Welcome to our roundup of all things Cambridge Mathematics

A message from our Director

Dear reader

Marhaba,

A lot can be said about this year. So much to reflect on, as I am sure is the case for most of us, on both personal and professional levels. So many things to write about on mathematics, education, technology, but mostly on human and social aspects. Maybe the negatives outweigh the positives in certain cases, but let us all try and plant a seed of hope, heading into 2025.

We have achieved a lot as Cambridge Mathematics this year, from major projects with ministries of education, to collaborations with leading organisations and scholars, to publishing multiple research papers and book chapters, to releasing new products and resources, to securing funding from external sources to pursue certain initiatives, and more. I will not make this message about listing everything we have done in detail; I will say though that this was done despite all the challenges that we faced as individuals and as a team. It was done despite much uncertainty and pain that were ravaging the world and that affected us all, be it directly or not, pushing us sometimes to wonder whether our work was even a priority, but we were always reminded that "Education breeds confidence. Confidence breeds hope. Hope breeds peace" (Confucius, c. 500 BCE). Allow me to say that I am proud of my team, proud of their dedication to education, to mathematics, to serving the wider community, and to supporting educators and learners around the world. I am as proud of each and every educator who kept going despite the obstacles. Proud of every learner who insisted on pursuing their journey even when life was not a bed of roses. And a message to all policymakers: education should never take the back seat, and access to quality education should not be an option, no matter what. Speaking from personal experience, education can be a catalyst for dreams and the key for a better future, and I am sure I am not alone in seeing it that way. 

This newsletter brings you many resources to explore and reflect on, thanks to our amazing team: we have 1 video recording, 2 Espressos, 3 CoffeePods, and 3 blogs. Yes, all of these in one newsletter, as we want to ensure we are part of your end of year activities! While you are familiar with our Espressos and blogs, and I am sure you will highly enjoy the ones we have for you here, the video recording is a new resource I am hoping everyone will enjoy and appreciate. This one is about none other than the Cambridge Mathematics Framework; it is the first in a series we are working on to showcase what we do in what we believe is a clear, straightforward and not too formal approach. We are now working on other recordings, and we will be sharing them with you soon. The CoffeePods are our latest offering, and we are quite excited about them; they provide a new and accessible way to interact with our Espressos. Through CoffeePods, you can now watch and listen to the content of Espressos, and we are eager to hear your feedback on them, so please don't hesitate to share your thoughts with us!

If you are taking a break and are celebrating this end of year with family and loved ones, I hope you enjoy the reunion and the time off and get back in 2025 refreshed and ready to make it your best year ever. If this is not the case, and if you are unable to enjoy this time, my thoughts and prayers are with you; I hope that 2025 brings you all the happiness and peace of mind that you are now lacking so you make all your dreams come true. Never forget that “only when it is dark enough can you see the stars” (Dr Martin Luther King Jr, 3 April 1968).

We at Cambridge Mathematics are going to take a small break in preparation for a new year that already looks packed with plans: new projects, new products, new challenges to conquer, and new highs we are aiming to reach. We thank you all, as always, for being with us in our journey, and we can't wait to share all that we create with you, in the new year and beyond.

Best wishes,

Have you heard about the Cambridge Mathematics Framework?

Would you like to know more about a landscape of connected mathematical experiences which is built, not on rock and roll, but on educational evidence and research?

Join Tabs and Fran as they reveal what the Cambridge Mathematics Framework is and how educational research helps informs its design. Get a glimpse of the stories within our landscape of mathematics and imagine the journeys you might choose to take through it.

As part of an exciting new pilot project, CoffeePods have been designed to offer new ways to engage with Espresso content for mathematics teachers of all ages, experiences and sectors, worldwide. Listening to/watching this selected trio of CoffeePods will give you a taste of this resource and might offer another dimension to your thinking around this range of issues in mathematics education. We hope you find these a friendly and engaging way to interact with educational research summaries, wherever and with whomever you listen. 

Teaching and learning equivalence

Tabitha Gould, Lucy Rycroft-Smith and Fran Watson explore what the research suggests about the teaching and learning of equivalence. 

Development of students' covariational reasoning

Lucy Rycroft-Smith, Darren Macey and Tabitha Gould explore what the research suggests about the development of covariational reasoning. 

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