A survey of mathematics teachers in Ireland

Teachers of mathematics (n=856) in schools participating in PISA 2003 were administered a questionnaire which asked them about their qualifications and teaching experience, instructional emphasis placed on aspects of Junior Certificate mathematics and PISA mathematics, their general attitudes towards mathematics and calculator usage, and usage of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). Results indicate that over 90% of teachers held a Higher Diploma in Education, but that almost 28% studied degree courses which did not include mathematics as a major component. The incidence ofICT usage, by both teachers and students, during mathematics classes is low. Although teachers' reports of instructional activities suggest a low emphasis on transfer of mathematical knowledge to real-life situations, there is tentative evidence, when teachers' responses are compared with those in TIMSS 1995, of a slight decrease in the belief that mathematics is primarily an abstract subject. Teachers' reports of the emphasis given to aspects of the Junior Certificate mathematics syllabus indicate that assessment objectives that are assessed in the Junior Certificate Examination receive higher instructional emphasis than objectives which arc not assessed. Some of the areas receiving low emphasis would appear to be important for success in a more literacy-based, contextualized assessment of mathematics such as PISA.