Primary

P1: How can GenAI help teachers of mathematics – Really helpful or sometimes too eager?

Biography
Professor Max Stephens is an honorary research fellow in the Faculty of Education at The University of Melbourne. He is also Patron of the Mathematical Association of Victoria. He has a long interest in curriculum development and assessment in mathematics at The University of Melbourne, and previously in the Ministry of Education. He is the co-author of a chapter on computational and algorithmic thinking in the Springer Encyclopedia of Mathematics Education. At ICME14In Sydney in 2024, he was a member of the organising team of TSG14 – The teaching and learning of computational thinking – along with Singapore colleagues, Eng Guan Tay and Weng Kin Ho. Together they have a book under way with Springer. Max sees the role of AI in teaching as both helper and disruptor. He believes that the relationship between computational thinking and natural language coding, such as ChatGPT or Deep Seek, is now fundamental to teaching mathematics and to problem solving, allowing coding to be treated as secondary and computational thinking as our primary focus.

Abstract
The workshop will provide opportunities for hands-on exploration of several themes touched upon in my Keynote. (Please bring your laptops + Chat GPT.) The first will be to consider how natural language coding assists teachers to focus on the underlying logic and sequencing of mathematical problem-solving, essentially computational thinking, rather than being caught up with the details of coding syntax. Two other topics will be explored: one asking how GenAI can provide metaphors to improve mathematical teaching in some difficult content areas; a second – and more challenging – probing GenAI’s reliability as a source of mathematical explanations to some familiar questions embedded in the primary, middle, and senior high curriculum.

Target Audience: Primary and Secondary Mathematics Teachers

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P2: Purposeful AI-enabled tools in Practice: Supporting Effective Mathematics Learning

Biography
Mr Choon Ming Kwang is a Master Teacher (Mathematics) at the Academy of Singapore Teachers. In addition to supporting the professional growth of teachers by strengthening pedagogical practices and designing engaging, effective mathematics lessons, he has conducted webinars, lesson demonstrations, and masterclasses at the Centre for Teaching and Learning Excellence (New Town Primary School), focusing on the development of mathematical thinking, as well as critical, adaptive, and inventive thinking through the effective integration of AI-enabled tools.

Mdm Loh Guat Bee is a Master Teacher (Mathematics) at the Academy of Singapore Teachers. She supports teacher professional learning and works closely with schools to strengthen pedagogical practices that foster students’ conceptual understanding and mathematical thinking. She is particularly interested in exploring how artificial intelligence can enhance mathematics education. Her work examines how AI-enabled tools in SLS can enhance students’ learning and act as a capacity multiplier for teachers to support differentiated instruction and enable continuous monitoring of every learner’s understanding while preserving the central role of teacher professional judgement.

Abstract
To enhance mathematics teaching and learning meaningfully, teachers need to make intentional pedagogical decisions when integrating AI-enabled tools. Effective use of technology goes beyond adoption; it requires alignment with learning goals, pedagogical approaches, and the nature of mathematical concepts. Purposeful integration of such tools can foster students’ mathematical thinking and enhance their learning experiences. This session will explore how these tools, together with systematic collection, analysis, interpretation, and communication of data about learners and their learning, can inform timely instructional decisions to support student’s learning and serve as a capacity multiplier for teachers. It highlights the possibilities of AI in mathematics education, while emphasising the importance of teacher pedagogical practices in orchestrating effective teaching and learning.

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P3: Enhancing Primary Mathematics Teachers’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge in the AI Era

Biography
Dr Joseph YEO Kai Kow is a Senior Lecturer in the Mathematics and Mathematics Education Department at the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. He is the consultant for the lower primary Targeting Mathematics series. As a teacher educator, he is involved in training pre-service and in-service mathematics teachers at primary and secondary levels and has also conducted numerous professional development courses for teachers and Head of Departments in Singapore and overseas. Before joining the National Institute of Education in 2000, he held the post of Vice Principal and Head of Mathematics Department in secondary schools. His research interests include mathematical problem solving in the primary and secondary levels, mathematics pedagogical content knowledge of teachers, mathematics teaching in primary schools and mathematics anxiety. His publications appear in both national and international journals, books and proceedings of meetings.

Abstract
As AI tools become increasingly accessible, primary mathematics teachers are confronted with fundamental questions: What role should Generative AI play in teaching and learning of primary mathematics? How knowledgeable and pedagogically trustworthy is Generative AI? And, most importantly, how can primary mathematics teachers critically and effectively use Generative AI without compromising their personal expertise and desire to support the development of their pupils’ mathematical processes? From lesson planning to differentiation and resource creation, Generative AI can be a good ally when used with intention and discernment. The workshop discusses the components of Mathematics Pedagogical Content Knowledge (MPCK) for primary teachers. The workshop also explores prompts that may not generate accurate, relevant, and useful outputs and this may not enhance primary mathematics teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge.