Case study

Parents story

Catherine Demosthenous and Hellene Demosthenous
Make it Count Evaluators

The following story is taken from a case study on community engagement that was researched and written by two Aboriginal academics as part of the external evaluation of Make it Count.

Overwhelmingly, while parents and families differed in their priorities, all felt it was important for their children to have a happy school life, and saw education, including mathematics education, as a route to success in adult life. Make it Count was seen as a means of supporting that success. The case study found that the common message from participating groups in the research was to strongly endorse the objectives of the AAMT’s Make it Count initiative – to improve learning outcomes of Indigenous students in mathematics education.

Participants expressed the view that the College is leading the way in terms of its approach to Indigenous education in general, as evidenced in its implementation of strategic initiatives across teaching and learning. This included its extracurricular activities for students, teachers, and parents and families, as well as its increase in Indigenous student retention and participation rates and increase in Indigenous staff numbers.

The findings also indicate that the College is committed to improving the learning outcomes of Indigenous students in mathematics education, as
revealed in its involvement with Make It Count’s culturally-responsive approach to mathematics and numeracy. Its commitment is also evident in the provision of mathematics training of Indigenous and non-Indigenous teaching staff, the involvement of teachers in reflective research practices for improving their pedagogical practice, proactive participation of teachers and students in mathematics workshops, seminars and camps, and attitude to and reverence for the significance of culture in meeting the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander learners.