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Mathematics teachers' identities profoundly influence how they interact with and position their students to learn mathematics. In this paper, we examine how a year-long teacher learning intervention supportive of student engagement in mathematics helped shift teachers' mathematics-related identities. We use an implied identity perspective as a theoretical lens to explore changes in what teachers perceive as legitimate ways of being as a result of their participation in the intervention. Data from pre- and post-intervention concept maps and focus groups with 15 grade 5-7 teachers of mathematics were integrated for this purpose. Teachers reported shifts in their identities, describing themselves as "facilitators," "learners" and "co-creators" of knowledge. We argue that such shifts in the mathematics-related identities of teachers can have practical consequences in terms of improving students' engagement, and in particular, their autonomy for learning mathematics.

Desmoplastic stroma is a cardinal feature of primary pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), but its effects on the biology, prognosis and therapeutic outcomes are not known. We developed an automated method to assess tumor stroma density (TSD) and investigated computed tomography (CT)-correlates of stroma in PDAC. We collected PDAC samples from rapid autopsy and resection series and digitally annotated samples to quantify TSD. A series of resected patients also underwent preoperative multiphasic CT. Automated and manual assessments of TSD were highly correlated (ρ= 0.65, P < 0.001). Solid organ metastases had a lower median TSD than primary tumors (P < 0.001). Patients with high TSD enjoyed prolonged recurrence free survival (RFS) (P = 0.003; HR = 0.51) and overall survival (P = 0.008, HR = 0.57). In another independent dataset, patients with high TSD had decreased risk for recurrence (P = 0.003, HR = 0.03) and death (P = 0.003, HR = 0.03) at time of resection, however the protective effect diminished over time. Patients with normalized portovenous phase CT tumor enhancement ratio ≥0.40 had a longer RFS following resection (P = 0.020). Normalized portovenous phase CT tumor enhancement ratio was significantly correlated with TSD (P = 0.003). Objective quantitative assessment of stroma in PDAC revealed several clinically relevant observations. Firstly, stroma was less abundant in metastatic PDAC, the cause of most PDAC mortality. Secondly, high stromal content correlates with favorable outcome in resected cases, implying a protective effect of stroma and suggesting careful consideration of active stromal depletion therapies. Finally, standard multiphase CT imaging correlates with stroma content as well as clinical outcome, indicating that non-invasive assessment of stroma is a feasible sensitivity enrichment approach in PDAC.

Myokines released by exercise are identified as factors that can influence a person's health and wellbeing. While myokine secretion in response to an acute bout of endurance and resistance-type exercise has been examined, the influence of resistance-exercise training on myokines at rest is less well established. Therefore, this study was designed to evaluate a panel of myokines at rest following a 12-week resistance-exercise training program in younger and older males. Participants (n = 15) completed a 12-week progressive resistance-exercise training program supervised by a certified fitness professional. The training protocol targeted all major muscle groups of the upper and lower body. Resting blood samples were collected before and after completion of the training program to determine concentrations of apelin, fibroblast growth factor-21 (FGF-21), interleukin (IL)-4, IL-6, IL-7, IL-15, leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), and irisin. Two-way repeated ANOVAs were used to compare variables between time-points and age groups. There was a main effect of time found for apelin (p = 0.003) and IL-15 (p < 0.001), while no main effects for group or time were found for the other myokines (all p > 0.05). Age group × training status interactions were found for IL-6 (p = 0.04) and irisin (p = 0.014) without pairwise differences for IL-6 (p > 0.05), and younger males had higher concentrations of irisin compared to older males post-training (p = 0.036). Overall, the 12-week resistance-exercise training program significantly increased apelin and IL-15 over time but did not change the other resting myokine concentrations for the younger or older males. However, the higher concentration of irisin in younger versus older males post-training suggests a potential explanation for the anabolic resistance observed with aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With increased accountability attached to students' results on national testing in Australia, teachers feel under pressure to prepare students for the tests. However, this can lead to shallow teaching of a narrowed curriculum. An alternative approach involves using data to identify common errors and misconceptions, discussing strategies aimed at building understanding of important mathematical ideas as well as students' confidence in answering context-based mathematics questions. This study explored the use of a learning model based on professional conversations about national testing results as well as school-based assessment data with junior secondary mathematics teachers in one school. The teachers identified the learning needs of students and chose to implement mental computation and estimation approaches as well as a strategy to address the literacy demands of numeracy test items to support student learning before and after the NAPLAN test. An analysis of the professional learning model identified approaches to enhance both student learning and teaching practice. (Contains 7 tables and 3 figures.)

Using growth modeling, this study examined trajectories of 'switching on' (aspirations) and 'switching off' (disengagement) in mathematics across middle school and high school. In addition, guided by principles under expectancy-value theory, the study sought to determine the extent to which patterns of growth differed by motivation (self-efficacy and valuing) and socio-educational attributes (gender, language background, and achievement). The sample comprised 194 students from four schools who participated in three rounds of data collection across five academic years of their schooling, spanning middle school and high school. In the main, mathematics aspirations declined over time while mathematics disengagement increased. However, initial levels of aspirations and disengagement and their rates of change over time were impacted by motivational and socio-educational factors. Salient findings and their implications for educational assessment and practice are discussed.

The focus of this paper is the use of National Assessment Program in Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) items to develop students' competence in reading mathematical text, to promote thinking strategies including estimation, and to evaluate alternative solutions for errors and misconceptions. Showing students test items and discussing strategies for thinking about questions and responses promotes student confidence and resilience, and enables a greater sense of student control over their learning. Teachers best carry out assessment as they talk to and observe their students. For teachers who feel the pressure to prepare their students for the tests, the author is recommending the use of NAPLAN items as discussion starters to promote thinking. (Contains 7 figures and 1 table.)

Schematic models have been used extensively in educational research to represent relationships between variables diagrammatically, including the interrelationships between factors associated with teachers' beliefs and practices. A review of such models informed the development of a new model that was used to plan an investigation into primary school teachers' problem-solving beliefs and practices. On the basis of the findings from the research, the model was revised to include the important variable of prior mathematics learning, as well as a repositioning of the influence of teaching experiences in classrooms. (Contains 9 figures and 5 tables.)

The characteristics that typify an effective teacher of mathematics and the environments that support effective teaching practices have been a long-term focus of educational research. In this article we report on an aspect of a larger study that investigated "best practice" in mathematics teaching and learning across all Australian states and territories. A case study from one Australian state was developed from data collected via classroom observations and semi-structured interviews with school leaders and teachers and analysed using Valsiner's zone theory. A finding of the study is that "successful" practice is strongly tied to school context and the cultural practices that have been developed by school leaders and teachers to optimise student learning opportunities. We illustrate such an alignment of school culture and practice through a vignette based on a case of one "successful" school.

We started with a classic research question ("How do teachers motivate and engage middle year students in mathematics?") that is solidly underpinned and guided by an integration of two theoretical and multidimensional models. In particular, the current study illustrates how theory is important for guiding qualitative analytical approaches to motivation and engagement in mathematics. With little research on how teachers of mathematics are able to maintain high levels of student motivation and engagement, we focused on developing a qualitative framework that highlights the influence of teacher-student interactions. Participants were six teachers (upper primary and secondary) that taught students with higher-than-average levels of motivation and engagement in mathematics. Data sources included one video-recorded lesson and associated transcripts from pre- and post-lesson interviews with each teacher. Overall, effective classroom organisation stood out as a priority when promoting motivation and engagement in mathematics. Results on classroom organisation revealed four key indicators within teacher-student interactions deemed important for motivation and engagement in mathematics--confidence, climate, contact, and connection. Since much of the effect of teachers on student learning relies on interactions, and given the universal trend of declining mathematical performance during the middle years of schooling, future research and intervention studies might be assisted by our qualitative framework.