are successful, confident, creative and able to participate
in the world around them (ACARA, 2013). The term numeracy is often erroneously used as a
synonym for mathematics and while numeracy shares similar foci with mathematics, it is possible for
a student to be numerate without having an understanding of mathematics. Mathematics, according
is a group of related sciences, including algebra, geometry, and calculus, concerned with the study of
number, quantity, shape, and space and their interrelationships. There is an obvious link between
numeracy and the use of mathematics however, just as knowing the definition of words does not
make a person literate, knowing rules and algorithms to solve mathematical problems does not
make a person mathematically literate (Westwood, 2008). In Critical Numeracy, Johnston puts
forward another useful definition where he states that ...to be numerate is more than being able to
manipulate numbers, or even being able to succeed in school or university mathematics. Numeracy
is a critical awareness which builds bridges between mathematics and the real world, with all its
diversity (Johnston, 1994). This explanation of numeracy fits well with the aims of the Australian
Curriculum and clarifies the use numeracy across the curriculum.
Numeracy is a skill set that is important across the curriculum as many subject areas require use
of representational symbols such as graphs, maps, and statistics and it is crucial students can
interact with these tools(Johnston, 1994). Some subject areas require in-depth mathematical skills
such as physics, while others rely on the students ability to recognise and manipulate patterns
which are not necessarily mathematical such as those seen in music. More broadly, many public
issues depend on data, statistics, projections, and the kind of systematic thinking and problem
solving that is at the heart of numeracy. Different curriculum contexts also have distinctive
(Alice) Rose Dunn Assignment 1A 2092936
numeracy demands, so that students need to be numerate across the range of contexts in which
their learning takes place at school (Steen, 2001). Since numeracy is one of the most widely used
skills in mainstream western society, it is important to give our students a variety of numeracy
experiences in a variety of contexts in order for them to build the skills needed to lead a productive
life. Drama is not usually a subject which is associated with this use of mathematical literacy, but it is
possible to incorporate these skills in theory and performance in many ways.
In set design and construction, measuring the performance space and then creating moving or
stationary structures within it requires important numeracy skills such as measurement, depth
perception, an understanding of angles and the ability to use tools to solve problems. Another area
of performing arts in which numeracy skills can be used is in the box office, where tickets are
allocated, money is counted and reservations are taken. The obvious skills used in ticketing and
business are arithmetic in counting money and documentation of numeric information in the form of
an invoice book or similar spreadsheet. Students need to be able to manipulate numbers and record
accurately to measure profit and loss which is an important aspect of arts industry. Apart from
design and business, another way in which numeracy can be used in performing arts is evident in the
works of William Shakespeare. Shakespeare wrote in a rhythmic verse known as Iambic pentameter
which is a metrical line structure in English poetry and verse(Law, 2011). Iambic comes from the latin
word for foot, while the word pentameter tells the reader or performer that there are five feet in
each line(Law, 2011). This rhythmic structure is a quantitative meter and forms a pattern which the
reader can follow and perform for maximum effect. Numeracy as a quantitative skill is at work in this
example as recognition of this pattern. According to some selected definitions of numeracy, all of
these examples are evidence that mathematical approaches can be used with confidence and are
indeed required across many learning areas including the Arts.
Numeracy has many uses across the curriculum and can be embedded in many ways in order
to achieve maximum student engagement in subject areas. Drama is often seen as a soft subject or
one in which few academic skills can be taken away into everyday life. However, through the lens of
numeracy it becomes clear that there is more at work in the drama classroom than just performance
(Goos & Dole, 2012). Numeracy can enhance the theoretical understanding of Shakespeares works
in Iambic pentameter and it can also give students the opportunity to participate in real world
mathematical contexts such as those seen in the box office. Numeracy, while separate from
mathematics, provides students with the skills needed to interact with numbers in their every live
and it is for this reason that the Australian Curriculum has incorporated it into the all-important
general capabilities for optimal student success (ACARA, 2013).

(Alice) Rose Dunn Assignment 1A 2092936
Works Cited:

ACARA. (2013). F - 10 English Curriculum General Capabilities. Retrieved September, 2013, from
http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/English/General-capabilities
Goos, M., & Dole, S. G., M. (2012). Auditing the Numeracy Demands of the Australian Curriculum. In
J. C. Dindyal, L.P
Ng, S.P (Ed.), Mathematics Education: Expanding Horizons. Singapore: MERGA.
Johnston, B. (1994). Critical Numeracy. Fine Print, 16(4).
Law, J. (2011). The Methuen Drama Dictionary of Theatre (J. Law Ed. 1 ed.). London: Bloomsbury
Publishing.
Steen, L. (2001). The Case for Quantitative Literacy. In L. Steen (Ed.), Mathematics and Democracy:
The Case For Quantitative Literacy. Princeton, NJ: National Council on Education and the
Disciplines.
Westwood, P. (2008). Conceptualising Numeracy What Teachers Need to Know About Numeracy.
Camberwell, Victoria: ACER Press.