Effective Teaching of Mathematics: A Focus on Fractions

Designed for both upper primary and lower post-primary teachers, this session bridges classroom practice across age groups while maintaining a strong emphasis on enjoyment and meaningful engagement in the teaching of fractions.

The session brings to life the eight Effective Mathematics Teaching Practices published by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) in 2014. With a specific focus on the topics of fractions, participants will explore approaches such as posing purposeful questions, implementing tasks that promote reasoning and problem-solving, and developing procedural fluency grounded in conceptual understanding.

Drawing on practical classroom examples, the session will demonstrate how effective task design, purposeful questioning, and the strategic use of representations can significantly enhance student engagement and deepen mathematical understanding.

Bio of Presenter: Dr. Mark Prendergast is a Senior Lecturer in Mathematics Education in the School of Education, University College Cork. He is a graduate of Physical Education and Mathematics (BSc.(Hons.), 2007), and Mathematics Education (PhD, 2011) from the University of Limerick. He joined the UCC School of Education in 2019 and is currently Director of the School's Cohort PhD programme. He is also involved in the delivery of a number of modules on the School's Professional Master of Education (PME) and M.Ed. Masters programmes. Mark has held previous academic positions in the National Centre for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching and Learning (NCE_MSTL) in the University of Limerick (2011 - 2012), in the Dublin Institute of Technology (2012 - 2014), and in the School of Education, Trinity College Dublin (2014 - 2019). 

Total Duration: 1 hour via Zoom

A link to access the webinar will be emailed to you prior to the event.