Dr Anne Cockburn is a Reader in the School of Education and Lifelong Learning.

Her research interests focus on mathematics education in the primary school and teacher recruitment and retention. She has recently completed 2 research projects. The first an ESRC funded project with Paola Iannone which examined changes in early years mathematics education in the light of the National Curriculum and the Numeracy Strategy. The second was an European study focusing on children and teachers’ communication strategies in the primary mathematics classroom. She is currently directing an international study on mathematical misconceptions funded by the British Academy. Her chapter, . “Assessment of mathematical knowledge and beliefs of prospective teachers.” will appear in T. Wood (ed.) The International Handbook of Mathematics Teacher Education. Rotterdam: Sense Publications Summer 2008

Dr Cockburn chaired the International Meeting of the Psychology of Mathematics Education Group in 2002 and was a member of the Internal Committee (2001 -2005). She is an editor of the Journal of Mathematics Teacher Educators and was an external examiner for the Economic and Social Research Council student awards (2002-2006).

She currently teaches on the primary initial education programme, research methods at masters level and supervises 4 doctoral students.

Project Summaries:

• 2004-05 Understanding the Primary Mathematics Classroom part 2 was a 14-month ESRC funded project investigating how early years mathematics education has changed in last 20 years. The original database was created between 1983 and 1986. (£ 70K)

• 2003-06 COSIMA (Communicating ‘own strategies’ in primary school mathematics) was a Socrates-Comenius 2.1 to explore and develop constructivist mathematics teaching and learning in Germany, Czech Republic and England (217 427 Euros)

• 2006-07 Understanding Mathematical Misconceptions in the Primary School is a cross-cultural 14-month project funded by the British Academy (£ 70K) comparing, contrasting and understanding mathematical performance in the UK, Israel, Italy and the Czech Republic.