Dr. Natthapoj Vincent Trakulphadetkrai (Associate Professor of Mathematics Education, University of Reading) secures another large grant - this time from the Leverhulme Trust - to continue expanding his Maths Through Stories body of research.
Specifically, his proposed 30-month study (July 2025 - December 2027) - titled 'Transforming Secondary Mathematics Learning through Storytelling' - will measure the effectiveness of an innovative low-cost mathematics teaching strategy whereby secondary school students in England create short mathematical story picture books within their regular Maths lessons. Its impact will be assessed on its ability to reduce the level of students’ mathematics anxiety, and fostering their self-efficacy in and attitudes towards mathematics learning as well as improving their mathematics attainment. In doing so, the project will bring new understanding of the role of storytelling in fostering mathematical understanding and positivity within an adolescent population whose mathematical development is currently under-explored.
The study aims to collect data from around 1,000 students across the Southeast of England, with Dr. Trakulphadetkrai having already secured official support from five local authorities (Surrey, Reading, Slough, Wokingham and the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead).
Examples of short mathematical story picture books created by secondary school students (sent to Dr. Trakulphadetkrai as part of their submission for his Young Mathematical Story Authors competition) can be found here: Example 1, Example 2, Example 3, Example 4, Example 5 and Example 6.
This proposed project will build on Dr. Trakulphadetkrai’s University of Reading Research Fellowship project (2019-2021) where he designed a similar project but with a focus on collecting data from around 1,000+ upper primary school children.
As the study’s Principal Investigator, Dr. Trakulphadetkrai will be supported by two co-investigators, namely Dr. Ros McLellan (University Associate Professor of Pedagogical Innovation, University of Cambridge’s Faculty of Education) and Dr. Flávia H. Santos (Lecturer in Cognitive Developmental Psychology, University College London's Institute of Education, University of London & University College Dublin).
Commenting on his latest large grant success, Dr. Trakulphadetkrai said:
"I am grateful to the Leverhulme Trust for granting our research team this exceptional opportunity to build upon my previous work with primary school children. The grant will now allow us to investigate the extent to which my low-cost, innovative pedagogical approach where students create their own short mathematical story picture books can be effectively adapted for secondary school students. Our goal is not only to explore strategies for improving the effectiveness of mathematics learning but also to make it a more enjoyable and accessible experience, particularly for older students with diverse levels of confidence in the subject."
Team Members
 Dr. Ros McLellan (Associate Professor of Pedagogical Innovation, University of Cambridge) Co-Investigator |  Dr. Natthapoj Vincent Trakulphadetkrai (Associate Professor of Mathematics Education, University of Reading) Principal Investigator |  Dr. Flávia H. Santos (Lecturer in Cognitive Developmental Psychology, University College London's Institute of Education, University of London & University College Dublin) Co-Investigator |
Steering Committee
(in no particular order)
(in no particular order)
 Professor Jeremy Hodgen (Professor of Mathematics Education, University College London's Institute of Education, University of London) |  Professor Jenni Ingram (Professor of Mathematics Education, University of Oxford) |  Professor Andreas Stylianides (Professor of Mathematics Education, University of Cambridge) |
 Dr. Ann Dowker (University Research Lecturer in Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford) |  Dr. Sue Johnston-Wilder (Associate Professor of Mathematics Education, University of Warwick) |
