As announced by the Science Minister George Freeman, the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) will fund a new Centre for Early Mathematics Learning (CEML) led by by Professor Camilla Gilmore (one of our own EP DPhil alumnae, now a Professor of Mathematical Cognition) at Loughborough University, in partnership with the Universities of Bristol, Ulster, Edinburgh, Oxford, York, and University College London. Colleagues in Oxford EP (Gaia Scerif, Ann Dowker) will contribute expertise on executive and affective factors influencing early maths learning as co-investigators, with Kate Nation offering mentoring for the early career scholars who will be part of the Centre.
The Centre is one of six in the UK to receive support from the ESRC to tackle urgent social and economic issues, with Oxford investigators also contributing to two other such centres (read more here). The CEML will transform understanding of children’s mathematics learning during the early years and design effective educational activities to improve skills and knowledge.
Speaking about the Centre, Professor Scerif said:
It is a privilege to be involved in this national effort to promote early mathematics learning for all children, including those from under-represented communities.
For more information, go to the University of Oxford webpage or the ESRC webpage.