Projects per year
Personal profile
Research interests
Alison’s research interests include pedagogic and mathematics education, higher education and education practitioner research.
Current research activity:
Co-investigator: Developing new networks and research capacity from the legacy of a longstanding international higher education partnership (BAICE Network Grant £4,997.00)
Co-investigator: “The prevalence and use of textbooks and curriculum resources in primary maths” (Nuffield Foundation Award no. EDO /FR-000022614) (£61,354.00)
Previous research activity:
Co-investigator: Research review of the British Society for Research into Learning Mathematics [BSRLM] Conference Proceedings (2003-2017)
Perseverance in mathematical reasoning:
- The role of children’s conative focus in the productive interplay between cognition and affect
- Development of a theoretical framework on children’s cognitive-affective-conative interplay in mathematics learning
- Children’s enjoyment in learning mathematics and its role as a potential barrier to children’s perseverance in mathematical reasoning
Scholarly biography
Alison is a Principal Lecturer in education, specialising in teaching primary mathematics education and post-graduate education research. She is the Assistant Programme Leader of the MA Education in the School of Education. In addition, she is Partnership Leader for the University’s Partnership with the Mauritius Institute of Education, and within this, she leads the MA Education course.
She teaches across a range of course including the MA Education, BA Primary Education, BA Primary Mathematics Education, Mathematics Specialist Teacher Post-Graduate Certificate (MaST) and the Professional Doctorate in Education. Her post-graduate research teaching takes place at the University of Brighton and with University of Brighton’s partner, the Mauritius Institute of Education.
Alison was jointly awarded the Janet Duffin Award for the most outstanding contribution to the Research in Mathematics Education journal (2019) for her paper:
Barnes, A. (2019) Perseverance in mathematical reasoning: the role of children’s conative focus in the productive interplay between cognition and affect. Research in Mathematics Education, 21(3), pp. 271-294.
Approach to teaching
Alison is passionate about the learning of children, students and education practitioners. For the last two decades, her professional goal has been to support professional learning in education, to enable practitioners to further develop their professional understanding and knowledge and thus enhance their personal learning, and that of their students.
Alison has a background in in mechanical engineering, primary teaching, mathematics education consultancy and higher education; she has first-hand experience of how learning experiences in mathematics can impact on confidence in, enjoyment of and attitudes towards the subject. Her teaching in initial teacher education centres on creating enabling learning environments that support students to engage in mathematical exploration, to develop as mathematicians and to construct theoretical, policy and pedagogical understanding.
Alison is particularly interested in practitioner inquiry as an approach to research to generate knowledge, inform practice (as a form of professional development) and improve outcomes for students and practitioners. She has further developed a problem-based action research methodology to empower practitioners to create bespoke, school-based professional development. This approach enables education practitioners to reflect on, interpret and critique theory, policy and practice to meet the learning needs of students and the professional development needs of colleagues.
Supervisory Interests
Alison’s supervisory interests include learning and teaching in schools and higher education, mathematics education pedagogy and learning, including the role of affect and emotions, and intervention approaches to research. She is interested in supervising students with interests related to these areas.
Alison is co-leader of the Professional Doctorate in Education. She supervises students on the PhD, EdD and MA programmes in the UK and the Mauritius Institute of Education.
Education/Academic qualification
PhD, Improving children’s perseverance in mathematical reasoning: creating conditions for productive interplay between cognition and affect, University of Brighton
Award Date: 10 Oct 2017
External positions
External Examiner: MEd Professional Practice in Education, University of Central Lancashire
1 Oct 2020 → 30 Sept 2024
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Developing new networks and research capacity from the legacy of a longstanding international higher education partnership
Turvey, K., Barnes, A., Dr Hyleen Mariaye & Ramasawmy, S.
1/09/23 → 1/09/24
Project: Charities
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The prevalence and use of textbooks and curriculum resources in primary maths
Barclay, N., Barnes, A., Marks, R. & Allen, B.
1/09/21 → 28/03/23
Project: Charities
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The Prevalence and Use of Textbooks and Curriculum Resources in Primary Mathematics
Marks, R., Barclay, N. & Barnes, A., 30 Mar 2023, Nuffield Foundation. 118 p.Research output: Book/Report › Project report
Open AccessFile -
Choosing and using curriculum resources in primary mathematics
Barclay, N., Barnes, A. & Marks, R., 5 Mar 2022, p. 1. 6 p.Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper
Open AccessFile -
A comparative synthesis of UK mathematics education research: what are we talking about and do we align with international discourse?
Marks, R., Foster, C., Barclay, N., Barnes, A. & Treacy, P., 18 May 2020, In: Research in Mathematics Education. 23, 1, p. 39-62Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Enjoyment in learning mathematics: its role as a potential barrier to children’s perseverance in mathematical reasoning
Barnes, A., 19 Nov 2020, In: Educational Studies in Mathematics. 106, 1, p. 45-63 19 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Formative assessment in mathematics education: Key debates
Barnes, A. & Marks, R., 7 Jul 2020, Debates in Mathematics Education. Ineson, G. & Povey, H. (eds.). 2nd ed. Routledge, p. 243-255Research output: Chapter in Book/Conference proceeding with ISSN or ISBN › Chapter
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The prevalence and use of textbooks and curriculum resources in primary mathematics in England
Rachel Marks (Presenter), Alison Barnes (Presenter) & Nancy Barclay (Presenter)
8 Sept 2022Activity: External talk or presentation › Oral presentation
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Perseverance in mathematical reasoning: The role of children's conative focus in the productive interplay between cognition and affect
Alison Barnes (Presenter)
5 Jun 2021Activity: External talk or presentation › Invited talk
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Autonomy and leading learning: The key role of research and research skills illustrated through an action research approach
Alison Barnes (Presenter)
18 Apr 2019Activity: External talk or presentation › Invited talk