Supporting elementary teachers' planning and assessing of mathematical reasoning

Attention to mathematical reasoning in curriculum standards is part of an international trend, but identifying and understanding reasoning continues to challenge teachers. We report on one component of an Australia-wide initiative supporting teachers to implement innovative pedagogies. This paper contains insights from design research that focused on trialling classroom materials to support elementary teachers in their planning and assessment of reasoning. Findings confirmed planning is a critical step to developing learning experiences that elicit student reasoning, including consideration to task modifications and teacher questioning. Teachers’ capacity to assess their students’ reasoning was explored using the purposefully designed Assessing Mathematical Reasoning Rubric. The results reveal the complexity involved in constructing accurate judgements of students’ reasoning capabilities, particularly appreciating the non-linear nature of reasoning, and the need to draw on multiple sources of evidence. Implications for supporting teachers in their planning for, and assessing of, reasoning are raised.