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Abstract

This research aimed to investigate how primary ITT trainees’ confidence in teaching mathematics could be improved through the curriculum coherence approach. A convergent mixed-method case study design was employed, collecting both quantitative and qualitative data from undergraduate trainees over three years via questionnaires. University mathematics tutors and selected school-based mentors were also interviewed using a semi-structured format.Following the analysis of the first year’s questionnaires, a new mathematics curriculum was designed for the second year of the study. As required by DfE and Ofsted, teaching plans and resources incorporated conceptual mathematics techniques, theory-practice links, and the Core Content Framework (CCF). The new curriculum was also aligned with the national curriculum and focused on areas where our trainees reported lower confidence. However, the implementation of this curriculum was disrupted by the national lockdown in 2020, during which first-year trainees had no professional practice experience. Despite this, the results revealed important and unexpected insights for teacher training.Data analysis indicated that ITT trainees’ confidence in teaching mathematics is lower compared to English, and they reported lower enjoyment of learning mathematics at school. While these findings align with tutors’ and mentors’ observations, the research suggests that this issue is more pronounced among female trainees. The study further highlights the importance of a purposefully integrated ITT curriculum for building confidence in teaching both English and mathematics. Additionally, lack of professional practice experience was found to negatively impact confidence in both subjects. As an incidental finding, male trainees reported lower enjoyment and confidence in learning and teaching English, a pattern not noted by tutors or mentors.These findings have relevance for a broad audience, including academics, school staff, policymakers, and professionals in related education disciplines, such as educational psychology and sociology.

Awarding Institution(s)

University of Plymouth

Supervisor

David Burghes, Neville Davies, Verity Campbell Barr

Keywords

primary teacher training, mathematics, confidence, curriculum coherence

Document Type

Thesis

Publication Date

2026

Deposit Date

June 2026

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