Ian Jones

  • Head of Department
  • Reader in Education Assessment

I am a Reader in the Mathematics Education Centre at Loughborough University and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Prior to being a Reader, I was a Senior Research Fellow funded by a Royal Society Shuttleworth Education Research Fellowship.

I lecture mathematics and research mathematics education and assessment. I obtained my PhD in Mathematics Education at the University of Warwick and worked as a Research Fellow at the University of Nottingham before moving to Loughborough University as a Senior Research Fellow funded by the Royal Society. Prior to this I worked as a Research Assistant on many projects at several universities, and was a school teacher for ten years. 

Other roles

I lead on several mathematics and education modules. My teaching duties also include developing STACK assessments for use in modules across the university. I am the Departmental Enterprise Coordinator for the MEC and the Mental Health First Aider for the Schofield Building. I am also a member of Loughborough University's UCU committee with the portfolio of Personal Case Work Coordinator.

Recent grants

  • 2022. Spencer Foundation. Improving conceptual understanding of university mathematics through comparing and contrasting students’ mathematical writing.

  • 2021. Royal Society. Feedback and cognition: what is the role of prior knowledge? With Igor' Kontorovich (University of Auckland).
  • 2019. Psychology of Mathematics Education. University teachers grow new teaching insights from common responses of their students. With Igor' Kontorovich (University of Auckland).
  • 2017-2020. Higher Education Academy. Enabling better online assessment in mathematics. With Tim Lowe Hunt and Tim Hunt (Open University) and Chris Sangwn (University of Edinburgh).
  • 2017-2019. British Academy. The role of teacher knowledge and classroom resources in understanding equivalence relations in mathematics. With Şimşek, Iro Xenidou-Dervou and Jodie Hunter (Massey University, New Zealand).
  • 2013-2016. Nuffield Foundation. Measuring conceptual understanding: The case of teaching with abstract and concrete representations. With Matthew Inglis and Camilla Gilmore. [project page]
  • 2014-2015. No More Marking Ltd. Developing secondary education progress measures in Mathematics and English.
  • 2009-2014. Royal Society Shuttleworth Education Research Fellowship. Removing the mismatch between intentions and outcomes in GCSE mathematics.
  • 2013. AQA. Investigating standards across A-level mathematics syllabuses. With Matthew Inglis.

Research areas

  • Students' understanding of equivalence relations.
  • Algebraic thinking.
  • Improving the quality and validity of mathematics summative assessment using Comparative Judgement and STACK.
  • Automated feedback and mathematics assessments.
  • Standards and validity in examinations.

Visit my personal website and see my publications.

  • Departmental Enterprise Coordinator for the MEC.
  • Lead developer on the STACK project to create online mathematics assessments for use across the university.
  • UCU departmental representative for the MEC.
  • Personal Casework Coordinator on Loughborough University UCU committee.
  • Mental Health First Aider for Schofield Building.
  • PhD supervision: Hannah Morley, Tom Francome, Melanie Casha-Sammut, Depy Makri.