AfterMaths: Engagement, Calculators and Maths Anxiety

In this Aftermaths episode, Jon and Becky reflect on what it really means to do maths rather than watch it.

The conversation begins with Jon sharing an experience from a recent maths education conference, where extended time spent grappling with puzzles led to deep engagement, productive struggle and genuine mathematical thinking. Together, Jon and Becky explore why lessons that look slower on the surface can often be richer, more meaningful and more memorable for learners. They discuss the tension teachers feel between pace, coverage and allowing pupils the time they need to think, fail, notice and try again.

Becky then takes us on a fascinating whistle-stop tour through the history of the calculator. From fingers and pebbles, to abacuses, human computers and early mechanical machines, the discussion highlights how tools for calculation have always existed and how technological change challenges us to think carefully about why we teach maths at all. The conversation reinforces the idea that maths is not just about getting answers, but about developing the skills to reason, problem solve and make sense of unfamiliar situations.

The episode finishes with Jon sharing recent research into maths anxiety, focusing on age, gender and cultural differences. The discussion unpacks how anxiety can limit working memory and performance, why high attainment does not necessarily mean high confidence, and how a simple strategy such as expressive writing before tests could help pupils manage anxiety more effectively.

As always, this episode blends classroom reality, research and reflection, offering plenty of food for thought for teachers, leaders and anyone interested in how pupils experience maths.

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