As with previous reports of activity at the annual Institute of Mathematics Pedagogy, this does not disappoint. The tasks used to support teaching and learning in mathematics can vary in so many ways, but this variation is compounded when learners begin to access the tasks. A task that really motivates and challenges one learner is likely to…

Doug Williams presented the opening address at Conference 2012 on the theme of "Enigmas". This is storytelling about the learning and teaching of mathematics at its best. The descriptions are of real classrooms with real teachers, and real learners. As with many good stories this is the narrative of a journey. A journey that seeks to change…

As with much in life the term "investigative", when used to describe an approach to teaching and learning, can have many interpretations. Some might consider that the term "investigations" is somehow "mired in the past", others might consider "investigations" to be a "credo" that sustains their own mathematics teaching and learning. With…

Does the term "learning journal" readily conjure up an image of something that is part of the normal mathematics classroom? Personally, do you ever use a journal of some form to help you organise your thoughts? Or, put quite simply--what is a learning journal? It might be that you are unfamiliar with the label, but journals are one type of…

Of the "big four", division is likely to regarded by many learners as "the odd one out", "the difficult one", "the one that is complicated", or "the scary one". It seems to have been that way "for ever", in the perception of many who have trodden the learning pathways through the world of…

What does "to be a mathematician" mean? What is implied, and what image is created of "a mathematician"? Are "mathematicians" members of an exclusive club? Are mathematicians different to "other people"? Are mathematicians different because they are able to mathematize? These might not be the most oft asked questions, but are they questions to…

The report "Mathematics Counts" or, in what became common parlance, the "Cockcroft" report was an unusual government report on a significant aspect of the school curriculum. Unusual because the author, William Cockcroft produced a set of ideas to which teachers of mathematics could relate and respond. It was said by one…

Assessment of performance, when national standards are required, has to be sustained by confidence. Confidence in the learner that they are engaged in learning that will provide them with a qualification that is worthwhile, and the confidence of the end user that the assessment is rigorous, equitable institution to institution, and accurate.…

In the primary school setting in mathematics is a strategy that is used, so say, to harness teaching resources to enable pupils to maximise their attainment. Setting might be regarded as an honourable, and professional, response to an enduring dilemma for teachers, and managers. However, as with most actions, there are likely to be unintended…

Algebraic notation has been bedazzling learners for generations, yet despite research, learned papers, comparative studies, and a great deal of hard work on the part of classroom practitioners the situation remains a stubborn constant. In this article some small-scale research has highlighted some issues that might find a resonance in many…

In 1989 there were thirty ATM branches nationally. In January 2012 there were just twelve ATM branches with another three "proposed". How can that happen? How did it happen? Maybe the most pertinent question is: Why did it happen? There is no single answer to the last question, but perhaps it was something to do with the changes that…

The use, and misuse, of statistics is commonplace, yet in the printed format data representations can be either over simplified, supposedly for impact, or so complex as to lead to boredom, supposedly for completeness and accuracy. In this article the link to the video clip shows how dynamic visual representations can enliven and enhance the…

A report entitled "What we can learn from the English, mathematics and science curricula of high-performing jurisdictions" seems taken to suggest... "that imitating the content, pace and pedagogy of Singapore and Hong Kong in particular, would enable us to improve the mathematical performance of English children". This is…

The first word of this item is "imagine". This instruction has the potential to signal a journey through a world of geometry that might leave you spellbound. On the other hand, it could be the start of a roller-coaster ride through three dimensions that will tax both your imagination, and your powers of visualisation. It is likely that you will…

The notion of "understanding", and its place in the learning process, is often placed in sharper focus when considered in the context of learning and teaching algebra. There are tensions between "doing" algebra, following algorithms, using "rules", or "tricks", and understanding "what you are doing". How does this impact the "way" that algebra is…