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Description: This presentation forms part of an Action Research project based in the Midlands region of England. The study explored the factors which impact women’s participation in mathematics learning, especially those from low income, disadvantaged and minority ethnic communities. It investigated the challenges they face in returning to formal education, and developed strategies to support and facilitate them to re-engage. Following an Action Research model, the study was conducted in three phases: Planning, intervention, and evaluation. In phase 1 we identified two areas in the city where enrolment on mathematics courses was very low. In phase 2, four workshops were organised in local primary schools inviting mothers, grandmothers and other family members, to take part in interactive mathematics activities and have a go at solving mathematical problems with their children. These workshops served multiple purposes such as providing information on adult education courses and promoting intergenerational and lifelong learning. Data was collected through two sets of focus group interviews (in phase 1 & 2) involving thirty-four participants. Phase 3 focused on data processing and the analysis of outcomes. In this presentation, I will share key findings from the study, and will also reflect on challenges that we faced as a research team during the project.
Speaker Biography
Dr Farhat Batool Syyeda is a lecturer and researcher in the School of Education, University of Leicester. She leads different modules on campus based and distance learning courses and supervises PhD students. Her research focuses on adult learning, identity construction, mathematics education, and teachers’ professional development. She has worked on various research projects as principal/co-investigator, including two recent studies funded by the British Academy/Leverhulme Small Research Grants scheme. She has a strong interest in innovative and creative research methodologies, including visual methods, action research, ethnography, and narrative inquiry. Her doctoral research (Syyeda, 2021) adopted an ethnographic narrative approach to explore the learning journeys and identity development of female adult learners.
Website: https://le.ac.uk/people/farhat-syyeda LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/farhat-syyeda-13708a56/