At the Madif11 (MathematicsDidactical Research Seminar in Karlstad 2018), the FoNS team presented a study of how teachers regard their and parents' role in mathematics homework. Internationally and in Sweden, teachers often motivate homework with practice, good habits, teacher communication to parents, etc., but a specific Swedish contribution is that teachers use equality as an argument both for and against homework. Teachers who set homework view it as extra support and those who do not set homework motivate their position with equality - students do not have the same opportunity to get help at home with their homework.

2017-08-01. August-December The project team has begun work on the development of the teacher questionnaire. The principal aim is to ensure that the instrument is fit for purpose in both England and Sweden. However, Gosia’s Polish origins will help us to develop the instrument for use in Poland also. In addition,

2017-06-27 The FoNS team is delighted to announce that starting in August, Jöran Petersson will be working as a full-time post-doc on the project.

2017-06-21 On behalf of the project team, Gosia Marschall presented a paper at the Mathematical Transgressions Conference at the University of Krakow in Poland. This was a comparative study of how teachers in England and Sweden understand the role of homework in year one children’s learning of mathematics in general and number in particular.

2017-05-31 On behalf of the project team, Judy Sayers presented a paper at NORMA17, the Nordic Conference of Mathematics Education, held at Stockholm University. The paper focused attention on how Swedish teachers view the role of parents in year one children’s learning of mathematics in general and number in particular.

2017-05-30 On behalf of the project team, Gosia Marschall presented a paper at NORMA17, the Nordic Conference of Mathematics Education, held this year at Stockholm University. The paper focused attention on how English teachers view the role of parents in year one children’s learning of mathematics in general and number in particular.

April - October 2017. The analysis of teacher interviews is ongoing. The interviews, 19 in England and 20 in Sweden, yielded a total of more than 350,000 words, which is a lot of data to read, interpret and code. The analytical process has two principal objectives.

2017-02-24 The FoNS team wishes to thank all the teachers in Sweden and England who have participated in the first part of the project and who generously shared their time and professional attitude towards the profession.

2017-02-23 A new study, presented by the FoNS team at the conference of mathematics didactics, CERME10, shows both similarities and differences between Swedish and English teaching materials.