Dr Wee Seah - Researcher Profile

Biography

Wee Tiong is a Senior Lecturer of mathematics education in the Faculty. Before embarking on a career as an academic, Wee Tiong has had extensive professional experience in mathematics teaching and pastoral care across a range of school settings in Singapore and Australia.

Wee Tiong's research interests include the harnessing of socio-cultural factors in the teaching of mathematics. These include values of students, teachers, parents, etc as they relate to mathematics pedagogy. He currently coordinates a multinational research team in a series of research studies relating to the harnessing of values to promote more effective teaching and learning of maths in schools. These activities are all part of the Third Wave research project which Wee Tiong set up in 2008.

Wee Tiong has been active in the mathematics education research arena in Australia, East and Southeast Asia. Meaningful and personal engagements with colleagues have resulted in the conduct of collaborative research and consultancy activities in no less than 8 countries in these regions over the last few years. Within Australia, Wee Tiong is also member of the federal governments Expert Advisory and Research Group, providing advice in matters relating to the teaching and learning of mathematics and numeracy in schools.

Wee Tiong's 2004 PhD thesis, entitled "The negotiation of perceived value differences by immigrant teachers of mathematics in Australia" had been supervised by Emeritus Prof. Alan J Bishop and A/Prof Barbara Clarke at the Faculty of Education, Monash University, Australia.

Research & Supervision Interests

• Values in mathematics education
• Socio-cognitive aspects of (mathematics) education
• Cross-cultural education administration
• Teacher professional change management

Qualifications

PHD EDUCATION

Institution: Monash University

Year awarded: 2005

MED

Institution: Monash University

Year awarded: 1999

POSTGRAD DIPLOMA IN EDUCATION (SECONDARY)

Institution: National Institute of Education, Nanyang Tec

Year awarded: 1992

SCIENCE

Institution: National University of Singapore, SINGAPORE

Year awarded: 1990

Publications

Books

Seah, W., Wong, N. (eds), 2012, Values in East Asian Mathematics Education - The Third Wave (Thematic Issue of ZDM: The International Journal on Mathematics Education), Springer, Germany.

Forgasz, H., Barkatsas, A., Bishop, A.J., Clarke, B.A., Keast, S., Seah, W.T., Sullivan, P.A. (eds), 2008, Research in Mathematics Education in Australasia, Sense Publishers, The Netherlands.

Clarke, B.A., Bishop, A.J., Cameron, R., Forgasz, H., Seah, W.T. (eds), 2003, Making Mathematicians, The Mathematical Association of Victoria, Brunswick Vic Australia.

Book Chapters

Clarke, B.A., Barkatsas, A., Forgasz, H.J., Seah, W.T., Sullivan, P.A., 2012, Reflections on the MERGA research review 2004-2007, in Research in Mathematics Education in Australasia 2008-2011, eds Bob Perry, Tom Lowrie, Tracy Logan, Amy MacDonald and Jane Greenlees, Sense, Rotterdam The Netherlands, pp. 15-22.

Seah, W., 2011, Ten years of curriculum reform in China: A soft knowledge perspective, in Education Reform in China: Changing concepts, contexts and practices, eds Janette Ryan, Routledge, United Kingdom, pp. 161-184.

Clarkson, P., Bishop, A.J., Seah, W.T., 2010, Mathematics education and student values: The cultivation of mathematical wellbeing, in International Research Handbook on Values Education and Student Wellbeing, eds Terence Lovat, Ron Toomey and Neville Clement, Springer, The Netherlands, pp. 111-135.

Clarkson, P., Seah, W.T., Bishop, A.J., 2010, Mathematics wellbeing and teacher education, in Teacher Education and Values Pedagogy: A Student Wellbeing Approach, eds Ron Toomey, Terry Lovat, Neville Clement and Kerry Dally, David Barlow Publishing, NSW, Australia, pp. 179-194.

Bishop, A.J., Seah, W.T., 2008, Educating values: Possibilities and challenges through mathematics teaching, in International Perspectives on Education, eds Chau Meng Huat and Trevor Kerry, Continuum International, London UK, pp. 118-138.

Forgasz, H., Barkatsas, A., Bishop, A.J., Clarke, B.A., Keast, S., Seah, W.T., Sullivan, P.A., 2008, Review of mathematics education research in Australasia 2004-2007, in Research in Mathematics Education in Australasia 2004-2007, eds Helen Forgasz, Anastasios Barkatsas, Alan Bishop, Barbara Clarke, Stephen Keast, Wee Tiong Seah, Peter Sullivan, Sense Publishers, Netherlands, pp. 1-7.

Seah, W.T., Atweh, B., Clarkson, P., Ellerton, N., 2008, Sociocultural perspectives in mathematics teaching and learning, in Research in Mathematics Education in Australasia 2004-2007, eds Helen Forgasz, Anastasios Barkatsas, Alan Bishop, Barbara Clarke, Stephen Keast, Wee Tiong Seah, Peter Sullivan, Sense Publishers, Netherlands, pp. 223-253.

Seah, W.T., 2008, Valuing values education in mathematics education, in Critical Issues in Mathematics Education: Major Contributions of Alan Bishop, eds Philip Clarkson and Norma Presmeg, Springer, New York USA, pp. 239-252.

Cao, Z., Seah, W.T., Bishop, A.J., 2006, A comparison of mathematical values conveyed in mathematics textbooks in China and Australia, in Mathematics Education in Different Cultural Traditions - A Comparative Study of East Asia and the West, eds Frederick K.S. Leung, Klaus-D Graf and Francis J. Lopez-Real, Springer, New York NY USA, pp. 483-493.

Seah, W.T., Kalogeropoulos, P., 2006, Teachers of effective mathematics lessons: what gets valued in their practice?, in Mathematics - The Way Forward, eds Jude Ocean, Chris Walta, Margerita Breed, Jo Virgona and John Horwood, The Mathematical Association of Victoria, Brunswick Vic Australia, pp. 279-287.

Seah, W.T., Bishop, A.J., 2006, Trip for the body, expedition for the soul: An exploratory survey of two East Asian teachers of mathematics in Australia, in Mathematics Education in Different Cultural Traditions - A Comparative Study of East Asia and the West, eds Frederick K.S. LeungKlaus-D. GrafFrancis J. Lopez-Real, Springer, NY USA, pp. 523-535.

Bishop, A.J., Seah, W.T., Chin, C., 2003, Values in mathematics teaching - the hidden persuaders?, in Second International Handbook of Mathematics Education, eds Alan Bishop, M.A. Clements, Christine Kietel, Jeremy Kilpatrick, Frederick Leung, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht Netherland, pp. 717-765.

Clarkson, P., Bishop, A.J., FitzSimons, G.E., Seah, W.T., 2001, Lifelong learning and values: an undervalued legacy of mathematics education?, in Adult and Lifelong Education in Mathematics. Papers from Working Group for Action (WGA) 6. 9th International Congress on Mathematics Education, ICME 9, eds Gail E FitzSimons, John O'Donoghue and Diana Coben, Adults Learing Mathematics - A Research Forum (ALM) and Language Australia, Melbourne Vic Australia, pp. 37-46.

Journal Articles

Seah, W., Peng, A., 2012, What students outside Asia value in effective mathematics lessons: a scoping study, ZDM Mathematics Education [P], vol 44, issue 1, Springer, Germany, pp. 71-82.

Seah, W., Wong, N., 2012, What students value in effective mathematics learning: a 'Third Wave Project' research study, ZDM Mathematics Education [P], vol 44, issue 1, Springer, Germany, pp. 33-43.

Davis, E., Bishop, A., Seah, W., 2011, Cultural influences on students' conception of fractions, International Journal of Mathematics Science and Computing Education [P], vol 2, Pajoy Journals, United Kingdom, pp. 1-13.

Henderson, M., Auld, G., Holkner, B., Russell, G., Seah, W.T., Fernando, A.E., Romeo, G., 2010, Students creating digital video in the primary classroom: Student autonomy, learning outcomes, and professional learning communities, Australian Educational Computing [P], vol 24, issue 2, Australian Council for Computers in Education, Australia, pp. 12-20.

Seah, W.T., 2010, The "Third Wave": Values associated with effective learning of mathematics in Australian primary classrooms, Research in Mathematical Education [P], vol 14, issue 2, Korean Society of Mathematical Education, Republic of Korea, pp. 99-114.

Edwards, J.A., Seah, W.T., 2006, Flying in and out: research into off-shore teaching in higher education, The International Journal of Learning, vol 12, issue 3, Common Ground Publishing Pty Ltd, Melbourne Vic Australia, pp. 291-298.

Seah, W.T., Edwards, J.A., 2006, Flying in, flying out: offshore teaching in higher education, Australian Journal of Education, vol 50, issue 3, Australian Council for Educational Research, Camberwell Vic Australia, pp. 297-311.

Seah, W.T., Bishop, A.J.L., 2003, Values, mathematics and society: making the connections, Prime Number, vol 18, issue 3, Mathematical Association of Victoria, Brunswick Vic Australia, pp. 4-9.

Seah, W.T., 2002, The perception of, and interaction with, value differences by immigrant teachers of mathematics in two Australian secondary classrooms, Journal of Intercultural Studies, vol 23, issue 2, Carfax Publishing, Basingstoke UK, pp. 189-210.

Conference Proceedings

Barkatsas, A., Seah, W.T., 2012, Chinese and Australian primary students' mathematical task types preferences: underlying values, Proceedings of the 36th Conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education, 18 July 2012 to 22 July 2012, International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (PME), Taipei Taiwan, pp. 43-50.

Seah, W.T., Barkatsas, A., 2012, Chinese primary students' mathematical task type preferences, Proceedings of the 35th Annual Conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia, 2 - 6 July, 2012, Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia Inc. (MERGA), Adelaide, SA, Australia, pp. 664-671.

Andersson, A., Seah, W.T., 2012, Valuing mathematics education contexts, Proceedings of the 36th Conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education, 18 - 22 July, 2012, International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (PME), Taipei, Taiwan, pp. 35-42.

Seah, W., 2011, Effective mathematics learning in two Australian primary classes: Exploring the underlying values, Proceedings of the 35th Conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (PME35), 10 - 15 July, 2011, PME, Ankara, Turkey, pp. 129-136.

Clarkson, P., Seah, W., 2011, Mathematical Well-Being (MWB): Developing a new construct, American Educational Research Association (AERA) 2011 Annual Meeting Program, 8 - 12 April, 2011, American Educational Research Association (AERA), United States, p. 1.

Seah, W., Barkatsas, A., Sullivan, P., Li, Z., 2010, Chinese students' perspectives of effective mathematics learning: An exploratory study, The Second Asian Conference on Education Official Conference Proceedings 2010, 2 - 5 December, 2010, The International Academic Forum (IAFOR), Japan, pp. 389-403.

Seah, W.T., 2010, The Third Wave: Australian students' perspectives of effective mathematics learning in primary schools, Proceedings of the 5th East Asia Regional Conference on Mathematics Education (EARCOME5), 18 - 22 August, 2010, Japan Society of Mathematical Education, Tokyo, Japan, pp. 228-235.

Davis, E.K., Seah, W.T., Bishop, A.J., 2009, Institutional gaps in mathematics education research procedures between a developed and developing country, Crossing Divides: Proceedings of the 32nd Annual Conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia, 5 - 9 July 2009, MERGA, New Zealand, pp. 137-144.

Davis, E., Seah, W.T., Bishop, A.J., 2009, Students' transition between contexts of mathematical practices in Ghana, Mathematics of Prime Importance. Proceedings of the MAV Annual Conference 2009, 3 - 4 December 2009, The Mathematical Association of Victoria, Brunswick Vic Australia, pp. 62-79.

Seah, W., Ho, S., 2009, Values operating in effective mathematics lessons in Australia and Singapore: Reflections of pre-service teachers, Proceedings of the 33rd Conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (PME 33), 19 - 24 July, 2009, International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (PME), Greece, pp. 57-64.

Auld, G., Holkner, B.J., Fernando, A.J., Henderson, M., Romeo, G.I., Russell, G., Seah, W.T., Edwards, S.E., 2008, Exemplar schools using innovative learning technologies, Proceedings of the Australian Council for Computers in Education conference, 30/9/08 - 2/10/08, ACEC, Belconnen ACT Australia, pp. 32-43.

Atweh, B., Seah, W., 2008, Theorising values and their study in mathematics education, Proceedings of the AARE 2007 International Educational Research Conference, 25 - 29 November, 2007, Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE), Australia, pp. 1-11.

Kalogeropoulos, P., Seah, W.T., 2007, Promoting and tracking understandings in Mathematics: A school's experience, Mathematics: Making sense of our world, 6 - 7 December 2007, The Mathematical Association of Victoria, Vic, pp. 166-174.

Seah, W.T., 2007, Qualities co-valued in effective mathematics lessons in Australia: Preliminary findings, Proceedings of the 31st Conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education, 8 July 2007 to 13 July 2007, The Korea Society of Educational Studies in Mathematics, Korea, pp. 161-168.

Seah, W.T., 2007, What do effective Mathematics lessons value: Preliminary findings from Australian primary schools, "Meeting The Challenges Of Developing Quality Mathematics Education Culture". 4th East Asia Regional Conference on Mathematics Education, 18 June 2007 to 22 June 2007, Universiti Sans Malaysia, Malaysia, pp. 417-424.

Seah, W.T., 2005, Immigrant Mathematics Teachers' Negotiation of Differences in Norms: The Role of Values, Proceedings of the 4th International Mathematics Education and Society Conference, 02/07/05 to 06/07/05, Centre for Learning Research, Griffith University, Australia, pp. 279-289.

Seah, W.T., 2005, Mathematics Trails in the School Curriculum, Mathematics - Celebrating Achievement, 01/12/2005 - 02/12/2005, MAV, Vic Australia, pp. 272-277.

Seah, W.T., 2005, Negotiating about perceived value differences in mathematics teaching: The case of immigrant teachers in Australia, PME 29, 10/07/05 to 15/07/05, Department of Science and Mathematics Education, University of Melb, http://onlinedb.terc.edu, pp. 145-152.

Seah, W.T., 2005, Teacher approaches to cultural differences in mathematics pedagogy between Asia and the 'West', Foundations and Creativity: The Strengths and Weaknesses of Mathematics Education in East Asia, 7 August 2005 to 12 August 2005, EARCOME, http://euler.math.ecnu.edu.cn/earcome3/, pp. 1-7.

Edwards, J.A., Seah, W.T., 2004, Flying in and out: Research into Off-shore Teaching in Higher Education, Innovation and Enterprise: Education for the new economy, 24/11/04 to 26/11/04, Educational Research Association of Singapore, Singapore, p. 36.

Seah, W.T., 2004, Shifting the lens of inquiry into the socialisation of mathematics teachers: nature of value differences, Mathematics Education for the Third Millennium: Towards 2010, 27/06/2004 to 30/06/2004, MERGA, Inc., Sydney NSW Australia, pp. 501-508.

Seah, W.T., Kalgeropoulos, P., 2004, Victorian curriculum reform 2004 and values: the role for mathematics education, Towards Excellence in Mathematics, 2 December 2004 to 3 December, The Mathematical Association of Victoria, Brunswick Vic Australia, pp. 441-448.

Seah, W.T., 2003, Teachers' struggle to negotiate value differences in the mathematics classroom, Mathematics Education Research: Innovation, Networking, Opportunity - Proceedings of the 26th Annual Confrence of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia, 06/07/2003 to 10/07/2003, Deakin University, Melbourne Vic Australia, pp. 602-609.

FitzSimons, G.E., Seah, W.T., Bishop, A.J.L., Clarkson, P., 2001, Beyond numeracy: values in the mathematics classroom, Numeracy and Beyond: Proceedings of the Twenty-Fourth Annual Conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia Incorporated, 30/06/2001 to 04/07/2001, Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia Incorporated, Turramurra NSW Australia, pp. 202-209.

Bishop, A.J.L., FitzSimons, G.E., Seah, W.T., Clarkson, P.C., 2001, Do teachers implement their intended values in mathematics classrooms?, Proceedings of the 25th Conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education, 12/07/2001 to 17/07/2001, Freudenthal Institute, Utrecht Netherland, pp. 2-169-2-176.

Seah, W.T., Bishop, A.J.L., 2001, Teaching more than numeracy: the socialisation experience of a migrant teacher, Numeracy and Beyond: Proceedings of the Twenty-Fourth Annual Conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia Incorporated, 30/06/2001 to 04/07/2001, Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia Incorporated, Turramurra NSW Australia, pp. 442-450.

Clarkson, P., Bishop, A.J.L., FitzSimons, G.E., Seah, W.T., 2000, Challenges and constraints in reseaching values, Mathematics Education Beyond 2000. Proceedings of the Twenty-third Annual Conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia Incorporated, Fremantle, WA, Australia, 5-9 July 2000, Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia, Perth WA Australia, pp. 188-195.

Bishop, A.J.L., FitzSimons, G.E., Seah, W.T., Clarkson, P., 2000, Values in mathematics education: making values teaching explicit in the mathematics classroom, Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE) - New Zealand Association for Research in Education (NZARE) 1999 Conference Papers, Melbourne, Australia, 27 Nov - 2 Dec 1999, Australian Association for Research in Education, http://www.aare.edu.au/99pap/bis99188.htm.

Seah, W.T., Bishop, A.J.L., 1999, Realizing a mathematics education for nation-building in Southeast Asia in the new millennium, MERA-ERA Joint Conference 1999: Programme and abstracts, Malacca, Malaysia, MERA-ERA Joint Conference 1999, Singapore, p. 137.

Seah, W.T., 1999, Values in Singapore and Victoria lower secondary mathematics textbooks: A preliminary study, Cultural and language aspects of Science, Mathematics and Technical education, Brunei, 7 - 10/6/99, DeptScience&MathsEduc,Universiti Brunei, Brunei Brunei, pp. 261-270.

Clarkson, P., FitzSimons, G.E., Seah, W.T., 1999, Values relevant to mathematics? I'd like to see that!, Mathematics: Across the ages, Melbourne 2 - 3rd December 1999, The Mathematical Association of Victoria, Vic Australia, pp. 129-132.

Other

Henderson, M., Fernando, A.E., Holkner, B.J., Auld, G., Russell, G., Seah, W.T., Romeo, G.I., 2008, Exemplar schools: Digistories of using innovative learning technologies, CEMM, http://cemm.educ.monash.edu.au/exemplar, pp. 1-55.

Holkner, B.J., Romeo, G.I., Henderson, M., Auld, G., Russell, G., Seah, W.T., Fernando, A.J., 2008, Exemplar schools: using innovative learning technologies, Faculty of Education, Monash University, Melbourne Vic Australia, pp. 1-94.

Seah, W.T., 2007, Commentary on: Mathematics teaching and values education - an intersection in need of research, Stepping stones for the 21st century, Sense Publishers, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

Seah, W.T., 2007, Empirical Study on the Evaluation Method for International Cooperation in Mathematics Education in Developing Countries - Focusing on Pupils' Learning Achievement, Chapter in a research report, Graduate School for International Development and Cooperation, Hiroshima University, Japan.

Cutter-Mackenzie, A.N., Seah, W.T., 2007, Research Report: Science Outside School, Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) and Monash University, Melbourne Vic Australia, pp. 1-21.

Seah, W.T., 2004, The negotiation of perceived value differences by immigrant teachers of mathematics in Australia.

Teaching Commitment

• EDF6012/13 SPECIFIC FOCUS ON RESEARCH [SINGAPORE]
• EDF6010/20 PROFESSIONAL PROJECT [SINGAPORE]
• EDF2123 EXPLORING MATHEMATICS
• EDF1204: PRIMARY MATHEMATICS I
• EDF3301 NUMERACY [OPEN UNIVERSITY AUSTRALIA]
• EDF4104 PRIMARY MATHEMATICS II
• EDF6401 RESEARCH ON TEACHING AND LEARNING SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS

Postgraduate Research Supervisions

Current Supervision

Program of Study:

(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).

Supervisors:

Wee, T (Main).

Program of Study:

(MASTER'S BY RESEARCH).

Thesis Title:

Analysising the effect of language in interpreting, framing and answering math qns for ESL students .

Supervisors:

Wee, T (Main).

Program of Study:

(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).

Thesis Title:

Engaging secondary science studenrts using digital games in the classroom.

Supervisors:

Johnson, N (Main), Wee, T (Associate).

Program of Study:

(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).

Thesis Title:

Factors influencing students' engagement & use of CAS calculators in Mathematics across year levels.

Supervisors:

Barkatsas, A (Main), Wee, T (Associate).

Program of Study:

(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).

Thesis Title:

Gender differences in Mathematic achievement in the Secondary Saudi Context..

Supervisors:

Wee, T (Joint), Zyngier, D (Joint-co).

Program of Study:

(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).

Thesis Title:

How do Chinese Mathematics Teachers Use Lesson Plans in Classroom Instruction.

Supervisors:

Wee, T (Main).

Program of Study:

(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).

Thesis Title:

How to use games dynamics in the Mathematics curriculum.

Supervisors:

Wee, T (Main).

Program of Study:

(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).

Thesis Title:

Learning with and learning through digital technologies in early childhood settings: a cultural-historical understanding of digital technologies in practice.

Supervisors:

Agbenyega, J (Joint-co), Wee, T (Joint).

Program of Study:

(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).

Thesis Title:

Polytechnic students' learning experience in the context of Web 2.0 learning technologies in Singapore.

Supervisors:

Wee, T (Main).

Completed Supervision

Student:

Afrin, S.

Program of Study:

Cultural influences on the formation of adolescents? environmental perceptions. (Masters) 2008.

Supervisors:

Cutter-Mackenzie, A (Joint), Wee, T (Joint-Co).

Student:

Davis, E.

Program of Study:

Cultural influences on primary school students' mathematical conceptions in Ghana. (PHD) 2010.

Supervisors:

Wee, T (Main), Bishop, A (Associate).

Student:

Ellis, A.

Program of Study:

The learner's learning environment: three drivers that impact on its construction and use. (PHD) 2012.

Supervisors:

Wee, T (Main).

Student:

Kalogeropoulos, P.

Program of Study:

Language misconceptions of ethnic Southeast Asian primary school students in mathematics. 2003.

Supervisors:

Wee, T (Main).

Student:

Penani, T.

Program of Study:

Phosphate mining experience: teachers' stories. 2003.

Supervisors:

Wee, T (Main).