The University of Nottingham, UK

Professor Malcolm Swan

Malcolm is director of the Centre for Research in Mathematics Education at the University of Nottingham. His research is mainly into the theory, development and evaluation of teaching situations and professional development in mathematics education.

He graduated in Mathematics from the University of Nottingham in 1974 and, after a short spell in the civil service, began a secondary Mathematics teaching career. In 1979, he was approached by the University and asked to consider whether he would be interested in a lectureship at the Shell Centre for Mathematical Education, a unique, new research and development centre. He has been working on R&D at Nottingham ever since! His PhD, in 2005, was on the collaborative learning of Mathematics in low attaining Further Education classrooms. In 2008 he was promoted to Professor of Mathematics Education.

In the UK, Malcolm is best known for leading the design of Improving Learning in Mathematics, curriculum and professional development resources were sent by government to mathematics teachers in secondary and further education. Malcolm is currently leading the development of ‘Classroom Challenges’, a series of formative assessment lessons supporting the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics in the US, funded by the Gates foundation.