If âSuccessâ Is the Goal, What Are We Aiming For?
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PRESENTED BYÂ REBECCA BURTENSHAW
In this session, Rebecca explores how âsuccessâ is conceived and manifested in mathematics classrooms. Drawing on insights from a national research project, she highlights the striking absence of a fifth proficiency strand within the Australian Curriculum: Mathematicsâand why this may be the most important for ensuring all students experience genuine âsuccessâ in mathematics.
Rebecca invites teachers to reconsider what truly counts and to reflect on how curriculum language, assessment, and classroom culture shape what is valued, what is assessed, and who gets to develop a meaningful relationship with mathematics.
About Rebecca Burtenshaw
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Rebecca Burtenshaw is a teacher and researcher passionate about reimagining what it means to succeed in mathematics. She has taught in diverse contexts, from large metropolitan schools to remote Indigenous communities in Far North Queensland. Rebecca now works at the University of the Sunshine Coast and is in the final stages of completing her PhD in Mathematics Education under the supervision of Associate Professor Margaret Marshman and Emeritus Professor Merrilyn Goos.
Her research investigates the meaning of âsuccessââa term often used without shared understanding and full of contradictionsâand how definitions of âsuccessâ shape what is valued, assessed, and overlooked in the learning and teaching of mathematics.
She has presented her work internationally, including on the TEDx stage. Her work is grounded in curiosity, courage, and connectionâvalues that guide her efforts to reimagine mathematics education as a space where all learners can experience genuine âsuccessâ.
