The survey measured teachers’ age, qualifications, years of teaching mathematics,
beliefs and practices in mathematics and experiences of curriculum reform. Teachers’
years of teaching mathematics were categorised in five yearly increments, with the
final increment measuring 31 or more years of teaching. Beliefs about mathematics
and the teaching and learning of mathematics were measured on 20 items developed
by Perry et al. (1996) from various mathematics education reform statements
(Australian Education Council, 1991; Mumme & Weissglass, 1991; Wood, Cobb &
Yackel, 1992). Each item was rated on a four point scale ranging from 1 (strongly
disagree) to 4 (strongly agree). Teachers also rated 10 statements about their current
mathematics teaching practices in relation to assessment, use of manipulatives,
worksheets, textbooks and ICT (calculators, computers and the internet) on a four
point scale from 1 (never used), 2 (occasionally used), 3 (used once or twice a week)
to 4 (daily use). Teachers identified the curriculum reforms in mathematics they had
experienced from a list of 15 reforms introduced since the 1960s. These included
mathematics education innovations such as Cuisenaire and New Math that had been
enacted in many countries and specific DECS reforms such as Statements and
Profiles and the SACSA framework initiated across all curriculum areas.