Prof Anne Watson[back]

Mathematics Education
Professor of Mathematics Education
Linacre College
anne.watson@education.ox.ac.uk
+44(0)1865274052
Teaching CoursesPGCE (Mathematics), MSc Learning and Teaching (Mathematics)
Research Student SupervisionNichola CLARKE, Nusrat RIZVI, Ellie DARLINGTON, Nicholas Andrews
Biography

I am Professor of Mathematics Education at Oxford University, having come here as Lecturer in Educational Studies (Mathematics) and a Fellow of Linacre College in 1996; www.linacre.ox.ac.uk. My first degree and MSc are in Pure Mathematics, my DPhil and subsequent research are in Mathematics Education. I am currently on the Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education.

Before I came to Oxford I had taught mathematics for several years in two comprehensive schools, Stantonbury Campus, Milton Keynes, where I was eventually Head of Year, and Peers School, Oxford, where I was Head of Mathematics.

I am a member of the Association of Teachers of Mathematics (ATM), the British Society for Research into the Learning of Mathematics, the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education and the Higher Education Academy. Also I am on the editorial boards of several journals, including the Mathematics Education Research Journal (Australasia), and Pythagoras (South Africa). I have academic links with mathematics educators and teachers in Jamaica, South Africa, Sweden, New Zealand, Canada, Brazil and several other countries. With my husband, John Mason, and Malcolm Swan I run an Annual Institute of Mathematics Pedagogy for four days in July/August in Oxford. There is also monthly evening meeting for exploring mathematical ideas which relate to the school curriculum.

Research

My main areas of research in Mathematics Education are exemplification and task design in mathematics teaching and learning, from a variation theory perspective; the role of mathematics education in social justice issues; the use of fine-grained approaches to analysis of mathematics interaction within socio-cultural perspectives.  A recent interest is how the project of being adolescent relates to the typical curriculm demands of secondary school mathematics. I also convene the Trigonometry Working Group for the British Society for Research in Learning Mathematics.

 

Selected recent presentations:

Mathematical thinking in adolescence: possible shifts of perspective. University of Nottingham, Mathematical Thinking conference, Nov 2007 (here)

Different versions of the 'same' task: continuous being and discrete action. MADIF January 2008 (powerpoint and paper)

Example spaces: how to get one and what to do with it. Matematikbiennalen January 2008 (presentation)

Putting research into practice. Oxfordshire Heads of Mathematics. February 2008 (presentation)

Developing and deepening mathematical knowledge in teaching: being and knowing. Loughborough March 2008 (powerpoint and paper)

Fragments and coherence.  ATM/MA/NANAMIC/AMET address April 2008 (presentation)

School mathematics as a special kind of mathematics. ICMI Rome March 2008 (powerpoint and paper)

What do we have to learn in order to learn mathematics? Scottihs Mathematics Council, March 2009 (powerpoint and paper)

 

Current research students are studying how primary teachers conceptualise whole class teaching; the development of mathematical thinking in low attaining groups in secondary schools; how different examination curricula prepare students for tackling more advanced non-routine questions; effective teaching in Indonesian mathematics classrooms; transition from school to university

 

Recent activities and publications related to exemplification and task design

  • With Orit Zaslavsky and John Mason: Mini-Conference on Exemplification in Mathematics, University of Oxford 23-26 June, 2005
  • Research Forum on the Role of Exemplification in Mathematics Teaching and Learning, PME 2006, Prague
  • With Orit Zaslavsky and John Mason: Special issue of Journal for Mathematics Teacher Education on the role of mathematical tasks in teacher education
  • ‘Dance and Maths': a curriculum development project funded by the Bowland Trust in a KS3 Initiative, working with Nichola Clarke and teachers from The Henry Box School, Witney, and Wallingford School (2007)
  • with Liz Bills: Special issue of Educational Studies in Mathematics on the role and uses of examples in mathematics education
  • February 2010: Day seminar on Variation, animation and attention.

Recent activities and publications related to the role of mathematics education in social justice issues

  • The Changes in Mathematics Teaching Project, funded by Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, is a three-year project following a cohort of previously low-attaining students through key stage 3 in schools where teachers are changing the ways they teach such students - focusing on establishing new work habits and enhancing mathematical thinking. This was undertaken with Dr Els De Geest. See www.cmtp.co.uk.
  • Improving Attainment in Mathematics Project, funded by the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation. This study aimed to improve attainment of students in year 7 who were currently underachieving in mathematics according to national expectations, and who were also living in areas of socio-economic deprivation. To achieve this, the project's purpose was to identify and develop ways of working that stimulated mathematical thinking and helped the understanding of key ideas. This led to the publication of the booklet 'Deep Progress in Mathematics', which is now out of print but can be downloaded here (PDF file, 262 KB). This work was done with Dr Els de Geest and Dr Stephanie Prestage (University of Birmingham)

Recent activities and publications on mathematics interaction

  • Work on mentoring mathematics teaching in school includes a new project: Communicating about Mathematics Pedagogy in Schools (CAMPIS). A booklet can be downloaded here (Word file, 164 KB), co-authored with Dr Els de Geest and based on work with my colleague, Nicholas Andrews.

Other

  • Working group on trigonometry
  • Day seminar on the work of Imre Lakatos
Publications

General publications

Nunes, T., Bryant, P. and Watson, A. (2009) Key

Understandings in Mathematics Learning: a report to the

Nuffield Foundation. Nuffield Foundation.

Publications Related to Exemplification and Task Design

Papers

  •  Mason, J., Stephens, M. and Watson, A. (2009) Appreciating mathematical structure for all, Mathematics Education Research Journal 21(2) 10-33
  • Kullberg, A., Watson, A. & Mason, J. (2009) Variation within, and covariation between, representations. Proceedings for International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education, Thessaloniki
  • Al-Murani, T. and Watson, A. (2009) Exchange systematicity: interactional dynamics of variation in mathematics lessons. Paper presented to Variation Theory SIG at EARLi conference, Amsterdam, August 27th 2009.
  • Watson, A. (2008) Task transformation is the teacher’s responsibility.  In O. Figueras, J. Cortina, S. Alatorre, T. Rojano & A. Sepulveda (eds.) Proceedings of International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education, vol. 1 pp.147-154. Morelia, Mexico
  • Watson, A. and Sullivan, P. (2008) Teachers learning about tasks and lessons. In D. Tirosh & T. Wood (ed.) International Handbook of Mathematics Teacher Education Volume 2. pp.109-134. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers
  • Bills, L. & Watson, A. (2008) Editorial introduction. Special Issue: Role and use of exemplification in mathematics education Educational Studies in Mathematics. 69: 77-79
  • Watson, A. and Shipman, S. (2008) Using learner-generated examples to introduce new concepts. Educational Studies in Mathematics. 69:97-109

  • Watson, A. and Mason, J. (2007) Taken-as-Shared: a review of what is known about mathematical tasks in teacher education. Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education 10, 205-215 (here)

  • Watson, A. (2007) The nature of participation afforded by tasks, questions and prompts in mathematics classrooms. Research in Mathematics Education 9, 111-126.

  • Watson, A. & Mason, J. (2006) ‘Seeing an Exercise as a Single Mathematical Object: Using Variation to Structure Sense-Making'. Mathematical Thinking and Learning. 8(2) pp.91-111
  • Watson, A. & Mason, J. (2005)‘Enriching Student Learning: structuring tasks so as to limit possible generalisations'. Invited symposium paper presented at EARLi, University of Cyprus, August 2005 [PDF file]
  • Mason, J. & Watson, A. (2005) ‘Mathematical Exercises: what is exercised, what is attended to, and how does the structure of the exercises influence these?' Invited symposium paper presented at EARLi, University of Cyprus, August 2005 [PDF file]
  • A. Watson and J. Mason (2002) 'Student-generated examples in the learning of mathematics' Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education 2(2) pp.237-249 ISSN 1492-6156 [PDF file]
  • N. Sinclair, A. Watson, R. Zazkis - Learner generated examples. [PDF file]
  • A. Watson and J. Mason (2002) ‘Extending example spaces as a learning/teaching strategy' in A.Cockburn and E.Nardi (eds.)Proceedings of the 26th Annual Conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education. Pp.4-377-4-384, University of Norwich. 0953998363 [PDF file]

Books

  • Watson & Mason (2005): Mathematics as a constructive activity: learners generating examples, pub. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates

                         http://www.booktopia.com.au/covers/9780805843439.jpg

 

  • A, Watson, J. Mason among others (2004) Primary Questions and Prompts for Mathematical Thinking, Association of Teachers of Mathematics, Derby. www.atm.org.uk

                     The image

  • C. Bills, L. Bills, A. Watson, J. Mason (2004) Thinkers, Association of Teachers of Mathematics, Derby. www.atm.org.uk,

                     http://www.aamt.edu.au/var/aamt/storage/images/files/thinkers_jpg/1932-1-eng-AU/thinkers_jpg_shop_list.jpg

  • A. Watson and J. Mason (1998) Questions and Prompts for Mathematical Thinking, Association of Teachers of Mathematics, Derby. www.atm.org.uk.

 

Social justice and mathematics education

Publications Related to the Role of Mathematics Education in Social Justice Issues

Papers

Books

  • Watson, A. (2006) Raising Achievement in Secondary Mathematics. Pub.Open University Press

                     http://covers.mhedu.com/Jpeg_140-wide/033521861X.jpeg

  • Watson, Houssart and Roaf (eds.) (2005): Supporting Mathematical Thinking pub. David Fulton.

                     The image

  • M.Ollerton and A. Watson (2001) Inclusive Mathematics 11-18, Continuum, London. 168pp. ISBN 0-8264-5201-9

Publications Related to Mathematics Interaction and Activity

Papers

  •  

    Watson, A. (2009)   Thinking mathematically, disciplined noticing and structures of attention. In B. Davis & S. Lerman (eds.) Mathematical Action and Structure of Noticing: An appreciation of John Mason’s work   Rotterdam: Sense publishers. 

  • Watson, A. (2008) School mathematics as a special kind of mathematics. For the Learning of Mathematics. 28(3) 3-8

  • David, M. and Watson, A. (2007) ‘Participating in what? Using situated cognition theory to illuminate subtle differences in classroom practices' in A. Watson and P.Winbourne (eds.) New Directions for Situated Cognition in Learning Mathematics, pub. Springer
  • Maria Manuela David e Maria Da Penha Lopes e Anne Watson (2005) Diferentes formas de participcao dos alunos em diferentes praticas de sala de aula de matimaticaDe in Proceedings of V CIBEM, Congresso Ibero-Americano de Educacao Matematica , July 17-22, 2005, Porto, Portugal.
  • (2004) Affordances, constraints and attunements in mathematical activity. In O. McNamara and R. Barwell (eds.) Research in Mathematics Education, volume 6: Papers of the British Society for Research into Learning Mathematics pp. 23-34 ISSN 1479-4802 ISBN 0953849856 [PDF file]
  • (2003) Use of Unison Responses in Mathematics Classrooms. In J. Winter and S.Pope (Eds.) Research in Mathematics Education Volume 4: Papers of the British Society for Research into Learning Mathematics. pp. 35 - 49.ISBN 0953849821 [PDF file]

Book

  • A. Watson and P.Winbourne (eds.) (2007) New Directions for Situated Cognition in Learning Mathematics, pub. Springer

                        The image

 

Last modified by Prof Anne Watson - 20 November 2009