Barbara Jaworski

  • Emeritus Professor of Mathematics Education

Professional History

  • 1967-1984 Teaching of mathematics (and some Physics and Computer Science) at secondary level (students aged 11-18), and (1978-1984) first year undergraduate mathematics part time for the Open University.
  • 1984-1989 Lecturer at the Open University, writing courses in mathematics education for teachers of mathematics, and researching investigative teaching in secondary mathematics classrooms.
  • 1989-1992 Lecturer at the University of Birmingham, focusing on secondary teacher education in PGCE mathematics and research in mathematics teaching.
  • 1992-2002 Lecturer/Reader at the University of Oxford focusing on secondary teacher education in PGCE mathematics and research in mathematics teaching and its development, particularly in collaboration with teachers doing research in classrooms.
  • 2003-2007 Professor in Mathematics Education at University of Agder, Norway.
  • 2007 - 2021 Professor in Mathematics Education at Loughborough University, UK and Guest professor at University of Agder, Norway
  • 2021 - Emeritus Professor in Mathemetics Education

PhD

  • Open University (1991): Interpretations of a Constructivist Philosophy in Mathematics Teaching.

International positions

  • 2013-2016: Leader of the ICMI Survey Team focusing on 'Teachers working and learning through collaboration', with presentation in ICME 13 in Hamburg 2026
  • 2013-2016: President of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (PME)
  • 2005-2009: President of the European Society for Research in Mathematics Education (ERME)
  • 2005: Chair of CERME 4, the fourth Congress of the European Society for Research in Mathematics Education.
  • 2005: Member of the International Programme Committee for the 15th ICMI Study: The Professional Education and Development of Teachers of Mathematics
  • 2002-2007 Editor in Chief of the Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education, JMTE
  • 1990-1994: Member of the International Committee of PME, the International Groups for the Psychology of Mathematics Education.

Main research focus

Development of Mathematics Teaching in theory and in practice. Communities of Inquiry in Developmental Research.

I am interested in characterising the teaching of mathematics as it relate to students’ making of meaning in mathematics.  What does/can such teaching look like; how does/can it develop; and what issues arise for teachers (and students) in the developmental process?

Research Studies

Note that 1-6 and 9-10 are UK based and 7-8 are based in Norway.

  1. Develop your Teaching (1989-1991): a study (for the Mathematical Association, UK) of collaborative learning leading to a process for development of teaching in a collaborative group (Small grant from the Manpower Services Commission). [Book, Mathematical Association, 1991].
  2. PhD research (1986-1991): a constructivist-based ethnographic study to characterize investigative teaching of mathematics. Significant findings were the development of thinking and practice of teachers who participated in this research. [Book, Jaworski, 1994].
  3. The Mathematics Teacher Enquiry (MTE) Project (1994-1996): the development of mathematics teaching through teachers engaging in classroom research studied by university researchers (Funded by the University of Oxford). [Various publication inc. Jaworski, 1998b].
  4. The Teaching Triad Project (1997-8): Small scale research with 2 academics and 2 teachers to investigate the use of the TT as a developmental and as an analytical tool. (Small departmental grant.) [Potari & Jaworski, 2002].
  5. The Undergraduate Mathematics Teaching Project (UMTP) (1998-99): a study of mathematics teaching at undergraduate level in collaboration with university mathematicians (Funded by the ESRC). [Various publications inc. Jaworski, 2002; Nardi, Jaworski & Hegedus, 2006].
  6. The BPRS Project (2000-2002): Collaborative project with HEI colleagues and teachers who received BPRS grants (Best Practice Research Scholarships) to do research into teaching – a study of development through their research and associated HEI mentoring (with funding from BPRS grants). My chief interest has developed to be how research or inquiry into teaching leads to teaching development, and further how such an inquiry process relates to inquiry in mathematical learning in classrooms. [e.g., Jaworski, 2003].
  7. Learning Communities in Mathematics (KUL-LCM) (2003 -2007): Studying the development of Communities of Inquiry between teachers and academics to explore inquiry as a tool for developing classroom teaching and learning. (Funding from the Norwegian Research Council). [Jaworski, 2004a,b, 2005].
  8. Teaching Better Mathematics (TBM) (2006 -2010) To work in partnership with teachers to design and inquire into the development of mathematics teaching to provide improved opportunities for the learning of mathematics in classrooms for students of all ages. (Funding from the Norwegian Research Council).
  9. Engineering Students Understanding Mathematics (ESUM) (2011-2013).  A study of the teaching of mathematics to first year university engineering students to achieve more conceptual understandings.  An innovation in teaching involving inquiry-based questions and tasks; a GeoGebra graphical envioronment; small groupm activity and a small group assessed project. (Funding from HE STEM via the Royal Society of Engineering). [e.g., Jaworski & Matthews, 2011; Jaworski, Robinson, Matthews & Croft, 2012].
  10. Developmental research into small group tutorial teaching of mathematics (2013-14).  Studying and developing teaching to first year mathematicians in a small group environment. [e.g. Jaworski & Didis, 2-14].
  11. Teachers working and learning through collaboration (2013-2016). Leader of  ICMI Survey Team with presentation at ICME 13 in Hamburg 2016. (Robutti et al, 2016; Jaworski et al, 2017).
  12. Student learning through collaborative design and teaching of STEM Foundation Mathematics: HEFCE Catalyst Project (2017-18).  Studying the development of inquiry based tasks in a computer environment at university level for Foundation students’ learning of mathematics. (Jaworski et al., 2018).
  13. Partnerships in Learning and Teaching IN University Mathematics, PLATINUM; Academic Lead.  (2018-2021).  European project in the Erasmus + programme, involving seven countries and eight universities, based in Norway.  (No publications to date)
  • 2018-2021 Member of the REF (Research Excellence Framework) subpanel (23) in Education.
  • 2013-2016 Head of Department. Leading the Mathematics Education Centre at Loughborough University. Professor of Mathematics Education.
  • 2007-2013 Director of Research in the Mathematics Education Centre at Loughborough University.  Leading the MEC through the 2013 Research Excellence Framework. Professor of Mathematics Education.
  • 2003-2007 Professor of Mathematics Education at the University of Agder, Norway.  Contributing to the establishment of a Doctoral Research Degree Programme (PhD) and leading large research projects LCM and TBM (see Research Areas).
  • 1992-2002 Lecturer, then Reader, in the Department of Educational Studies at the University of Oxford.  Teaching PGCE Mathematics and working with teachers in mentoring and research. Fellow of Worcester College, Oxford.

Recent Teaching

Initiation and teaching of the following doctoral courses at University of Agder, Norway

  • MA602 Theories of Mathematics Learning and Teaching
  • MA605 Research Design and Methods in Mathematics Education Research
  • MA607 Research Methodology in Mathematics Education Research

At Loughborough University

  • MAC101/MAB130 Introduction to Mathematics Education for mathematics undergraduates
  • MAA309 Basic mathematics for engineering students
  • Jaworski, B., Chapman, O., Clark-Wilson, A., Cusi, A., Esteley, C., Goos, M., Isoda, M., Joubert, M., & Robutti, O. (2017).  Mathematics Teachers working and learning through collaboration.  In G Kaiser (Ed), Proceedings of the 13th International Congress on Mathematical Education, 261-276..  ICME-13 Monographs: Springer
  • Jaworski, B., Treffert-Thomas, S., Hewitt, D., Feeney, M., Shrish-Thapa, D., Conniffe, D., Dar, A., Vlaseros, N., & Anastasakis, M. (2018). Student Partners in Task Design in a computer medium to promote Foundation students’ learning of mathematics.  In Proceedings of INDRUM:  Second conference of the International Network for Didactic Research in University Mathematics, 316-325. Kristiansand, Norway: University of Agder and INDRUM.