Coming soon
The Psychology of Maths
This isn't the book I planned to write. It's the book my learners asked me to write.
"Why do so many capable people believe they can't do maths?"
For many years I thought I was teaching mathematics. My learners taught me something very different.
Again and again I met intelligent, capable people who believed they simply couldn't do maths. They weren't lacking determination. They weren't lacking ability.
Many were carrying years of negative experiences, lost confidence and deeply held beliefs about themselves.
The more I listened, the more I realised that before I could teach mathematics, I often needed to understand the person sitting in front of me.
That realisation changed the way I taught. It also raised a question that has stayed with me ever since.
Why do so many people believe they can't learn mathematics?
More than a maths book
This is not a book about formulas. It is not a revision guide. It is not another textbook.
It is an exploration of the thoughts, beliefs, emotions and experiences that shape our relationship with mathematics.
Drawing on years of teaching, academic research and ongoing professional development, this book asks a simple but important question:
What if the biggest barriers to learning mathematics aren't mathematical at all?
What the book will explore
- Why so many adults believe they are "bad at maths"
- Confidence and mathematical learning
- The lasting impact of early educational experiences
- Mathematics anxiety
- Different ways people learn
- Why understanding matters more than memorising
- The importance of hope in education
- Teaching the person before teaching the mathematics
A book for...
Although rooted in mathematics, this book is written for anyone interested in learning and education.
Why I'm writing this book
Throughout my career I have been privileged to work with hundreds of learners. Every one of them has taught me something.
Many of the ideas in this book have grown directly from those conversations. Others have emerged through my Master's research and my continuing professional development, including my studies in trauma coaching.
This book is my attempt to bring those experiences together and begin a wider conversation about the way we think about mathematics education.
Join the journey
The Psychology of Maths is currently being written. If you'd like to follow its progress, or be among the first to know when it becomes available, register your interest below.
Before you leave...
I'd like to ask you the question that inspired this book.
What is your relationship with maths?
Because I believe the answer to that question may tell us far more than we realise.