Professor Hilary Povey CE, BA (Hons), PhD, SFHEA
Professor in Mathematics Education
Summary
My research centres on social justice issues in mathematics education. I lead the Mathematics Education Research Group at Sheffield Hallam University and contribute to the wider mathematics education community in a variety of ways. I am also involved in curriculum development and have led a number of projects related to school mathematics.
About
Before coming to SHU, I worked for a number of years for the Inner London Education Authority (ILEA), teaching mathematics in comprehensive schools, an off-site unit and a sixth form college. I also worked for the ILEA in an advisory capacity for secondary mathematics and directing the Smile Curriculum Project. Since coming to SHU I have had a range of roles including Head of the Mathematics Education Centre, Head of Initial Teacher Education and Divisional Education Research Development Co-ordinator. In 2014 I received a University Inspirational Teacher Award. In 2016 I held a Stipendiary Fellowship at the University of Münster, Germany.
I was until recently Chair of the British Society for Research in Learning Mathematics (BSRLM) and a member of the Executive of the Joint Mathematical Council. I am an Advisory Editor for Research in Mathematics Education and on the Editorial Board of Mathematics Teacher Education and Development and the Journal of Global Education and Research. I am a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. I referee for external research appointments, for a number of journals and for the Leverhulme Trust and the ESRC.
I devised the cre8ate maths project (Yorkshire Forward) and was joint mathematics director, writer and editor. I am the mathematics curriculum lead and materials designer for the Embodying Mathematics project (Complicite) and undertook a similar role for the Maths in Context project (DCFS). I was the UK lead for the Mathematics in the Making project (Comenius) and worked on the NCETM National Priority Project Making Research Accessible and Relevant to Practising Teachers.
I have recently become interested in the role of historical awareness in combating neo-liberalism (https://smilemaths.wordpress.com/). Other current research interests include collaborative work in the secondary mathematics classroom, all attainment teaching in secondary mathematics, group work in the undergraduate mathematics classroom and transformative learning in initial teacher education in mathematics.
Mathematics education and social justice
Teaching
Department of Teacher Education
College of Social Sciences and Arts
Mathematics education
I supervise doctoral students in mathematics education and in social justice issues in education.
Research
A study of teacher led curriculum change: the case of SMILE Mathematics, 1972-1990. British Academy / Leverhulme
Embodying Mathematics: a mathematics-drama research project. John Lyon's Charity and Paul Hamlyn Foundation
Evaluation of Scratch programming and its impact on computational thinking. Education Endowment Foundation
Povey, Hilary (2014) Transformative learning through educative assessment: one student's experience of a learning journal. Paper presented at the 12th International Conference of the Mathematics Education into the 21st Century Project, Montenegro, September, 2014
Jackson, Colin and Povey, Hilary (2014) Intimations of class in response to innovative mathematics pedagogy in initial teacher education. Paper presented at the 12th International Conference of the Mathematics Education into the 21st Century Project, Montenegro, September, 2014
Povey, Hilary (forthcoming) A pedagogy for attainment for all, in H. Mendick and D. Leslie (eds) Debates in Mathematics Education, London: Routledge
Povey, Hilary and Boylan, Mark (forthcoming) Ability thinking, in H. Mendick and D. Leslie (eds) Debates in Mathematics Education, London: Routledge
Povey, Hilary and Angier Corinne (2013) Narrative analysis through storying: exploring undergraduate mathematics, SAGE Cases in Methodology, London: Sage
Boylan, Mark and Povey, Hilary (forthcoming) Moving off track: mathematics teacher education for all attainment teaching' in L. Jacobsen, J. Mistele and B. Sriraman (eds) Mathematics Teacher Education in the Public Interest, Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing
Povey, Hilary (2010) Teaching for equity, teaching for mathematical engagement, Philosophy of Mathematics Education Journal, No 25, October.
Boylan, Mark and Povey, Hilary (2009) Mathematics, in M. Cole (ed) Equality in the Secondary School: Promoting good practice across the curriculum, London: Continuum, 247-269
Povey, Hilary (2009) Promoting (gender) equity in the mathematics classroom' in Kvinnor och matematik, Proceedings of 7th Nordic Women and Mathematics Conference, Gothenburg, June 2009, 35-50
Boylan, Mark and Povey, Hilary (2009) Telling stories about mathematics, in L. Black, H. Mendick and Y. Solomon (eds) Mathematical Relationships in Education: Identities and Participation, New York: Routledge, 47-57
Povey, Hilary and Zevenbergen, Robyn (2008) Mathematics education and society: an overview, in M. Menghini, F. Furinghetti, L. Giacardi & F. Arzarello (eds.) The First Century of the International Commission on Mathematical Instruction (1908-2008): Reflecting and Shaping the World of Mathematics Education ,Rome: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana, 277-288)
Povey, Hilary (2008) Teacher as model learner, for the learning of mathematics, 28 (3) 13
Publications
Journal articles
Jackson, C., Povey, H., & With 'Pete', (2019). Learning Mathematics without Limits and All-attainment Grouping in Secondary Schools: Pete's story. Forum for Promoting 3-19 Comprehensive Education, 61 (1), 11. http://doi.org/10.15730/forum.2019.61.1.11
Povey, H., Boylan, M., & Adams, G. (2019). Regulated time and expansive time in primary school mathematics. Pedagogy, Culture and Society. http://doi.org/10.1080/14681366.2019.1692059
Povey, H., & Adams, G. (2018). Possibilities for mathematics education? : Aphoristic fragments from the past. The Mathematics Enthusiast, 15 (1-2), 159-177. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/tme/vol15/iss1/10/
Povey, H., Adams, G., & Everley, R. (2017). “Its Influence Taints All”: Urban Math-ematics Teachers Resisting Performativity through Engagement with the Past. The Journal of Urban Mathematics Education, 10 (2), 52-65.
Povey, H., Adams, G., & Jackson, C. (2016). How making for a purpose in mathematics can provoke mathematical meaning making. Philosophy of Mathematics Education Journal, 31. http://socialsciences.exeter.ac.uk/education/research/centres/stem/publications/pmej/pome31/index.html
Jackson, C., & Povey, H. (2015). "Doing what comes naturally" in mathematics education? : the role of social class in pre-service teachers' responses to innovative mathematics pedagogies. Mathematics Teacher Education and Development (MTED), 17 (2), 198-212. https://mted.merga.net.au/index.php/mted/article/view/243
Povey, H. (2014). ‘Walking in a Foreign and Unknown Landscape’ : studying the history of mathematics in initial teacher education. Science & Education, 23 (1), 143-157. http://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-013-9617-2
Povey, H. (2010). Teaching for equity, teaching for mathematical engagement. Philosophy of mathematics Education journal, 25. http://people.exeter.ac.uk/PErnest/pome25/index.html
Povey, H., & Angier, C. (2007). Creating opportunities for authoritative knowing: some undergraduate experiences of mathematics assessment. Philosophy of mathematics education journal, 21. http://people.exeter.ac.uk/PErnest/pome21/index.htm
Povey, H., Angier, C., & Clarke, M. (2006). Storying Joanne, an undergraduate mathematician. Gender and education, 18 (5), 459-471. http://doi.org/10.1080/09540250600881592
Povey, H. (2002). Promoting social justice in and through the mathematics curriculum: Exploring the connections with epistemologies of mathematics. Mathematics Education Research Journal, 14 (3), 190-201. http://doi.org/10.1007/bf03217362
Povey, H., Stephenson, K., & Radice, M. (2001). Four teachers talking: social inclusion, professional development and (un)contested meaning. Journal of in-service education, 27 (3), 377-404. http://doi.org/10.1080/13674580100200162
Povey, H., & Ransom, M. (2000). International Journal of Computers for Mathematical Learning, 5 (1), 47-63. http://doi.org/10.1023/a:1009829415428
Povey, H. (2000). Critical epistemologies and gender issues in initial teacher education. Pedagogy, Culture & Society, 8 (2), 219-231. http://doi.org/10.1080/14681360000200087
Gardiner, J., Hudson, B., & Povey, H. (2000). ASPECTS OF CONSTRUCTION AND PROOF IN A HAND-HELD DYNAMIC GEOMETRY ENVIRONMENT. Research in Mathematics Education, 2 (1), 125-136. http://doi.org/10.1080/14794800008520072
ANGIER, C., & POVEY, H. (1999). One Teacher and a Class of School Students: Their perception of the culture of their mathematics classroom and its construction. Educational Review, 51 (2), 147-160. http://doi.org/10.1080/00131919997588
Povey, H. (1997). Beginning mathematics teachers' ways of knowing: the link with working for emancipatory change. Curriculum Studies, 5 (3), 329-343. http://doi.org/10.1080/14681369700200016
Povey, H. (1997). Entitlement through IT in mathematics classrooms. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 13 (2), 109-118. http://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2729.1997.00013.x
Conference papers
Povey, H. (2019). The teaching of higher education mathematics by pre-service mathematics teacher educators: How might this contribute to social justice? A consideration of a possible approach. In Jankvist, U., van den Heuvel-Panhuizen, M., & Veldhuis, M. (Eds.) CERME11, Utrecht, Netherlands, 6 February 2019 - 10 February 2019 (pp. 1954-1961). Utrecht, Netherlands: ERME: https://www.mathematik.uni-dortmund.de/~erme/index.php?slab=conferences
Povey, H., Adams, G., Demissie, F., & Chronaki, A. (2019). Initial report from the project in citizenship and mathematics (PICAM): moral and political dilemmas. Proceedings of the Tenth International Mathematics Education and Society Conference. https://www.mescommunity.info/proceedings/MES10.pdf
Chronaki, A., Adams, G., Andrade, M., Bruno, G., Demissie, F., Marcone, R., ... Yolcu, A. (2019). Unfolding global/local policies, practices and/or hybrids in mathematics education worldwide: utopias, pleasures, pressures and conflicts. Proceedings of the Tenth International Mathematics Education and Society Conference. https://www.mescommunity.info/proceedings/MES10.pdf
Chronaki, A., Adams, G., Andrade, M., Bruno, G., Demissie, F., Marcone, R., ... Yolcu, A. (2019). Unfolding global/local policies, practices and/or hybrids in mathematics education worldwide: utopias, pleasures, pressures and conflicts. Proceedings of the Tenth International Mathematics Education and Society Conference. https://www.mescommunity.info/proceedings/MES10.pdf
Jackson, C., & Povey, H. (2017). "No, it just didn't work": a teacher's reflections on all-attainment teaching. In Dooley, T., & Geuedet, G. (Eds.) Proceedings of the Tenth Congress of the European, (pp. 1545-1552). Dublin, Ireland: Institute of Education, Dublin City University: http://www.mathematik.uni-dortmund.de/ieem/erme_temp/CERME10_Proceedings_final.pdf
Povey, H., & Adams, G. (2017). Thinking forward : using stories from the recent past in mathematics education in England. In Chronaki, A. (Ed.) Mathematics Education : Proceedings of 9th International Conference of Mathematics Education and Society (MES) Conference, Volos, Greece, April 2017, (pp. 803-811). Thessaly, Greece: International Conference of Mathematics Education and Society (MES): http://mes9.ece.uth.gr/portal/index.php/program-en/conferenceproceedings-en
Adams, G., & Povey, H. (2016). Workshop report: Using data from a history of Smile to overcome 'historic loneliness'. In BSRLM Day conference, Loughborough University, 11 June 2016. http://www.bsrlm.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/BSRLM-CP-36-2-15.pdf
Povey, H., Adams, G., & Boylan, M. (2016). Making time to make meaning: an embodied approach to learning. In Y. Solomon (Chair), Making time for mathematics: the case for a slower-paced pedagogy. Symposium [abstract only]. In British Educational Research Association Annual Conference, Leeds, UK, 13 September 2016 - 15 September 2016.
Povey, H., Adams, G., & Everley, R. (2016). "Its influence taints all": mathematics teachers resisting performativity through engagement with the past. In 13th International Congress on Mathematical Education, Hamburg, 24 July 2016 - 2016.
Povey, H., Adams, G., & Jackson, C. (2016). “It was all led by them”: opening up opportunities for making mathematics through a children’s exhibition. Proceedings of the British Society for Research into Learning Mathematics, 36 (1), 82-87. https://bsrlm.org.uk/publications/proceedings-of-day-conference/ip36-1/
Book chapters
Povey, H., Adams, G., & Jackson, C. (2018). Time for work: finding worth-while-ness in making mathematics. In Ernest, P. (Ed.) Philosophy of Mathematics Education Today. (pp. 343-352). Dordrecht: Springer: https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-3-319-77760-3_22
Adams, G., & Povey, H. (2018). “Now There’s Everything to Stop You”: Teacher autonomy then and now. In Jurdak, M., & Vithal, R. (Eds.) Socio-political dimensions of mathematics education: Voices from margin to mainstream. (pp. 209-230). Springer: http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-72610-6_12
Povey, H. (2015). The teaching of mathematics in undergraduate secondary initial teacher education: some students' responses to enquiry based pedagogy with transformative intentions. In Rogerson, A. (Ed.) The Mathematics Education for the Future Project : Proceedings of the 13th International Conference Mathematics Education in a Connected World. (pp. 327-328). WTM-Verlag: http://directorymathsed.net/public/CataniaConferenceDocuments&Papers/Proceedings/All%20PapersInPDF/POVEY.pdf
Povey, H. (2014). A pedagogy for attainment for all. In Leslie, D., & Mendick, H. (Eds.) Debates in Mathematics Education. (pp. 133-143). Routledge
Povey, H. (2014). Transformative learning through educative assessment: one student's experience of a learning journal. In Rogerson, A. (Ed.) Proceedings of 12th International Conference of the Mathematics Education into the 21st Century Project, Montenegro, September, 2014 : the future of mathematics education in a connected world. Mathematics Education for the Future: http://directorymathsed.net/montenegro/Povey.pdf
Jackson, C., & Povey, H. (2014). Intimations of class in response to innovative mathematics pedagogy in initial teacher education. In Rogerson, A. (Ed.) Proceedings of 12th International Conference of the Mathematics Education into the 21st Century Project, Montenegro, September, 2014 : the future of mathematics education in a connected world. Mathematics Education for the Future: http://directorymathsed.net/montenegro/Jackson.pdf
Boylan, M., & Povey, H. (2013). Ability thinking. In Leslie, D., & Mendick, H. (Eds.) Debates in mathematics education. Routledge
Povey, H. (2013). The use of learning journals as assessment. In Lindmeier, A.M., & Heinze., A. (Eds.) Mathematics learning across the lifespan: proceedings of the 37th conference of the International group for the psychology of mathematics education. Kiel: IPN: Leibniz Institute for Science and Mathematics Education
Boylan, M., & Povey, H. (2012). Moving off track: mathematics teacher education for all attainment teaching. In Jacobsen, L.J., Mistele, J., & Sriraman, B. (Eds.) Mathematics teacher education in the public interest : equity and social justice. (pp. 117-158). Information Age Publishing
Boylan, M., & Povey, H. (2009). Telling stories about mathematics. In Black, L., Mendick, H., & Solomon, Y. (Eds.) Mathematical relationships in education : identities and participation. (pp. 47-57). Routledge
(2005). ‘THAT SPARK FROM HEAVEN’ OR ‘OF THE EARTH’. In Gender in the Secondary Curriculum. (pp. 143-156). Routledge: http://doi.org/10.4324/9780203979976-17
Povey, H., & Burton, L. (1999). Learners as authors in the mathematics classroom. In Burton, L. (Ed.) Learning mathematics : from Hierarchies to Networks. (pp. 232-245). London: Routledge
Allen, B. (n.d.). Mathematics Education. Routledge: http://doi.org/10.4324/9780203465394
(n.d.). Curriculum and Pedagogy in Inclusive Education. Routledge: http://doi.org/10.4324/9781315018188
Books
Povey, H. (2017). Engaging (with) mathematics and learning to teach. An integrated approach to mathematics preservice education. Münster, Germany: WTM-Verlag. http://www.wtm-verlag.de/povey-h-engaging-with-mathematics-and-learning-to-teach-an-integrated-approach-to-mathematics-preservice-education/
Theses / Dissertations
Otieno, H. (2018). Improving Kenyan Secondary School students’ relationship withmathematics through self-regulated learning. (Doctoral thesis). Supervised by Povey, H. http://doi.org/10.7190/shu-thesis-00153
Thorley, A.D.M. (2014). Girls and A level physics : identity and choices. (Doctoral thesis). Supervised by Povey, H., & Boylan, M.
Morton, P.M. (2010). Difference and belonging: Learning from women studying the built environment. (Doctoral thesis). Supervised by Povey, H.
Catterall, R. (2006). Exploring children's conception of zero. (Doctoral thesis). Supervised by Povey, H., Dall, I., & Sangster, M.
Kidd, S.W. (2005). Secondary students in two former mining communities: possibilities for the self. (Doctoral thesis). Supervised by Bentley, D., Povey, H., & Bufton, S.
Boylan, M.S. (2004). Questioning (in) school mathematics : lifeworlds and ecologies of practice. (Doctoral thesis). Supervised by Ashworth, P., Coldron, J., & Povey, H.
Gardiner, J. (2002). Dynamic geometry, construction and proof : making meaning in the mathematics classroom. (Doctoral thesis). Supervised by Hudson, B., & Povey, H.
Other publications
Povey, H. (2003). Teaching and learning mathematics: can the concept of citizenship be reclaimed for social justice? Westport: Praeger Press: http://www.greenwood.com/catalog/AB6801.aspx
Postgraduate supervision
Improving students' relationship with mathematics through self-regulated learning in Kenya secondary schools
Research into the possible reasons for the complete resistance to education often displayed by young people living within ex-mining communities
Forced GCSE maths resits in FE colleges: students’ voices
Dynamic geometry – the impact of visualisation and proof on mathematical meaning making, 2002
The effect of anxiety on children’s learning and experience in the Primary classroom, 2004
Questioning (in) school mathematics: Life-worlds and ecologies of practice, 2004
Underachievement in secondary schools: the social processes of class and gender, 2005
Exploring children's conceptions of zero, 2007
The female experience of built environment higher education - a small scale study, 2010
Girls and A level physics: Identity and choices, 2015