This blogpost was authored by Dr Sean Chorney, who is an Associate Professor in mathematics education at Simon Fraser University, Canada. Dr Chorney visited the University of Bristol as a Next Generation Visiting Researcher in Spring 2024 to collaborate with Dr Tracy Helliwell in the School of Education.
I came to the University of Bristol, hosted by the ‘Next Generation’ Visiting Researcher Programme, to spend some time with Tracy Helliwell in March 2024. Tracy and I have always been drawn together because of our similar histories. Both of us taught secondary school mathematics for an extended number of years (22 years for me, 14 years for Tracy) before entering academia. Because of that experience, we both feel that we have a lot to offer preservice teachers, but we find it intriguing to question what we are, in fact, offering beyond our own previous experiences. Our interest is in mathematics teacher educator expertise; however, of course, what is expertise, how is it formed, and where does it reveal itself?
During one of our many conversations, we came up with a plan to return to secondary school to teach for a few weeks to see if there had been a change in how we teach in secondary school. It had been about 10 years since I had been out of the classroom, and it was about the same amount of time for Tracy. Much of the research in mathematics teacher educator expertise has been conducted in classrooms with preservice teachers at the university, so going back to the classroom seemed like an unusual place to explore mathematics teacher educator expertise. However, we conjectured that in what and how we planned, an expertise that we might be able to identify would emerge in this different context.
To prepare for returning to classrooms, Tracy and I visited a secondary school together and observed five different mathematics classes. We were particularly interested in the teachers and what they offered their students. Tracy and I had a great time discussing what we saw in each classroom. Since I left Bristol, Tracy and I have both taught multiple lessons in secondary school and are currently preparing a journal article based on our learning and thinking about expertise in that situation.
I thoroughly enjoyed the community at Bristol. I presented three talks, and each time, many from the education department came, not necessarily in mathematics education, but interested in what my mathematics education research was about. One of my talks was about how Canadian teachers are asked to Indigenize mathematics for their students. While all three talks generated good conversations, the challenge for teachers in Canada was particularly inspirational, and many were drawn to the challenges and the possibilities.
One of the most important lessons that I learned in coming to Bristol and spending time with Tracy was just how important it is to simply have conversations and share ideas. I found each conversation invaluable, and their impact lasts still. Without these kinds of opportunities, things are just busy, and I find it very difficult to engage in rich conversations. So, this was a wonderful experience for me, and I felt extremely lucky to have had the opportunity to sit, talk, read, and write alongside Tracy and the community in the Education Department at Bristol University. I’m extremely grateful.
Tracy and I presented some of our work on mathematics teacher educator expertise at the 15th International Congress on Mathematics Education in Sydney in July 2024: https://icme15.org/