Dr. Natthapoj Vincent Trakulphadetkrai (Associate Professor of Mathematics Education at the University of Reading and founder of MathsThroughStories.org), led a national implementation consultation workshop on his research-based Maths Through Stories approach in Malta on 17 April 2026 at Malta’s STEM & VET Curriculum Hub.
Co-hosted by the University of Malta and the Directorate for STEM & VET Programmes (part of Malta’s Ministry for Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation), the workshop brought together over 60 key educational stakeholders from across Malta, including early years, primary and secondary school teachers, teacher educators, curriculum developers, and policymakers.
The workshop explored how Dr. Trakulphadetkrai’s ‘Maths Through Stories’ approach could be introduced across schools throughout Malta to help enrich the effectiveness of mathematics teaching and make learning even more meaningful, engaging, and inclusive for all students. The approach is an innovative, research-based, low-cost strategy in which students develop their mathematical understanding by creating short mathematical story picture books. Attendees took part in hands-on activities and group discussions, including identifying ways to implement the approach, as well as key enablers of and barriers to its implementation.
To help demonstrate alignment between Dr. Trakulphadetkrai’s 'Maths Through Stories' approach and the educational priorities and policy agendas of international organisations, the workshop also featured in-person contribution from Emma Linsenmayer (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development [OECD] Headquarters, Paris), alongside virtual contributions from Dr. Cassie Hague (OECD Headquarters, Paris) and Dr. Úna McCarthy-Fakhry (UNESCO Headquarters, Paris).
Both Dr. Trakulphadetkrai and Ms. Linsenmayer (OECD) also had a chance to visit The Archbishop’s Minor Seminary (a local school serving both primary and secondary students) to observe how mathematics is taught and learned across different age phases in Malta. They also met with the leadership team of Malta’s Directorate for STEM and VET Programmes to learn more about its work, priorities and potential collaboration.
Dr. Trakulphadetkrai would like to express his sincere gratitude to the hosting partner organisations (especially Prof. Marie Therese Farrugia at the University of Malta and Melanie Casha Sammut at the Directorate for STEM and VET Programmes) as well as the OECD and UNESCO contributors and all the attendees whose support and engagement helped make the Malta workshop a great success. He looks forward to providing ongoing post-workshop support to teachers, teacher educators, and policymakers in Malta as they begin to implement and adapt the Maths Through Stories approach within their respective roles and contexts.
Funded by Research England’s Policy Support Fund, this Malta event formed part of Dr. Trakulphadetkrai’s wider series of international workshops, designed to engage practitioners and policymakers in different parts of the world in exploring, adapting, and implementing his Maths Through Stories approach. The series follows his highly successful research-practice-policy workshop in the Maldives last year, and precedes an upcoming workshop in Thailand next month.
Highlights from the Opening and Closing Remarks
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In his opening remarks, Lewis Nicod (Representative of the British High Commission in Malta) commented that:
“What's really compelling about the research-based Maths Through Stories approach is the ability to bring mathematics to life. It connects abstract ideas to meaningful concepts in a way that really resonates with learners. By weaving together storytelling and mathematics, the approach has the potential to really deepen understanding, as well as foster the love for and support for maths. So as a father to two children myself, I know it's something that they would really enjoy." "As I said, there's a real mix of people from researchers, educators, policymakers. Events such as this play a vital role in ensuring that educational research doesn't remain just in the academic setting, but it's translated into practical approaches and it can make a tangible difference to classrooms across the world. The UK is proud to support initiatives that strengthen these research-practice- policy connections and work alongside partners in Malta and international organisations to share evidence, exchange ideas and to learn from one another.” |
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Melanie Casha Sammut (Director of Malta’s Directorate for STEM and VET Programmes) noted that:
“The purpose of our Directorate is to ensure that learning is of quality, is empowering, and is engaging. And one important platform for doing so is certainly provided through stories. Stories provide agency because through stories, we empower students to share their voice, to share their experiences and accordingly, to learn even more. We focus on depth rather than on coverage of the syllabus. We provide students with an opportunity to learn and to grow. Through stories, mathematics will certainly be more accessible to all […].” |
Videos from the Workshop
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Dr. Natthapoj Vincent Trakulphadetkrai
(Associate Professor of Mathematics Education, University of Reading & Founder of MathsThroughStories.org) |
Melanie Casha Sammut
(Director of the Directorate for STEM and VET Programmes, Malta’s Ministry for Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation) |
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Emma Linsenmayer
(Analyst at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Paris) |
Prof. Marie Therese Farrugia
(Professor of Early Childhood and Primary Mathematics Education, University of Malta) |
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Abigail Camilleri Enriquez
(Senior Manager, Reading for Pleasure in the Community and Storytelling at the National Literacy Agency) |
Joanne Cilia
(Head of Mathematics Department, Maria Regina College Zokrija Secondary School) |
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Ralph Camilleri
(Head of MRC Mellieha Primary School) |
Liza Ciantar
(Kindergarten Educator, Lija Primary School) |
Photos from the Workshop and the School Visit
Click on the photos to enlarge them and to read captions
