Presentations

Conferences and seminars

14 April 2025	Joint Conference of Mathematics Subject Associations, Loughborough. Different approaches to scaffolding school mathematics.
3 December 2024	UCL Departments of Mathematics and Statistics and King's College London Department of Mathematics, London. Teaching mathematical problem solving: Is it possible?
17 June 2024	IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society, London. Guest Lecture: Using the LUMEN Curriculum.
13 May 2024	The National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics, Online. Research seminar: Designing a coherent school mathematics curriculum.
5 April 2024	Joint Conference of Mathematics Subject Associations, Stratford. The LUMEN Curriculum: Free, Editable Research-Informed Teaching Resources for the Whole of Key Stage 3.
21 March 2024	IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society, London. Using representations coherently in a school mathematics curriculum.
2 March 2024	British Society for Research into Learning Mathematics, Online. Mathematics educator beliefs - early findings from a survey. With Matt Lewis and Hugo Lortie-Forgues.
17 November 2023	Kent Maths Conference, Ashford, Kent. Keynote: Learning multiplication tables through systematic connections.
16-21 July 2023	46th Conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education, Haifa, Israel. Using a Comparative Judgement approach to assess the problem-solving skills of primary school pupils. With Patrick Barmby, Ian Jones, Joel Kelly and Jasmina Milinkovic.
6 July 2023	Ark Maths Network Day, Keynote, Online. Can we teach mathematical problem solving?
12 June 2023	Mathematics Education meets the Philosophy of Mathematical Practice Conference, Loughborough University. Teaching problem solving in school mathematics.
4 April 2023	Joint Conference of Mathematics Subject Associations 2023, Mathematical Association Presidential Address, University of Warwick. Less is more.
4 March 2023	British Society for Research into Learning Mathematics, IoE - Faculty of Education and Society, University College London. Mathematics ability in high-functioning autism: a systematic review and meta-analysis. With Sheeza Mahak and Kinga Morsanyi.
25 January 2023	The National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics: 7-11 Coherence Project Work Group Leads, Online. Coherent Task Design From Years 7 to 11.
30 November 2022	Maths Anxiety Trust, Church House, Westminster, London. What is a maths anxious teacher supposed to do?
17 November 2022	Coop Academies Trust, Head of Mathematics Event, Angel Square, Manchester. Evidence-based mathematics instruction.
5 November 2022	British Society for Research into Learning Mathematics, IoE - Faculty of Education and Society, University College London. Mathematically gifted and talented primary students: Identification, Provision and Challenges. With Melanie Casha Sammut and Ian Jones.
5 November 2022	British Society for Research into Learning Mathematics, IoE - Faculty of Education and Society, University College London. The questions teachers ask & the questions researchers answer. With Tom Francome, Ian Jones, Ouhao Chen, Hugues Lortie-Forgues, Chris Shore, Jacob Strauss and Beth Woollacott.
5 November 2022	British Society for Research into Learning Mathematics, IoE - Faculty of Education and Society, University College London. Comparative judgement of problem-solving skills of primary pupils. With Patrick Barmby, Ian Jones, Joel Kelly and Jasmina Milinkovic.
11 October 2022	Mathematical Association webinar, online. Butterfly effects when designing and adapting tasks.
9 July 2022	Association of Teachers of Mathematics / Mathematical Association meeting, UCL Institute of Education, London. There are no boring mathematics topics!
8 July 2022	West Midlands Maths Hubs Secondary Conference, University of Wolverhampton (Walsall Campus). Keynote: Using mathematical etudes instead of exercises.
20 May 2022	The National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics, Origin Maths Hub, A-level Pedagogy Group, Tudor Grange Academy, Solihull. Using mathematical etudes in A-level mathematics.
9 May 2022	School of Education, University of Nottingham. Lesson study in Initial Teacher Education: Maximising gains whilst navigating tensions. With Fay Baldry.
20 April 2022	Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge. Designing a coherent school mathematics curriculum.
7 April 2022	School of Mathematics, University of Edinburgh. Making things harder than they need to be?
24 March 2022	Department of Education, University of Oxford. Teaching problem-solving strategies in school mathematics.
31 January 2022	The National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics, Origin Maths Hub, Local Leaders of Maths Education Conference, Tudor Grange Academy, Solihull. How can busy teachers make the best use of research?
26 January 2022	MathemAgora, King’s Maths School, London, Online. Teaching problem solving in mathematics.
17 January 2022	The National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics, Online. Research seminar: Coherence in the learning of mathematics. With Geoff Wake.
4 November 2021	The International Conference on Maritime Education 2021, Raja Ali Haji Maritime University, Tanjungpinang, Kepulauan Riau Province, Indonesia, Online. Keynote: Developing fluency with procedures without using traditional exercises.
9 July 2021	STEM education research Seminar, University of Exeter and Hiroshima University, Japan, Online. Publishing in mathematics education research journals.
25 June 2021	The National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics, Mathematical Thinking National Collaborative Project Leads Conference, Online. Mathematical Thinking: System 1 and System 2.
8 June 2021	Association of Teachers of Mathematics / Mathematical Association meeting, Cambridge Branch, Cambridge, Online. Procedural fluency and problem solving: friends or enemies?
5 June 2021	British Society for Research into Learning Mathematics, Webinar. Using comparative judgement to measure pupils’ attitudes to mathematics. With Patrick Barmby, Ian Jones, Joel Kelly and Jasmina Milinkovic.
10 April 2021	Mathematical Association Annual Conference, Online. Opening Keynote: Can we teach ‘understanding’?
8 April 2021	Association of Teachers of Mathematics Annual Conference, Online. Developing a coherent mathematics curriculum. With Geoff Wake, Fay Baldry and Jacqueline Mann.
24 March 2021	International Society for Design and Development in Education Virtual Conference, Webinar. Designing a fully-resourced, coherent, research-informed school mathematics curriculum. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsFxwIhaSe8
17 March 2021	Centre for Research in Mathematics Education, University of Nottingham, Webinar. The Future of Teacher-Led Collaborative Lesson Research. With Geoff Wake.
14 November 2020	British Society for Research into Learning Mathematics, University of Edinburgh, Webinar. Using a comparative judgement approach to assess the problem-solving skills of primary school pupils. With Patrick Barmby, Ian Jones and Jasmina Milinkovic.
14 November 2020	British Society for Research into Learning Mathematics, University of Edinburgh, Webinar. Lecturers’ use of questions in undergraduate mathematics lectures. With George Kinnear.
11 November 2020	Mathematics Education Centre, Loughborough University. Students’ confidence when answering diagnostic questions. With Simon Woodhead, Craig Barton and Alison Clark-Wilson.
16 July 2020	School of Mathematics, University of Edinburgh, Webinar. Using confidence assessment in formative assessments.
21 April 2020	Centre for Research in Mathematics Education, School of Education, University of Nottingham, Webinar. Understanding and addressing low attainment in lower secondary mathematics. With Jeremy Hodgen.
6 March 2020	Mathematics Education and Lesson Study in Europe, University of Nottingham, UK. Curriculum design through lesson study. With Geoff Wake.
6 February 2020	Effective Learning: Assessment and Feedback for the Learning of Mathematics, Loughborough University, UK. Using confidence assessment in low-stakes assessments.
24 January 2020	Swiss Group of International Schools Mathematics Conference, International School of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland. Keynote: Developing fluency by using mathematical etudes.
24 January 2020	Swiss Group of International Schools Mathematics Conference, International School of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland. Workshop: Why ‘closed’ questions can be just as good as ‘open’ questions.
24 January 2020	Swiss Group of International Schools Mathematics Conference, International School of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland. Workshop: The challenges of teaching mathematical problem solving.
17 January 2020	Active Learning Trust, Littleport and East Cambs Academy, Ely. Developing fluency by using mathematical etudes.
17 January 2020	Active Learning Trust, Littleport and East Cambs Academy, Ely. Using confidence assessment in low-stakes tests.
17 January 2020	Active Learning Trust, Littleport and East Cambs Academy, Ely. Why ‘closed’ questions can be just as good as ‘open’ questions.
7 December 2019	British Educational Research Association Mathematics Education Special Interest Group: Practitioner Research in Mathematics Education, London Mathematical Society, London. Writing for a practitioner audience. With Helen Williams.
9 November 2019	British Society for Research into Learning Mathematics, Queen’s University, Belfast. Confidence Assessment to support the learning of mathematics.
18 September 2019	SouthWest PD Providers Conference, Sandy Park, Exeter. Keynote: Developing fluency with representations.
17 September 2019	Association of Teachers of Mathematics / Mathematical Association meeting, Exeter Mathematics School, Exeter. Using “etudes”, rather than exercises, to develop mathematical fluency.
24 June 2019	Jurassic Maths Hub Annual Conference, Taunton Racecourse, Taunton. Main Keynote: Scaffolding the Learning of Problem Solving in Mathematics.
24 June 2019	Jurassic Maths Hub Annual Conference, Taunton Racecourse, Taunton. Secondary Keynote: Rich Strategies for Developing Mathematical Fluency.
21 May 2019	Mathematics and Statistics Department, Open University, Milton Keynes. Alternatives to exercises for developing procedural fluency.
17 April 2019	Association of Teachers of Mathematics / Mathematical Association Joint Conference, Warwick. Pushing calculus to its limits. With Bob Burn.
15 April 2019	Association of Teachers of Mathematics / Mathematical Association Joint Conference, Warwick. Opening plenary: Learning from the learners.
23 March 2019	ResearchED, Blackpool. Using confidence assessment in low-stakes tests.
20 March 2019	Gloucestershire Secondary Mathematics Subject Leader Network Meeting. Developing mathematical fluency for problem solving.
9 March 2019	British Society for Research into Learning Mathematics, Open University, Milton Keynes. Didactical tools and their potential role in supporting curriculum coherence. With Geoff Wake.
12 December 2018	Mathematics Education Centre, Loughborough University. Confidence assessment in secondary mathematics.
10 November 2018	British Society for Research into Learning Mathematics, King’s College, London. Standards over time in A level mathematics. With Ian Jones and Jodie Hunter.
10 November 2018	British Society for Research into Learning Mathematics, King’s College, London. What strategies are effective at addressing low attainment in secondary mathematics? Findings from a systematic review and second-order meta-analysis. With Jeremy Hodgen.
9 November 2018	School of Education, University of Leicester. Confidence assessment in mathematics.
6 October 2018	Association of Teachers of Mathematics / Mathematical Association meeting, UCL Institute of Education, London. Mathematical etudes as alternatives to exercises.
12 September 2018	British Education Research Association Annual Conference, Northumbria University, Newcastle. The effectiveness of strategies aimed at addressing low attainment in secondary mathematics: Findings from a systematic review.
14 June 2018	UCL Institute of Education, London. How teachers describe mathematics tasks.
2 May 2018	School of Mathematics, University of Edinburgh. Alternatives to exercises for developing mathematical fluency.
6 April 2018	British Congress of Mathematics Education: BCME-9, University of Warwick. Investigating Mathematical Attainment and Progress. With Jeremy Hodgen.
5 April 2018	British Congress of Mathematics Education: BCME-9, University of Warwick. Mathematical etudes: procedural fluency through rich tasks.
4 April 2018	British Congress of Mathematics Education: BCME-9, University of Warwick. What does research say about teaching mathematics at Key Stage 2 and 3? A review of reviews and meta-analyses. With Jeremy Hodgen and Rachel Marks.
28 March 2018	Centre for Studies in Science and Mathematics Education, School of Education, University of Leeds. Developing mathematical fluency using rich tasks.
19 March 2018	The Prince’s Teaching Institute, Pimlico, London. Lecture: Rich mathematics tasks for deep understanding.
3 March 2018	British Society for Research into Learning Mathematics, Centre for Research in Mathematics Education, University of Nottingham. Statistics Working Group: A hands-on introduction to Bayesian statistics. With Matthew Inglis and Ian Jones.
20-21 February 2018	Tikka Matematika Conference, Department for Curriculum, Research, Innovation and Lifelong Learning, Floriana, University of Malta. Questions for rich mathematical activity.
20 February 2018	Tikka Matematika Conference, Department for Curriculum, Research, Innovation and Lifelong Learning, Floriana, University of Malta. Keynote lecture: Using rich tasks to develop mathematical fluency.
30 November 2017	UCL Institute of Education, London. Addressing low attainment in mathematics in lower secondary: What do teachers believe and how do they teach? With Jeremy Hodgen.
24 October 2017	Graduate School of Education, University of Exeter. Developing mathematical fluency: exercises or rich tasks?
29 September 2017	ESRC Conference: Bayesian Data Analysis in the Social Sciences Curriculum, Nottingham Trent University. Bayes factors show equivalence between two contrasting approaches to developing school pupils’ mathematical fluency.
11 April 2017	Association of Teachers of Mathematics Conference, Crowne Plaza, Stratford-upon-Avon. Mathematical fluency without exercises.
10 April 2017	Association of Teachers of Mathematics Conference, Crowne Plaza, Stratford-upon-Avon. Investigating Mathematical Attainment and Progress. With Jeremy Hodgen.
8 April 2017	Mathematical Association Conference, Royal Holloway, University of London. Mathematical fluency without exercises.
8 April 2017	Mathematical Association Conference, Royal Holloway, University of London. Investigating Mathematical Attainment and Progress. With Jeremy Hodgen.
9 March 2017	UCL Institute of Education, London. Interventions for low attainment in mathematics: a meta-analysis. With Jeremy Hodgen.
26 July 2016	13th International Congress on Mathematical Education, University of Hamburg, Germany. Formative Assessment Lessons for Concept Development and Problem Solving. With Malcolm Swan.
11 June 2016	British Society for Research into Learning Mathematics, Mathematics Education Centre, Loughborough University. Developing procedural fluency: exercises or rich tasks?
3 March 2016	National Association of Mathematics Advisers Annual Conference, National STEM Centre, York. Opening keynote: Confidence and learning mathematics.
27 February 2016	British Society for Research into Learning Mathematics, Faculty of Education, Manchester Metropolitan University. Five decades of mathematics education research. With Matthew Inglis.
19 November 2015	University of Oxford, Department of Education. Teachers’ descriptions of mathematical tasks.
21 July 2015	International Community of Teachers of Mathematical Modelling and Applications 17, University of Nottingham. Developing boundary objects to support teachers’ teaching and learning of modelling. With Geoff Wake and Malcolm Swan.
10 June 2015	University of Cambridge, PGCE workshop. Mathematics task design.
6 June 2015	British Society for Research into Learning Mathematics, Durham University. Distinguishing conceptual and procedural understanding in mathematics. With Geoff Kent.
9 May 2015	Association of Teachers of Mathematics / Mathematical Association meeting, University of Leicester. Rich mathematics from closed questions. Click here for a blog about this session.
31 March 2015	Mengo Senior School, Lubaga, Kampala, Uganda. Solving mathematical problems.
5 February 2015	Ninth Congress of European Research in Mathematics Education. Faculty of Education, Charles University, Prague. Re-conceptualising conceptual understanding in mathematics. With Geoff Kent.
1 September 2014	Association of Mathematics Education Teachers Conference, Birmingham. Opening plenary: Practice and fluency.
16 July 2014	Joint Meeting of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (PME 38) and the North American Chapter of the Psychology of Mathematics Education (PME-NA 36), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. Mathematical knowledge for teaching problem solving: Lessons from lesson study.
11 June 2014	University of Cambridge, PGCE workshop. Mathematics task design.
23 May 2014	English Schools Foundation, South Island School, Aberdeen, Hong Kong. Mathematical études: Developing mathematical fluency without exercises.
21–22 May 2014	English Schools Foundation, South Island School, Aberdeen, Hong Kong. Rich, open tasks for learning mathematics.
20 May 2014	Hong Kong Association of Teachers of Mathematics meeting, Island School, Mid-Levels, Hong Kong. Mathematical tasks for the classroom.
17 May 2014	La Salle College, Kowloon, Hong Kong. Rich mathematical problems for deep understanding.
14 May 2014	La Salle College, Kowloon, Hong Kong. Teaching mathematical problem solving.
13 May 2014	Visiting Scholar, University of Hong Kong. Mathematical problem solving and task design.
6 May 2014	E-ACT Academies: Heartlands Academy, Nechells, Birmingham. Responding to the new mathematics national curriculum.
16 April 2014	British Congress of Mathematics Education: BCME-8, University of Nottingham. Connected Expressions.
15 April 2014	British Congress of Mathematics Education: BCME-8, University of Nottingham. “Can’t you just tell us the rule?”: Teaching procedures relationally.
11 March 2014	Centre for Research in Mathematics Education, University of Nottingham. Analysing teachers’ descriptions of mathematical tasks.
1 March 2014	British Society for Research into Learning Mathematics, King’s College, London. Analysing teachers’ descriptions of mathematical tasks.
15 February 2014	Association of Teachers of Mathematics / Mathematical Association meeting, University of Birmingham. Mathematical études: Developing mathematical fluency without exercises.
9 October 2013	International Society for Design and Development in Education Conference, Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California, Berkeley. Designing lessons for problem-solving processes: Experiences from Japanese lesson studies in England. With Malcolm Swan and Geoff Wake.
2 April 2013	Association of Teachers of Mathematics Conference, Sheffield. When real life appears in the mathematics classroom: Responding mathematically to unexpected events.
20 June 2012	London Borough of Croydon Local Authority ‘Exploring Excellence’ conference. Keynote presentation: Putting problem solving and investigation at the heart of mathematics teaching.
24 March 2012	Association of Teachers of Mathematics / Mathematical Association meeting, Tenbury High School, Tenbury Wells. Variety in the learning of mathematics.
21 April 2011	Association of Teachers of Mathematics Conference, University of Wolverhampton. Possibility tables.
3 April 2008	Association of Teachers of Mathematics Conference, Keele University. Joined-up dots: Isometric graphs.
1 February 2008	Becta Hard-to-Teach Mathematics Conference, London. Functions and graphs.
4 April 2007	Association of Teachers of Mathematics Conference, Loughborough University. Writing to publish in Mathematics Teaching. With Helen Williams.
11 April 2006	Association of Teachers of Mathematics Conference, Edgehill College of Further Education, Ormskirk. Still reading Mathematics Teaching without having written for it yet? With Helen Williams.

I have also regularly participated in the Institute of Mathematics Pedagogy.

© Colin Foster