BSc (Hons), PGCE, PhD
Lecturer
- About
-
- Email Address
- h.martin@abdn.ac.uk
- Telephone Number
- +44 (0)1224 274769
- Office Address
- School/Department
- School of Education
Biography
Helen Martin is a Lecturer in Mathematics Education where she specialises in developing pedagogical design capacity and supporting professionally informed ethical decision-making. Her research and teaching are based on the design principles ‘valuing diversity, developing flexibility and making connections’ with an emphasis on how others make sense of doing mathematics, becoming and being mathematicians within a community. Helen has led collaborative projects across universities around E-Formative Assessment, online study sessions for primary pre-service teachers and Multiplicative and Algebraic Reasoning across Scottish schools as well as continuing to work at a National level with the Scottish Government, Scottish Mathematical Council, Edinburgh Mathematical Society and the Joint Mathematical Council of the UK.
An important part of encouraging more young people to recognise themselves as mathematicians involves supporting enrichment opportunities for children and young people including the Royal Institution Maths Masterclasses from way back as a tutor with Prof. Edward Patterson, Stem in the Pipeline, UKMT Team Maths challenges, Scottish Maths Challenge (now in its 50th year) and the Primary Enterprising Maths Challenge (nearing it's 25th anniversary) started here in Aberdeen with events now running across Scotland.
She is also the Editor-in-Chief of the international open access Education in the North journal (now in its 60th year) which supports researchers at every stage of their careers across the Arctic and beyond where she works closely with UArctic Teacher Education for Social Justice and Diversity in Education thematic network and The Centre for the North. The design principles 'valuing diversity, developing flexibility and making connections' are now used alongside the extensive editorial expertise to support early career researchers as programme director of the MEd Professional Education, EdD course coordinator and REF impact lead.
Qualifications
- PhD Mathematics Education2014 - University of Aberdeen
- PGCE Secondary Mathematics1990 - University of Edinburgh
- BSc (Hons) Mathematics1989 - University of St Andrews
Memberships and Affiliations
- Internal Memberships
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University Court elected member Nov 2020 - present
Finance and Resource Committee (FRC) Sept 2023 - present
Govenance and Nominations Committee (GNN) Feb 2021 - Sept 2023
Leadership & Governance workstream (ACS) Feb 2026 - present
Senate elected member Oct 2017 - Sept 2020
Senate Business Committee (SBC) member Sept 2018 - Sept 2020
Senate Effectiveness Review group elected member 2019/20, 2020/21
UOA Ref Impact Leads School REF Impact Lead Sept 2024 - present
School Research Committee Sept 2021- present
School EDI Committee Chair (Feb 2023 - Oct 2025); member 2023 - present
Education in the North Chair and Editor-in-chief May 2020 - Present; Book Review Editor 2015-2020
The Centre for the North board member
- External Memberships
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Edinburgh Mathematical Society, Joint Chair of the Education Committee and member of Council, Sept 25 - present
Joint Mathematical Council of the UK, member Apr 2026 - present
British Society for Research into Learning Mathematics (BSRLM) member of Higher Education Mathematics Group
PRIMES: Pedagogy and Practice in Mathematics Education Scotland Member
Scottish Mathematical Challenge (MC) Committee
Scottish Mathematical Council (SMC) Member Sept 2015- 2018 and trustee Nov 2016 - Sept 2018
Education Scotland member of Curriculum Improvement Cycle Mathematics Collaboration Group and National Numeracy Network
UArctic Teacher Education for Social Justice and Diversity in Education Arctic Futures
New Northern Pedagogies Group Sept 23 - present
Prizes and Awards
Senior Fellow, Advance HE (formerly HEA) 2021
First Scottish Academic journal to gain the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) seal 2021
- Research
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Research Areas
Accepting PhDs
I am currently accepting PhDs in Education.
Please get in touch if you would like to discuss your research ideas further.
Current Research
Assessment in Higher Education Mathematics
Learning and Teaching Mathematics in Higher Education
How choice might be actualised within classrooms
Collaborations
UK Prosperity Funded ‘Multiply’ project with Aberdeen City Council
UK Prosperity Funded ‘Multiply’ project with Aberdeenshire Council
Dyscalculia Working Group with Aberdeen City Council
Supervision
My current supervision areas are: Education.
Current supervisions
PhD: Transitions from Secondary to Post-Secondary Mathematics in Malta
EdD: Ethical Leadership
Previous supervisions
PhD: Teaching mathematics with Saudi Arabian English Language Learners
PhD: Vulnerable young people in Scotland: tacking food and health inequalities
Funding and Grants
New Northern Pedagogies Group (NNPG): Co-PI funded by Scottish Government Arctic Connections (£7795) with co-investigators from Universities of Strathclyde, Edinburgh, Highlands & Islands, and Lapland.
Improving Children’s Mathematical Reasoning (ICMR): Principal Investigator funded by The Carnegie Trust Larger Collaborative Grant (£40000) with co-investigators from Universities of Glasgow and King’s College London alongside Education Scotland and Scottish Government.
Online Mathematics Assessment for Primary Teachers (MAPT): Principal Investigator funded by Education Scotland (£12000) with co-investigators from Universities of Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow alongside Education Scotland and HMIE.
- Teaching
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Programmes
- Postgraduate, 1 , October start
Course Coordinator
- Postgraduate, 1 , January start
Programme Director
- Postgraduate, 1 year, August start
- Subject selector (Mathematics)
- Curricular tutor (Mathematics)
- School experience visiting tutor
- Undergraduate, 4 year, September start
Courses
- Master Project/Dissertation (ED506A)
- Master Project/Dissertation (ED556A)
Teaching Responsibilities
Current Teaching
Programme Director
Masters in Professional Education
Course Coordinator
ED6002 EdD Identifying and Articulating Issues in Professional Practice
ED506A(2025-26): Master Project/Dissertation
ED556A(2025-26): Master Project/Dissertation
PGDE(S) Mathematics Education
ED1008 Radical Reconstructions of Mathematics
- Publications
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Page 7 of 9 Results 301 to 350 of 418
The Places Teachers Build: Eight Research Findings that Build Better Schools
Contributions to Journals: FeaturesThe sense of place – voices from a schoolyard
Education in the North, vol. 20, no. Special Issue, pp. 26-38Contributions to Journals: ArticlesUnderstanding the Danish Forest School Approach, Early Years Education in Practice Jane Williams-Siegfredsen Abingdon: Routledge (2012) pp. 112 Pbk. £19.99 ISBN 978-0415581134
Education in the North, vol. 20, no. Special Issue, pp. 144-145Contributions to Journals: Reviews of Books, Films and ArticlesWhere to begin – pedagogy in studio practice
Contributions to Journals: FeaturesCoaching and mentoring: exploring approaches to professional learning Christine Forde and Jim O’Brien (eds) Edinburgh: Dunedin Press (2011) pp. 90 Pbk. £16.50 ISBN 9781906716295.
Education in the North, vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 21-22Contributions to Journals: Reviews of Books, Films and ArticlesDifferent Track - Same Destination? Exploring the potential of 'Curriculum for Excellence' to improve educational practice in Scotland
Education in the North, vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 1-12Contributions to Journals: ArticlesEarly Childhoods in a Changing World. Margaret M. Clark and Stanley T. Tucker Stoke-on-Trent: Trentham Books (2010) pp. 186 Pbk. £20.99 ISBN 9781858564739
Education in the North, vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 17-18Contributions to Journals: Reviews of Books, Films and ArticlesGlobalisation and Higher Education in the Arab Gulf States. Gari Donn and Yahya Al Manthri Oxford: Symposium Books Ltd. (2010) pp. 176 Pbk. £24.00 ISBN 9781873927311
Education in the North, vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 19-20Contributions to Journals: Reviews of Books, Films and ArticlesGrowing up Online, Young People and Digital Technologies. Sandra Weber and Shanly Dixon (eds) Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan (2010) pp. 292 Pbk. £21.99 ISBN 978-0230620018
Education in the North, vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 22-23Contributions to Journals: Reviews of Books, Films and ArticlesProgressing Science Education: Constructing the Scientific Research Programme into the Contingent Nature of Learning Science. Keith S. Taber London: Springer (2009) pp. 402 Hbk. £136.00 ISBN 9789048124305
Education in the North, vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 13-14Contributions to Journals: Reviews of Books, Films and ArticlesRethinking learning for a digital age: how learners are shaping their experiences Rhona Sharpe, Helen Beetham and Sara de Freitas London:Routledge(2010)pp.256 Pbk.£24.99 ISBN 9781415785431
Education in the North, vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 15-16Contributions to Journals: Reviews of Books, Films and ArticlesAn integrated assessment process using poster presentations: old wine in a new bottle?
The Third Assessment in Higher Education Conference,Contributions to Conferences: PostersBuannachdan dà-chànanas agus foghlam tro mheadhan na gàidhlig
Education in the North, vol. 18, no. 1Contributions to Journals: ArticlesCommunity Education, Learning and Development: 3rd Edition. Lyn Tett, Edinburgh: Dunedin Academic Press (2010) pp. 126 Pbk. £14.99 ISBN 9781906716103
Education in the North, vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 21-22Contributions to Journals: Reviews of Books, Films and ArticlesDè na buannachdan a tha ann an dà-chànanas?
Education in the North, vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 1-4Contributions to Journals: ArticlesDigital Habitats – Stewarding Technology for Communities: E. Wenger, N. White & J. D. Smith Portland, OR CPSquare (2010) pp 227 Pbk. £19.95 ISBN 97809825036
Education in the North, vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 38-40Contributions to Journals: Reviews of Books, Films and ArticlesEmbedding and sustaining change in technology-enhanced education: lessons learned from a cross-institutional transformation project
Education in the North, vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 5-20Contributions to Journals: ArticlesFamily Learning - engaging with parents, Policy and Practice in Education 25, Jeannie Mackenzie, Edinburgh: Dunedin Academic Press (2010) pp.80 Pbk. £14.50 ISBN 978-1903765999
Education in the North, vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 32-33Contributions to Journals: Reviews of Books, Films and ArticlesLearning with Online and Mobile Technologies: A Student Survival Guide J. Macdonald & L. Creanor Farnham, Surrey: Gower (2010) pp. 142 Pbk. £15.99, ISBN 9780566089305
Education in the North, vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 27-29Contributions to Journals: Reviews of Books, Films and ArticlesPhysical Education – Picking Up the Baton: M. Thorburn & S. Gray. Edinburgh: Dunedin Press (2009) pp 92 Pbk. £14.50 ISBN 9781906716073
Education in the North, vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 36-37Contributions to Journals: Reviews of Books, Films and ArticlesReflective Practice: Writing and Professional Development: 3rd Edition. G. Bolton London, Sage (2010) pp. 279 Pbk. £22.99 ISBN 978848602120
Education in the North, vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 34-35Contributions to Journals: Reviews of Books, Films and ArticlesSchool Leadership: 2nd Edition. J. O’Brien, D. Murphy. & J. Draper Edinburgh: Dunedin Press (2008) pp 112 Pbk. £14.95 ISBN 9781903765937
Education in the North, vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 25-26Contributions to Journals: Reviews of Books, Films and ArticlesUsing theory in Youth and Community Work Practice Ilona Buchroth & Chris Parkin (eds.) Exeter: Learning Matters Ltd (2010) pp. 145 Pbk . £17 ISBN:978-1844453009
Education in the North, vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 30-31Contributions to Journals: Reviews of Books, Films and ArticlesYouth Work Practice, BASW Practical Social Work Series: 2nd Edition. Tony Jeffs & Mark. K. Smith (eds.) Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan (2010) pp. 208 Pbk. £17.99 ISBN 9780230543027 Edition
Education in the North, vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 23-24Contributions to Journals: Reviews of Books, Films and ArticlesA Bright Start: The experience of an Aberdeen primary school introducing the Bright Start cognitive curriculum
Contributions to Journals: FeaturesAdvice Rejected: A Case Of Official Misjudgement
Contributions to Journals: FeaturesAppreciating failure, depreciating success: an antidote to the eulogies of departure
Contributions to Journals: FeaturesBeing a researcher: The return of the native
Contributions to Journals: FeaturesBenefits of bilingualism - Buannachdan Dà-Chànanas Agus Foghlam Tro Mheadhan Na Gàidhlig
Contributions to Journals: FeaturesBlogs, Wiki's, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms.: Second Edition, W. Richardson, California: Corwin Press (2008), pp. 168, Pbk., £14.99, ISBN 9781412959728
Education in the North, vol. 17, no. 1Contributions to Journals: Reviews of Books, Films and ArticlesChildren’s Learning and the Development of Literacy Skills through a Structured Play Area
Contributions to Journals: FeaturesDeveloping Restorative Justice in an SEBD school: Is a sair face really better than a red face?
Contributions to Journals: FeaturesDoing and Writing Action Research: J. McNiff and J. Whitehead, London: Sage (2009), pp. 208, Pbk., £19.99 ISBN 978-1847871756
Education in the North, vol. 17, no. 1Contributions to Journals: Reviews of Books, Films and ArticlesEffective Teaching with Internet Technologies: A. Pritchard London: Paul Chapman Publishing (2008), pp. 132, Pbk., £18.99, ISBN 9781412930956
Education in the North, vol. 17, no. 1Contributions to Journals: Reviews of Books, Films and ArticlesFaith Schools in the Twenty First Century: Policy and Practice in Education 23 McKinney, S. (ed.) Edinburgh: Dunedin (2008), pp. 96, Pbk., £14.50, ISBN 9781903765814
Education in the North, vol. 17, no. 1Contributions to Journals: Reviews of Books, Films and ArticlesImproving the education of looked after children: An Aberdeen perspective
Contributions to Journals: FeaturesIntroduction to Counselling Skills: Text and Activities. Third Edition R. Nelson-Jones. London: Sage (2008), pp. 320, Pbk., £22.99 ISBN 9781847873392
Education in the North, vol. 17, no. 1Contributions to Journals: Reviews of Books, Films and Articles‘Let me edutain you...’ Moving Image Education and young people not in education, employment or training
Education in the North, vol. 17, no. 1Contributions to Journals: ArticlesLooking back in anger: What New Labour has done to gender equality in schools
Contributions to Journals: FeaturesMicropolitics of desire: participant self observation, critical autoethnography and the (re)turn to the baroque
Education in the North, vol. 17, no. 1Contributions to Journals: ArticlesPractice-based Learning: Developing Excellence in Teaching. Policy and Practice in Education 24 J. Reeves and A. Fox (ed.) Edinburgh: Dunedin Press (2008), pp. 96, Pbk., £14.50, ISBN 9781903765821
Education in the North, vol. 17, no. 1Contributions to Journals: Reviews of Books, Films and ArticlesReflections on being an educational researcher
Contributions to Journals: FeaturesService Integration in Schools: Research and Policy Discourses, Practices and Future Prospects J. Forbes and C. Watson (eds.) Rotterdam: Sense Publishers (2009), pp. 212, Pbk., €45, ISBN 9789087905866
Education in the North, vol. 17, no. 1Contributions to Journals: Reviews of Books, Films and ArticlesSocial studies in Scotland’s school curriculum: a case for a more integrated approach
Education in the North, vol. 17, no. 1Contributions to Journals: ArticlesThe Autistic Spectrum: Characteristics, Causes and Practical Issues J. Boucher London: Sage (2008), pp. 424, Pbk., £24.99, ISBN 9780761962120
Education in the North, vol. 17, no. 1Contributions to Journals: Reviews of Books, Films and ArticlesThe politics of reflection
Education in the North, vol. 17, no. 1Contributions to Journals: ArticlesUnderstanding Quality and Equity of schooling in Scotland: Locating educational traditions globally
Education in the North, vol. 17, no. 1Contributions to Journals: ArticlesA Most Honourable Profession: The graduation speeches of James Scotland. David Northcroft (Ed.) UniversityofAberdeen:SchoolofEducation(2008). Pp.vi+42. Price£6.
Education in the North, vol. 16, no. 1Contributions to Journals: Reviews of Books, Films and ArticlesArt Based Support at Harlaw Academy, Aberdeen
Contributions to Journals: FeaturesCothroman air Foghlam Fad-beatha do dh’oileanaich 'abaich'
Contributions to Journals: Features
