Golding, J; (2016) Professional association activity: what contribution can it make to mathematics teachers' professional development and student learning, and are any of those distinctive? Final report. Meeting of the Mathematics Subject Associations: MMSA: UK.

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Abstract

Professional association activity is commonly regarded as a professional ‘good’ (Cherwin 2010), yet there remains little systematic evidence of its impact on teachers’ development or the learning of their students. At a time when there are a variety of threats to the quality and quantity of mathematically-effective teaching (Ofsted 2012) this small study asks what contribution participation in mathematics professional association activity can make to the development of teachers’ knowledge, skills and affect, and how that then impacts on their students. Questionnaire and interview data were collected from participants at a variety of mathematics professional association conferences, and a grounded approach was adopted to data analysis and interpretation. Participants claim a range of significant and pervasive benefits to their professional association participation, many of which are distinctive to this form of professional development. These include a renewed commitment to their role as teachers of mathematics. They talk about refreshment and inspiration, and about deep and lasting impact on them and on their students’ learning. They offer suggestions for improving impact further, and also describe a number of disincentives to engage in such activity. Implications of the findings are discussed.

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