Staff Profile:Dr Geoff Tennant

Name:

Dr Geoff Tennant

Job Title:

Senior Lecturer in Education/Course Leader PGCE Secondary Mathematics

Responsibilities:

Main responsibilities in the Institute:

• Course leader for secondary mathematics PGCE and GTP
• Director of the subject knowledge enhancement programme
• Director of the mathematics subject knowledge enhancement courses
• Member of the secondary PGCE management team
• Professional studies tutor within the PGCE programme
• Member of the postgraduate research students subcommittee

Teaching:

• Secondary mathematics PGCE and GTP sessions throughout the year
• Subject knowledge enhancement programme sessions throughout the year
• PhD taught programme: questionnaire design and use
• Masters taught programme: assessment for learning

Areas of Interest:

My research interests reflect a concern that all children should have maximal access to the school curriculum, particularly within mathematics. This has previously included work on the role of the teaching assistant, the use of Individual Education Plans in mainstream secondary schools and the nature of ethnic background within education. Within mathematics, I am interested in algebra, notation and proof, and how best concepts can be developed initially.

Areas in which you are able to supervise at Masters level:

• Mathematics education; assessment; SEN in mainstream secondary schools; ethnicity.
• Areas in which you are able to supervise at Phd/EdD level (if appropriate)
• Mathematics education; assessment; SEN in mainstream secondary schools; ethnicity.

Current and Recent PhD Students, with topics/titles of their research:

• Saeeda Ashraf, jointly with Prof Paul Croll: involvement of Pakistani parents in their children's transition to compulsory schooling.
• Najlaa Bajaber, jointly with Dr Cathy Tissot: the training of mathematics teachers working with gifted and talented girls in Saudi Arabia.
• Mohamed Al-Mutawa, jointly with Prof Brian Fidler: the development of reflective practice amongst trainee mathematics teachers in the UK.

Current and Recent Research Projects:

• Financial Literacy in Schools with Dr Trevor Davies and Suresh Gamlath
• Subject knowledge development amongst trainee mathematics teachers with Neil Hall
• Formal notation and conceptual learning in mathematics.

Current and recent Research Projects:

• Individual Education Plans in the mainstream secondary school (submitting for funding shortly)
• Transition of children deemed gifted and talented in mathematics from primary to secondary school (jointly with Mr Dave Harries)
• Financial literacy project (with Dr Trevor Davies and others)

Research groups / Centres:

Member of the Equity, Inclusion and Improvement Research Group

Publications:

Recent publications/conference presentations/professional achievements:

Tennant, G. D., & Harries, D. (In press). Transition of pupils from Key Stage 2 to 3 deemed gifted and talented in mathematics:an initial study. Mathematics Teaching.

Coloff, K., & Tennant, G. D. (2011, November). The 'algebra as object' analogy: a view from school. Paper presented at the British Society for Research into the Learning of Mathematics, University of Oxford.

Tennant, G. D. (2011). The 2011 Reading MSKEC conjecture. Mathematics Teaching, 223, 17.

Tennant, G. D. (2011, July). IEPs in mainstream secondary schools: making sense of the muddle. Paper presented at the Third Conference of the European Network for Social and Emotional Competence, University of Manchester.

Tennant, G. D. (2010). Mathematical notation: help or hindrance? The Scottish Mathematical Council Journal, 40, 22-25.

Tennant, G. D. (2010). Euler's theorem under the microscope. Mathematics Teaching, 218, 17-18.

Cajkler, W., & Tennant, G. (2009). Teaching assistants and pupils' academic and social engagement in mainstream schools: insights from systematic literature reviews. International Journal of Emotional Education, 1, 71-90.

Tennant, G. D. (2009). 2a+3a=5a without apples: the algebra as object analogy. Mathematics in School, 38, 4-6.

Pawley, H., & Tennant, G. D. (2008). Student perceptions of their IEP targets. Support for Learning, 23, 183-186.

Tennant, G. D. (2007). IEPs in mainstream secondary schools: an agenda for research. Support for Learning, 22, 204-208.

Reviewer for 'Support for Learning' and 'Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties'.

Enterprise activity; external roles and consultancy:

• External Examiner for secondary mathematics PGCE: University of Hull (2003-2007); University College of St Mark and St John, Plymouth (2008 - present)
• External evaluator for the Mathematics Subject Knowledge Enhancement Course: Nottingham Trent University (2008 - 2010)
• Governor at Riverside Community College in Leicester (2004-2007)
• Adviser to the Leicester sixth form colleges on the quality of mathematics teaching (2004-2007)
• Member of the 'Creating Champions' team, looking to support the learning and teaching of mathematics and science in the Caribbean in collaboration with the University of West Indies (2009 - present)