Lucy Watson

Biography

I believe that all students can learn mathematics when given opportunities to do so. Since no student will come to my class with a blank slate where mathematics is concerned, I strive to provide learning opportunities that foster each student based on their intellectual diversity and background. I am passionate about helping each and every student see the beauty and wonder in mathematics by engaging students in a positive, creative learning environment through communication, discussion, and reflection.

I received my Ph.D. in Mathematics Education from Middle Tennessee State University. Broadly, my research focuses on developing preservice and inservice teachers’ mathematical knowledge for teaching through mathematics content courses and professional development activities.  Through my dissertation, I focused on examining elementary preservice teachers’ conceptions of the nature of mathematics and how these conceptions can support or hinder their development as an educator.

In addition to preservice teachers, I am also interested in the longitudinal exploration of students’ and mathematicians’ conceptions of the nature of mathematics and how these conceptions might influence mathematics as a discipline.