Enhancing mathematics teaching and
learning in early childhood settings
Maggie Haynes, Carol Cardno, and Janita Craw
2007
Teaching and Learning Research Initiative
P O Box 3237
Wellington
New Zealand
www.tlri.org.nz
© Crown, 2007
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Acknowledgements
First and foremost we wish to acknowledge the teaching teams at the three kindergartens:
y Avondale Kindergarten: Marjo Whyte-van Diessen and team
y Birdwood Kindergarten: Kathryn Palmer and Melanie Chaplin
y Don Buck Kindergarten: Katrina Bone and Petra Wyrsch
The kindergarten teachers are acknowledged in person, together with the names of their
kindergartens, because it was their wish not to remain anonymous.
We very much appreciated the input from our Advisory Committee: Dr Gregor Lomas (University
of Auckland), together with Shelley Shennan and Deena Mayor (Auckland Kindergarten
Association). We thank them for their valuable contributions to the project.
We also thank our colleagues in the School of Education, Unitec Institute of Technology, for their
support during the project and, in particular, we acknowledge the ongoing interest and acceptance
of our involvement from our colleagues in the early childhood programmes.
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Table of Contents
Acknowledgements
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1. Aims, objectives, and research questions
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Aim
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Objectives
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Rationale
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Research questions
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2. Research design and methodologies
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Action research defined
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The collaborative learning process and research rigour
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The action research settings
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Doing action research—the process
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Reconnaissance
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Intervention
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Evaluation
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Data-gathering methods
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Documentary analysis
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Small-scale survey questionnaires
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Reflective journals and diaries
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Notes, emails, and photographs as evidence
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Challenges for the researcher-facilitators
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Challenges for the participants
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Teachers becoming practitioner-researchers