Fellowship for mathematics education researcher

Professor Glenda Anthony from the College of Education has been awarded the prestigious Fulbright-Harkness New Zealand Fellowship.

Professor Anthony, who teaches in the School of Curriculum and Pedagogy at the Manawatu campus, is an expert in mathematics education and will use the fellowship to develop research in this field.

“I am excited and delighted to have been chosen for the fellowship as it gives me the chance to do cutting-edge, in-depth research into an emerging field; looking at how we teach teachers to do the work of ambitious mathematics teaching,” Professor Anthony said.

A recent New Zealand Adult Literacy and Life Skills survey found that half of New Zealand’s adult population operates at below acceptable numeracy levels, and many students are disaffected with mathematics.

“We need to equip our teachers to deliver teaching to all students so they not only know mathematics, but they are also able to make sense of mathematics and be able to use it solve real problems,” she said.
The Fulbright-Harkness New Zealand Fellowship is highly competitive and is designed for emerging New Zealand leaders in any field to study and research in the United States.

Professor Anthony’s project will see her collaborating with professors at the University of Michigan, University of Washington, and University of California Los Angeles.

College of Education Pro-Vice Chancellor James Chapman said the award was a great honour for Professor Anthony and affirmed the important leadership role she takes on in the mathematics education field.

Previous fellows have included managers in the public and private sectors, lawyers, policy analysts, economists, academics, journalists, social scientists, educators, artists, and those in central and local government.