Conspiracy in Senior School Mathematics

Research across five countries has identified inability to pay attention to mathematical detail -- the discipline of noticing -- is an issue in senior secondary school mathematics teachers. The test and questionnaire completed by an Australian cohort further identifies a reluctance to employ non-routine questions in assessments, with teachers concerned about damaging the trust relationship they enjoy with their students. As teachers fail to demonstrate strong ability in non-routine written test questions themselves, this paper questions whether there exists a 'conspiracy' between teachers and their students to avoid scrutiny of conceptual understanding.