Q&A with Dr Jo Knox, Mathematics Education Consultant

Tuesday 28 October 2025

Mathematics consultant Dr Jo Knox has a PhD in Maths Education and has been involved in mathematics education for almost 30 years. From 2026, she will be part of The Teachers’ Institute Primary programme team, training aspiring Primary teachers on how best to teach maths.

Tell us about your role with The Teachers’ Institute

I support trainee Primary teachers to develop their understanding of the mathematics curriculum, their mathematical content knowledge and understanding, pedagogy, and classroom practice.

There are many aspects of teaching maths to consider – from unpacking the curriculum and its implications for teaching practice, to helping them plan a year-long programme that flows logically, and then put together unit plans, weekly plans and also consider what an actual lesson entails. We also look at assessment, which isn’t just about stand-alone formal tests - it can take many forms and often occurs moment by moment in the classroom.

We spend time exploring tricky content areas, thinking about different types of maths tasks, and discussing whether those tasks promote maths fluency or deeper conceptual understanding and which tasks require students to investigate and experiment, for example.

I also help trainees consider lesson structures: how explicit teaching and fluency tasks can be used alongside open-ended or collaborative tasks and what maths materials, manipulatives and representations will work best to help students overcome misconceptions and develop sound conceptual understanding of maths concepts.

What led you to become a mathematics education consultant?

I began teaching in the UK before moving to New Zealand in 2002, where I taught full-time in the classroom as a maths specialist. Over time, I started working part-time as a mathematics facilitator alongside my teaching. Those two roles complemented each other beautifully - I could try things out in my own classroom and bring that experience into my facilitation work, and vice versa. I have a developed a love and passion for teaching mathematics and now, in this role, I am passionate about building teacher competence and confidence in teaching maths and making maths accessible for all learners.

Why is mathematics education so important?

Even if it does not seem as visible as literacy, maths is everywhere—we use it every day in many ways. Maths is a gateway to so many careers and so, conversely, maths can also become a barrier for people and a gatekeeper for many career pathways, which is why it’s so important that we help learners develop confidence and capability and not be scared of it.

What are the most important mathematics skills for Kiwi kids to learn today?

There’s been a lot of recent work around reshaping what it means to be a mathematician. We might imagine mathematicians as people who are just born maths capable, who calculate fast and who always get the right answer. But real mathematicians collaborate. They talk about problems. They think critically. They struggle and persevere. And they make mistakes - that’s an important part of learning.

When we broaden our view of what a mathematician looks like and does, more students are able to see themselves as mathematically capable.

What’s the best way to train new teachers to teach mathematics?

I believe that what works well in classrooms also works when training teachers. That means we want teacher education to be interactive and engaging - not just standing at the front of the room, lecture-style delivery with a whiteboard. Trainees need to feel what it’s like to be learners: to grapple with problems, explore different types of tasks, and collaborate.

That hands-on experience helps them translate their learning into their teaching.

What challenges do Primary teachers face when teaching mathematics?

One is challenging the perception of what it means to teach maths well. We have moved away from that image of the teacher as a lecturer at the front of the room, and moved towards creating classrooms where maths is about sense-making, communicating, and connecting to the world around us. This shift has implications for teaching practice. Perceptions of maths and how to teach are becoming more positive - but there’s still work to do.

Another difficulty is catering for a wide range of learners. Within any one class, we can have students who have not yet grasped maths understanding from their previous years working alongside students who understand content several years ahead of where they currently are. Teachers need to consider how they can both support students to access the maths they are teaching while also maintaining an appropriate amount of challenge for all students. While we can plan for this ahead of time to a certain extend (in terms of what we could do to provide differentiation), teachers also need to notice in the moment how students respond to questions and tasks, what misconceptions they have and be prepared for how to respond to their learners to best support their learning. Those skills often take time and experience to

develop.

How has mathematics teaching changed in recent years?

Over the past couple of decades, we’ve seen the pendulum swing from very explicit teaching to highly problem-based, student-led approaches. The new curriculum is more balanced - mixing explicit instruction with rich, real-world problem solving.

There’s also been a shift in assessment and grouping. Previously, students were grouped by level, with different groups working on different year-level content. Now, all students in a year level are exposed to the same content, so teachers need consider how to differentiate for learners—to support those who need more help and extend those ready to go deeper.

That’s a significant change that will take teachers time to implement well.

What are your top three tips for new primary teachers to help students develop a love of maths?

1. Help students see themselves as mathematicians.

Reshaping what being a mathematician means - it’s about thinking, exploring, and learning from mistakes.

2. Make maths engaging

Incorporate maths games and activities that promote thinking, communication and give students a real purpose for doing the maths. Games should balance luck and skill - a roll of the dice or a turn of a card means everyone has a

chance of success, not just the strongest students, and this keep everyone engaged.

3. Celebrate progress and success

Show students how they’ve improved and where they’ve succeeded. This builds confidence and keeps them motivated.