Here is the latest instalment of our blogs about the Mr Barton Maths Podcast. This blog features Hugo Lortie-Forgues from Loughborough University and you can hear his podcast with Craig here or in your usual podcast app.

In this wide ranging discussion, Hugo talks about his work on fractions, and the challenges with implementing and communicating the results of intervention work in a general sense. Craig shares his insights on being involved in these processes from a practitioner perspective, which is something we don’t always hear about as researchers!

Hugo: “I was recently interviewed on the Mr Barton Maths Podcast. Craig and I discussed some of my earlier research on how students learn fractions, including factors that can make this area of maths challenging. From there, we moved on to my more recent work on how best to communicate education research evidence to teachers. We talked about the practical and methodological challenges that come with evaluating the effectiveness of educational interventions, for example the importance of control groups and the need for valid and reliable measures. Craig shared his own experience of being involved in a randomised controlled trial, which brought a more practitioner-focused perspective. We also discussed how educational programmes can vary widely in their impact on student achievement, and how these effects can be communicated in different ways. Finally, we spoke about how the effects of educational programmes vary substantially in terms of how certain they are, and how important it is for teachers to consider this uncertainty when making decisions. Craig and I had a lot of fun unpacking these issues, and I hope listeners enjoy the conversation as much as we did”.

You can listen to the episode here The Mr Barton Maths Podcast | 200+ Maths Education Episodes