Anne Watson (mathematics educator) facts for kids
Anne Watson is a British expert in how to teach mathematics. She is a professor at the University of Oxford, which means she used to teach there and is now retired but still connected to the university. She is also a member of important groups that focus on education and mathematics.
Anne Watson used to be a teacher in a regular school before she became a university professor. She has also been involved with the Quakers, a religious group known for their peaceful beliefs, since the 1980s. She helps lead a group called the Quaker Values in Education Group.
Anne Watson has shared her thoughts on how math is taught in schools. She doesn't agree with rules that stop students from using calculators in national tests. She also thinks it's unfair to give more points for wrong answers if students used old-fashioned math methods, but not if they tried other ways. She believes this way of grading makes students just memorize things instead of truly understanding numbers and being flexible with them.
Books by Anne Watson
Anne Watson has written several books about teaching mathematics:
- Inclusive Mathematics 11–18 (with M. Ollerton, 2001) – This book is about teaching math to students aged 11 to 18 in a way that includes everyone.
- Mathematics as a Constructive Activity: Learners Generating Examples (with J. Mason, 2005) – This book explores how students learn math by creating their own examples.
- Key Ideas in Teaching Mathematics: Research-based guidance for ages 9–19 (with K. Jones and D. Pratt, 2013) – This book gives advice on teaching math to young people based on research.
She also helped edit a book called Experience and Faith in Education: essays on Quaker perspectives with D. Rowe.
