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Professor Cathy Smith

Profile summary

  • Central Academic Staff
  • Professor of Mathematics Education
  • Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics
  • School of Mathematics & Statistics
  • cathy.smith

Web links

Professional biography

IÌýam Professor of Mathematics EducationÌýin the School of Mathematics and Statistics, where IÌýlead the Mathematics Education team.

I was educated atÌýCambridge, IOEÌýand LondonÌýMetropolitan Universities, where I first completed aÌýmathematics degree, then a PGCE,ÌýMA, and eventuallyÌýPhD in Mathematics Education. After my early years teaching mathematics in secondary comprehensive schools in Hertfordshire and Suffolk, I became a teacher educator and researcher. I have worked onÌýthe mathematics pedagogy aspects ofÌýteacher education at Homerton College and the Education Faculty, Cambridge and then UCLÌýIOE in London, where I also led the Masters in Mathematics Education.ÌýI joined the Open University in July 2017 with responsibility for research and curriculum development.Ìý

Research interests

My main research theme is participation in pre-universityÌýmathematics. From aÌýpost-structural perspective, I research the discourses ofÌýability, pleasure, gender and exceptionalism that are produced by the current English system in which studentsÌýchoose whetherÌýto studyÌýmathematicsÌýafter age 16, and in how these discourses mayÌýchange as government policy moves towards compulsory mathematicsÌýacross different pathways. From a practical perspective, I amÌýinterested in how teachers learn to teach the connected topicsÌýof A-levelÌýmathematics,Ìýand how schools and universitiesÌýcan promote girls' and women's participation in mathematics.ÌýÌý

Recent projects haveÌýbeen focused onÌýmathematics curricula, for example considering the alignment of mathematics, data science, statistics and computer science within aÌýfutureÌýschool curriculum, andÌýproducing a comparative report of mathematics education in the four United Kingdom Nations forÌýthe Joint Mathematics Council.Ìý

I was principal investigatorÌýof a research projectÌýSupporting Advanced Mathematics, funded asÌýpart ofÌýthe Further Mathematics Support Programme 2014-17, that used research to identify and developÌýstrategies for increasing participation and capacityÌýinÌýA-level mathematics.Ìý Sub-projects included:ÌýidentifyingÌýstrategies used byÌýschools with highÌýgirls' participationÌýin mathematics;Ìýstudying theÌýeffects on teachersÌý and departments of engagingÌýwith the FMSP to provide Further mathematics, studying the rationale, inductionÌýandÌýprofessional learningÌýeffectsÌýofÌýteachingÌýA-levelÌýin early career.Ìý

I have contributed to mathematics curriculum evaluations both small scale, e.g. for The European Schools, andÌýinternational comparisons e.g. NCEE'sÌýInternational Instructional Systems Study.

Teaching interests

I haveÌýworked onÌýsubject knowledge and pedagogy strands of teacher trainingÌýat undergraduate, post-graduate and masters level, as well as supervising doctoral students.Ìý I am now working on theÌýproduction andÌýpresentation of the OU'sÌýundergraduateÌýmodules in MathematicsÌýEducation and itsÌýshort courses for teachers on Open Learn.

Impact and engagement

My work on mathematics participation and teaching A-level in early career hasÌýcontributed to developing a DfE-fundedÌýcourseÌýfor new teachers targeted at A-level, and now informs the OU's development of courses for teachers on Open Learn and within the undergraduate degree. The Mathematics Education team work closely withÌýschools and collegesÌývia theÌýMaths Hubs, notablyÌýour local Enigma Hub.

I prioritiseÌýengagingÌýwith the mathematics education researchÌýcommunity, and encouragingÌýteachers to read research and relate it to their practice.ÌýCurrent thoughts are shared on Twitter as @itchymaths and through theÌýmathematics education blogÌý.Ìý

External collaborations

I am a memberÌýof the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications, andÌýhonorary seniorÌýlecturer atÌýUCL Institute of Education.Ìý

Aiming to have an impact on education policy, I chair the Secondary (11-16) expert panel for the Royal Society's Advisory Committee on Mathematis Education. I am on theÌýExpert Advisory Group ofÌýthe EEF's Centres for Excellence in Mathematics.

I am an editor of the journal Teaching Mathematics and its Applications.

I attend the Language and Mathematics Working Group of the European Society for Research in Mathemaitcs Education, and the Mathematics, Education and Society conferences.

Publications

(2025)
Smith, Cathy; Chris, Sangwin and Duncan, Lawson
Teaching Mathematics and its Applications: An International Journal of the IMA, Article hrae027 ((Early access))

(2021-12)
Gillard, Jonathan; Ketnor, Claire; Mac An Bhaird, Ciarán and Smith, Cathy
Teaching Mathematics and its Applications: An International Journal of the IMA, 40(4) (pp. 249-253)

(2020)
Smith, Cathy
British Journal of Sociology of Education, 41(2) (pp. 160-177)

(2018-06-04)
Smith, Cathy and Bretscher, Nicola
Teaching Mathematics and its Applications: An International Journal of the IMA, 37(2) (pp. 84-97)

(2018-06-04)
Smith, Cathy and Golding, Jennie
Teaching Mathematics and its Applications: An International Journal of the IMA, 37(2) (pp. 55-68)

(2018-06-04)
Smith, Cathy; Golding, Jennie and Bretscher, Nicola
Teaching Mathematics and its Applications: An International Journal of the IMA, 37(2) (pp. 53-54)

(2018-06)
Golding, Jennie; Smith, Cathy and Blayock, Mick
Teaching Mathematics and its Applications: An International Journal of the IMA, 37(2) (pp. 69-83)

(2017)
Smith, Cathy
Research in Mathematics Education, 19(1) (pp. 97-101)

(2016)
Smith, Cathy and Morgan, Candia
The Curriculum Journal, 27(1) (pp. 24-45)

(2010)
Smith, Cathy
Research in Mathematics Education, 12(2) (pp. 99-115)

(2021)
Smith, Cathy
In: Ineson, Gwen and Povey, Hilary eds. Debates in Mathematics Education (2nd edition). Debates in Subject Teaching (pp. 269-281)
ISBN : 9780367074982 | Publisher : Routledge | Published : Abingdon

(2019-05-09)
Webb, Charlotte and Smith, Cathy
In: Lee, Clare and Ward-Penny, Robert eds. A practical guide to teaching mathematics in the secondary school (2nd ed) (pp. 104-115)
ISBN : 9781138481206 | Publisher : Routledge | Published : Abingdon

(2019-04-25)
Webb, Charlotte and Smith, Cathy
In: Lee, Clare and Ward-Penny, Robert eds. A Practical Guide to Teaching Mathematics in the Secondary School (2nd edition). Routledge Teaching Guides (pp. 104-115)
ISBN : 9781351060714 | Publisher : Routledge

(2014)
Smith, Cathy
In: Leslie, Dawn and Mendick, Heather eds. Debates in Mathematics Education. Debates in Subject Teaching Series (pp. 196-206)
ISBN : 978-0-415-62383-4 | Publisher : Routledge | Published : London

(2011)
Smith, Cathy
In: Atweh, Bill; Graven, Mellony; Secada, Walter and Valero, Paola eds. Mapping Equity and Quality in Mathematics Education (pp. 285-298)
ISBN : 978-90-481-9802-3 | Publisher : Springer | Published : Dordrecht

(2023)
Kimber, Elizabeth and Smith, Cathy
In : Thirteenth Congress of the European Society for Research in Mathematics Education (10-14 Jul 2023, Budapest) (pp. 1613-1620)

(2022-08-24)
Kimber, Elizabeth and Smith, Cathy
In : BSRLM Proceedings of the New Researchers Day Conference (10-11 Jun 2022, University of Nottingham)

(2022)
Kimber, Elizabeth and Smith, Cathy
In : Twelfth Congress of the European Society for Research in Mathematics Education (Feb 2022, Bozen-Bolzano, Italy (Online))

(2021)
Smith, Cathy
In : 11th International Mathematics Education and Society Conference (24 Sep - 29 Sep 2021, University of Klagenfurt (Online)) (pp. 947-956)

(2020-02-21)
Smith, Cathy
In : Seventh ERME Topic Conference on Language in the Mathematics Classroom (18-21 Feb 2020, Montpellier, France) (pp. 171-178)

(2018-07)
Smith, Cathy and Golding, Jennie
In : 42nd Conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (3-8 Jul 2018, Umeå, Sweden.) (pp. 211-218)

(2023-09)
Smith, Cathy; Kathotia, Vinay; Ward-Penny, Robert; Howson, Oli and Wermelinger, Michel
The Royal Society

(2020-07-06)
Smith, Cathy and Forsythe, Susan
The Joint Mathematical Council of the United Kingdom, London.

(2017-03)
Smith, Cathy and Golding, Jennie
Further Mathematics Support Programme

(2017-01)
Smith, Cathy and Golding, Jennie
Further Mathematics Support Programme

(2016-11)
Golding, Jennie and Smith, Cathy
Further Mathematics Support Programme, London.

(2016-03)
Golding, Jennie and Smith, Cathy
Further Mathematics Support Programme

(2016-02)
Baldwin, Claire; de Pomerai, Sue and Smith, Cathy
The Institute of Mathematics and Its Applications (IMA), Mathematics Today.

(2015-01)
Smith, Cathy and Golding, Jennie
Further Mathematics Support Programme

(2014)
Smith, Cathy
Further Mathematics Support Programme