Conference synopsis_FINAL_20260815 - Flipbook - Page 91
KF03 MATHEMATICAL WELLBEING:
PLACING STUDENT FLOURISHING AT THE
HEART OF MATHEMATICS EDUCATIONS
KF04 LENDING A HELPING HAND:
GESTURES, MATHEMATICS AND THE VTLM
2.0
Julia Hill, RMIT University
All levels
Stoo Sepp, Monash University
All levels
The OECD and UNESCO have recently proclaimed that
wellbeing must become a central aim of education, not
merely an outcome. But what is mathematical wellbeing, why
does it matter for mathematics learning, and what role does it
play in helping students flourish mathematically?
Recent changes to the Australian Curriculum and the
introduction of the Victorian Teaching and Learning Model
(VTLM) 2.0 have a clear focus on explicit teaching and
specific strategies to reduce cognitive burdens.
In this keynote, Julia positions mathematical wellbeing as a
foundation for student flourishing in mathematics. Drawing
on case studies from Australia and internationally, Julia
highlights how students experience mathematical wellbeing,
identifies the pedagogical practices that support flourishing
mathematics classrooms, and considers how teachers can
cultivate mathematical wellbeing in and through their own
teaching practice. Julia argues that when mathematical
wellbeing is prioritised, students’ mathematical hearts are
activated, creating the conditions for their mathematical
hands and minds to engage more fully. When this happens,
wellbeing is no longer an add-on but central to what it means
to learn mathematics well.
Key takeaways:
1. Develop maths ‘wellbeing literacy’ — the language and
understanding to recognise, name, and respond to students’
wellbeing experiences in mathematics.
2. Draw on a framework to guide planning, teaching,
and reflection in ways that support students to thrive
mathematically.
3. Help students ‘flick the switch’ — practical strategies to help
students draw on their strengths, lean into challenge, and shift
away from deficit thinking in mathematics.
In this talk, Stoo will discuss biologically primary knowledge
and biologically secondary knowledge within the scope of
the VTML 2.0, including their theoretical and empirical
foundations and what they mean for mathematics education.
Research findings over decades show that gestures
and even whole body movements can reduce cognitive
burdens, support learning and affect intrinsic motivation
in mathematics and other domains. This means that these
strategies have the potential to blend hearts, hands and minds
to ensure learners get the most out of each maths lesson.
While teachers already use these strategies, a deeper
understanding of how and why they support attention and
acquisition can strengthen their position as complementary to
those already outlined in the VTML 2.0
Key takeaways:
1. Gestures can support learning through the manifestation
of concrete representations when cognitive resources are
stretched thin.
2. Gestures such as pointing can support learners’ attention.
3. Representational gestures can provide an embodied
experience and provide a cognitive bridge between physical
manipulatives and abstract concepts.
Supported by
91
