Year 4 Team Leader in the Junior School, Samuel Bryant used the 2025 Burgmann Professional Learning Scholarship to explore new approaches to mathematics teaching that help students build confidence and engage more deeply with the subject.
For 2025 Burgmann Professional Learning Scholarship recipient Samuel Bryant, Year 4 Team Leader in the Junior School, the focus of his study was mathematics and how to help students feel that the subject is accessible and meaningful.
Samuel undertook professional learning through Western Sydney University with mathematics education researcher Catherine Attard. The program explored ways to design rich tasks and project based learning experiences that engage students in authentic mathematical thinking.
Samuel’s interest in this area is personal. At school, mathematics was not a strength for him, and he remembers feeling that it simply was not “for him”. As a teacher, he is determined that his students do not leave the classroom with the same belief.
“I don’t want my students to believe they either have a maths brain or a writing brain. I want them to see that everyone can do maths.”Samuel Bryant
One of the key ideas from the course was the use of rich tasks to introduce mathematical concepts through meaningful challenges. Rather than beginning with explicit instruction and then applying knowledge to a problem, the approach often begins with the problem itself. From there, teachers identify the knowledge and skills students need and introduce explicit teaching at the right moment.
Samuel incorporated this approach into his classroom planning throughout the year. Each major area of content was anchored by a central rich task, giving students a clear purpose for their learning.
He also introduced more puzzles, investigations and collaborative activities, helping students engage with mathematics in a variety of ways.
Student response has been encouraging. Early in the year, Samuel conducted a survey exploring students’ attitudes towards mathematics, including levels of anxiety about the subject. Over time, he observed a steady decline in maths anxiety as students became more confident working with peers and tackling complex problems.
The approach supported students at all levels. Some students built confidence and improved their results, while others were extended through more complex investigations and projects.
Samuel also shared his learning with colleagues, collaborating with his teaching team on lesson planning and resources. By working together, the team refined ideas and strengthened the mathematics program across the year level.
Through the scholarship, Samuel deepened his understanding of mathematics teaching and contributed to a broader conversation about how students experience and engage with the subject.
This article forms part of the Burgmann Professional Learning Scholarship series.
Read more about the scholarship and the 2025 recipients.