Australian students’ results on international tests of mathematics (TIMMS) and numeracy (PISA) lag behind many comparable countries and have stagnated or declined compared to previous years. Policy responses to address disappointing educational outcomes have enjoyed limited overall success. The author of this paper argues that this is because a piece of practice and policy has not been properly addressed — teacher effectiveness: putting the best teachers in front of students and teaching them in the most effective way. At best, it is inconsistent — and in some cases, inadequate. For this reason, many education practitioners and policymakers are now dedicated to enhancing teacher effectiveness in schools across Australia.

Although many are broadly invested in improving mathematics instruction in schools, considerable differences exist among both researchers and educators as to what constitutes success and how this should be measured. While some focus on participation and engagement as a core outcome, others are more concerned with measurement of learning outcomes, either along a learning trajectory or on standardised tests of achievement. These three broad groups of researchers and practitioners in mathematics education can be characterised as engagement focused, strategy focused and measurable effectiveness focused.

The author also suggests that teaching approaches which are informed by research on cognition and the way people learn mathematics and numeracy are of immense benefit.  Cognitive science provides a ‘lens’ through which to assess the evidence for different approaches, including ‘why’, ‘how’, and ‘when’ to adopt them, empowering educators to make robust decisions about their instruction, with better educational outcomes for students, and hopefully, an improvement in the ‘health’ of mathematics and numeracy proficiency in Australia overall.