Research Conference 2010

Monday, 16 Aug 2010 10:44 AM

Primary Students’ decoding mathematics tasks: the role of spatial reason

Professor Tom Lowrie

Tom Lowrie is Director of the Research Institute for Professional Practice, Learning and Education (RIPPLE) at Charles Sturt University. Professor Lowrie’s previous positions included working as a primary school classroom teacher, teaching mathematics education and research method courses to undergraduate and postgraduate students at CSU and working with classroom teachers on curriculum frameworks. Previous administrative positions include being the Head, School of Education and acting Dean of the Faculty of Education at CSU.

A substantial body of Professor Lowrie’s research is associated with spatial sense, particularly students’ use of spatial skills and visual imagery to solve mathematics problems. He has co-authored Mathematics for children: Challenging children to think mathematically (now in its third edition) and has been the Editor of the Australian Primary Mathematics Classroom Journal. Professor Lowrie’s current research projects include Australian Research Council grants which examine young students’ ability to decode information graphics in mathematics and Mathematics in the digital age: Reframing learning opportunities for disadvantaged Indigenous and rural students.