Konstantinos Xenofontos

• Xenofontos, Constantinos (2026). Multidimensional ecologies of mathematical life. European Journal of Science and Mathematics Education. 14(4), p. 645–664. doi: 10.30935/scimath/19554. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In this paper, I introduce multidimensional ecologies of mathematical life (MEMaL), a framework for understanding mathematics as a lived practice that extends across formal instruction and everyday life, and is shaped by social, material, and political conditions. MEMaL identifies five ecological dimensions. Spatial ecologies concern embodied engagement with tools, materials, and arrangements that organize participation. Temporal ecologies attend to the rhythms, repetitions, and durations through which mathematical ideas gain continuity. Epistemic ecologies concern locally valued criteria for credible or worthwhile mathematical knowledge, while affective ecologies foreground the atmospheres shaping recognition, belonging, confidence, and risk-taking. Imaginative ecologies address how individuals and communities envision mathematical futures, identities, and possibilities. MEMaL’s distinctive contribution is its focus on ecological configuration: how spatial, temporal, epistemic, affective, and imaginative conditions come together and alter one another. Changes within one dimension can therefore reorganize possibilities for mathematical participation, recognition, and becoming across the wider ecology. These dimensions sit within broader political forces that shape an environmental context and determine whose participation becomes visible, credible, and valued. Mathematical activity, on this account, cannot be separated from environments that enable or restrain participation and shape whether that participation is recognized and valued. MEMaL therefore offers researchers and educators a way to examine these interdependencies and the mathematical lives they make possible.

• Xenofontos, Constantinos; Fadum, Aleksandra Khara & Sundtjønn, Trude (2026). Addressing Sustainability in Initial Mathematics Teacher Education. Mathematics Teacher Education and Development (MTED). ISSN 1442-3901. 28(2). doi: https:/mted.merga.net.au/index.php/mted/article/view/1391. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This article presents a scoping review of international peer-reviewed literature (2015–2025) examining how sustainability is addressed in initial mathematics teacher education (IMTE). Guided by five research questions, the review synthesised 24 empirical studies to explore how sustainability is conceptualised, integrated, and challenged in IMTE contexts. Two dominant conceptualisations emerged: “mathematics for sustainable development,” which positions mathematics as a tool for engaging with socio-environmental issues; and ”sustainability of mathematics-related knowledge,” which emphasises the lasting impact of IMTE on prospective teachers’ knowledge, skills, and dispositions. Each conceptualisation gives rise to distinct, yet sometimes overlapping, pedagogical approaches. The former is associated with socio-critical mathematical modelling, interdisciplinary project-based learning, and reflective pedagogy, while the latter foregrounds technology-enhanced instruction, culturally responsive teaching, and development of transferable competencies. Persistent barriers, however, include rigid curricula, limited faculty expertise, conceptual uncertainty, and misaligned policy frameworks. Addressing these challenges requires systemic action through curriculum reform, interdisciplinary professional development, and integration of sustainability competencies into accreditation standards. The review showed how conceptual framings of sustainability inform pedagogical practice, reveal structural obstacles, and guide strategic responses, offering a foundation for reimagining IMTE as a transformative space for preparing mathematics teachers to contribute meaningfully to sustainable futures.

• Xenofontos, Constantinos (2026). For Whom the Bell Tolls: Mathematics Education in Times of Crisis. Confero: Essays on Education, Philosophy and Politics. p. 58–92. doi: 10.3384/confero.6199. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In this essay, I extend Ole Skovsmose’s typology of how mathematics relates to crises, namely constituting, picturing, and formatting, into the field of mathematics education. I argue that mathematics education is not a neutral enterprise but an institutional, pedagogical, and discursive field already implicated in crises. It can constitute crises through exclusionary structures, pedagogical norms, assessment practices, and policy regimes; picture crises when learners engage mathematically with issues such as climate change, pandemics, and economic inequality; and format crises by shaping what is recognised as a legitimate problem, form of knowledge, and course of action. Drawing on critical mathematics education, I examine how curriculum, pedagogy, assessment, teacher education, research, and policy are entangled with contemporary social, economic, political, and environmental crises. This reframing shifts attention from how mathematics education might respond to crises to how it already participates in producing, representing, and defining them. I conclude by considering how greater critical and ethical reflexivity might enable mathematics education to challenge these processes and contribute to more just and sustainable futures.

• Xenofontos, Constantinos (2026). Numbers, Patterns, and Memories: Early Experiences of Mathematicians and Mathematics Education Researchers. Journal of Humanistic Mathematics. 16(2), p. 275–292. doi: 10.5642/jhummath.EVUL8111. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This paper offers a reflective analysis of early mathematical experiences shared by fifty-six mathematicians and mathematics education researchers, including my own, as part of Cambridge Mathematics’ “Seven Questions with . . . ” interview series. Drawing on thematic analysis, I identify five key patterns across participants’ recollections: the context of early mathematical engagement, the influence of significant others, emotional responses, shifts in mathematical thinking, and mathematics as a social or competitive experience. Many accounts emphasise informal, everyday encounters with mathematics—often preceding formal education—as central to developing interest and confidence in the subject. The findings challenge the notion of innate mathematical ability, instead highlighting the importance of curiosity, emotional resonance, and supportive environments. This paper argues for broader recognition of diverse early experiences in shaping mathematical identity and calls for more inclusive and exploratory approaches to early mathematics education.

• Xenofontos, Constantinos & Appelbaum, Peter (2026). Intentional empty space in mathematics teacher education. Discover Education. doi: 10.1007/s44217-026-01958-0. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In this essay, we explore how empty space can create possibilities for change in mathematics teacher education. We draw on ideas from physics, theater, architecture, and graphic design to understand emptiness as a space where meaning, relationships, and creativity can emerge. We suggest that intentionally leaving spaces within teacher education programs open (i.e., spaces in which the content remains undefined, and the trajectory remains flexible) can invite processes of co-creation, critical reflection, and pedagogical imagination. To develop this argument, we turn to Mikhail Bakhtin’s notion of the carnivalesque together with speculative design, using these perspectives to understand such spaces as dialogic arenas through which established hierarchies loosen and new meanings emerge. From this viewpoint, emptiness can be conceptualized as productive through the creation of conditions for interaction, experimentation, and evolving roles of teaching and learning. Building on this understanding, we also propose that such forms of openness invite a reconsideration of academic rigor in mathematics teacher education, suggesting that rigor may be understood through ethical responsiveness, relational depth, and the capacity to imagine alternative possibilities for teaching and learning. To illustrate these ideas, we present two speculative examples that show how such open spaces may unfold in practice and that offer provocations for more reflective, responsive, and creatively oriented forms of mathematics education.

• Xenofontos, Constantinos & Hizli-Alkan, Sinem (2026). Visually mediated interviews: Methodological reflections from two culturally responsive mathematics education studies. Culture, Education, and Future. 4(1), p. 81–106. doi: 10.70116/29802741170. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In this paper, we reflect on the use of visually aided methods (VAMs) in qualitative interviews within mathematics education research. Drawing on two empirical studies, we examine how visual artefacts shape interaction, reflection, and meaning-making during interview encounters. In the first project, we conducted individual interviews with in-service teachers who created diagrams to explore relationships between concepts such as equity, inclusion, diversity, and social justice in mathematics education. In the second project, we used research-informed illustrations in focus group interviews with pre-service teachers to stimulate discussion about language diversity in mathematics classrooms. In both studies, visual artefacts acted as mediating devices that structured conversations, supported the translation of abstract concepts into more concrete interpretations, and facilitated collaborative sense-making. Our analysis also suggests that different visual approaches generate distinct forms of reflection, ranging from introspective conceptual exploration to collective pedagogical reasoning. We argue that visually aided interviews do more than support expression; they shape the production of qualitative data and open new methodological possibilities for researching sociocultural dimensions of mathematics education.

• Ukkonen, Aino; Pajchel, Katarina & Xenofontos, Constantinos (2026). How teachers practice computational thinking assessment in mathematics classrooms. Review of Science, Mathematics and ICT Education. ISSN 1791-261X. 20(1), p. 25–57. doi: 10.26220/REV.5572. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The integration of computational thinking (CT) into school mathematics presents both pedagogical opportunities and assessment challenges. This case study investigates how two Norwegian mathematics teachers, Stephen and Lena, practice CT assessment in primary and lower secondary classrooms. Drawing on classroom observations and interviews, the study explores how formative assessment through feedback supports student learning during CT-integrated mathematics lessons. The findings reveal that debugging, decomposition, abstraction, and algorithms are central to CT assessment but are interpreted and enacted differently by the two teachers. Stephen employed structured tools such as decomposition checklists and feedback on functions and variables to scaffold problem solving, while Lena used exploratory reasoning, productive failure, and geometric representations to elicit student thinking. Both used feedback to bridge CT constructs and mathematical understanding, and a significant finding in this study is that CT feedback and assessment in mathematics are deeply intertwined, reflecting the integration of CT and mathematics. The study highlights the importance of strategic feedback and the need for clearer frameworks connecting CT and mathematics in assessment.

• Hizli-Alkan, Sinem; Sahin-Ipek, Derya & Xenofontos, Constantinos (2026). Teacher mediation of curriculum making in language diverse mathematics classrooms. Mathematics Education Research Journal. ISSN 1033-2170. doi: 10.1007/s13394-026-00578-z. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  All teachers mediate curriculum, even in countries with highly prescribed curricula. How this occurs equitably, despite global constraints such as accountability and performativity pressures, remains an area of investigation for both teachers and researchers internationally. Our research delves into teachers’ curriculum making practices in language diverse mathematics classrooms, an area that is currently underexplored. It examines how and why teachers mediate a prescribed maths scheme in equitable ways. We propose the ecological approach to teacher agency as a suitable theoretical framework to investigate teacher mediation of curriculum making. Drawing on interviews and observations in England, alongside relevant literature, we examine these mediation processes. In particular, we highlight the role of teachers’ beliefs, professional histories, social structures, material and relational resources which may enable or hinder teachers to achieve their agency for equitable practices. By illuminating a common international dilemma regarding how prescription can be mitigated through equitable and agentic teacher practices, this paper offers practical, methodological, and theoretical insights for teacher education, future research, and policy to better support teacher agency in ever-changing and diverse classrooms.

• Nolan, Kathleen Theresa & Xenofontos, Constantinos (2026). Teachers’ perspectives on the challenges and opportunities of culturally responsive pedagogy in the mathematics classroom. Mathematics Education Research Journal. ISSN 1033-2170. doi: 10.1007/s13394-026-00577-0. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In this paper, we report on the challenges and opportunities of prospective and practicing teachers (PPTs) as they learn about culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP) in mathematics classrooms. Drawing on reflective journal assignments collected during several offerings of a teacher education course in Canada, we discuss how our study’s analysis was initially grounded in Ladson-Billings’ elements of CRP and then extended through our COFRI framework (Challenges, Opportunities, Fears, Resistance, Insights). We use a thematic analysis, along with a lens based in an earlier COFRI-based analysis to reveal three types of challenges and opportunities: mathematical, pedagogical, and ideological, each of which were found to consist of several sub-types. To address the challenges and opportunities expressed by PPTs, we introduce reflective- and action-based tools that mobilize PPTs to further grow their understanding of CRP in mathematics classrooms. The tools can be used as a journaling exercise, discussion prompt, or professional development activity for PPTs in mathematics teacher education programs, offering strategies for promoting equitable and culturally responsive teaching practices.

• Sahin-Ipek, Derya; Hizli-Alkan, Sinem & Xenofontos, Constantinos (2026). Teachers’ curriculum making practices in language diverse primary mathematics classrooms: a systematic literature review. Cogent Education. 13(1). doi: 10.1080/2331186x.2026.2668777. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Mathematics classrooms are becoming increasingly diverse, yet the perception of mathematics as a universal, culture- and language-free subject persists. This belief continues to shape how teachers adapt nationally prescribed curricula in linguistically diverse settings. To address the limited research on this topic, we conducted a systematic review exploring teachers’ curriculum making practices in language-diverse mathematics classrooms. We screened 833 articles from Web of Science, Scopus, and ERIC, applying reflexive thematic analysis to 23 empirical studies across five continents. Our findings reveal both convergences and divergences, shaped by tensions between education and language policies and teacher agency. We identified four starting points for curriculum making: developing mathematical vocabulary; leveraging students’ home language and funds of knowledge; fostering engagement through discursive practices; and supporting meaning-making via multimodal approaches. Beyond identifying these practices, we synthesise how they intersect, complement, and sometimes contradict each other, offering a deeper understanding of curriculum making as a relational process in linguistically diverse classrooms. We offer implications for inclusive language policies, professional development, and demonstrate how a new curriculum making heuristic can illuminate the complexities of teachers’ social practices.

• Xenofontos, Constantinos & Appelbaum, Peter (2026). Teaching and learning mathematics through productive ambiguity, struggle, and failure: An integrated conceptual framework. Hiroshima Journal of Mathematics Education (HJME). ISSN 0919-1720. 19, p. 1–22. doi: https:/www.jasme.jp/hjme/. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This conceptual article presents an integrated framework for mathematics education positioning productive ambiguity, struggle, and failure as essential components of meaningful learning. Productive ambiguity invites learners to explore and interpret uncertainty, fostering curiosity and collaborative reasoning. Productive struggle focuses on sustained effort in navigating complex tasks, emphasizing the development of connections between procedural and conceptual understanding. Productive failure positions setbacks as valuable opportunities for reflection, enhancing understanding and preparing learners for future challenges. The conceptual framework comprises three interconnected phases, with ambiguity initiating exploration, struggle promoting active engagement, and failure encouraging critical reflection. These phases operate in a dynamic and recursive manner, offering a flexible model for iterative learning. Practical hypothetical classroom scenarios demonstrate the application of this framework, showcasing its potential to reimagine mathematics education as an exploratory and reflective practice.

• Connolly, Liam; Ukkonen, Aino & Xenofontos, Constantinos (2026). Practitioners’ Response to Manifesto 4: Adopting a Transdisciplinary Approach. In Biddulph, James; Shuckburgh, Emily & Pearse, Harry (Ed.), Thriving Sustainably on Planet Earth: Inspiring Innovation in Children's Education. Cambridge University Press. ISSN 9781009309042. p. 110–125. doi: 10.1017/9781009309042.010. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The response describes how transdisciplinary approaches can be adopted in the classroom to support skills such as creativity, innovation, adaptability and problem solving and to foster a more holistic and engaging learning experience. The first case study, ‘Constellations’ at the University of Cambridge Primary School, explores the night sky, the solar system and stars through scientific, historical, creative and literary lenses by combining real-world experiences with classroom activities. The second case study, ‘The Selburose’, connects computational thinking, programming, mathematics and arts and crafts by having students design and create a traditional Norwegian knitting pattern using Scratch programming and various craft materials.

• Bergstrand, Anne Marit Eriksen & Xenofontos, Constantinos (2026). Adapting mathematics teaching for pupils with learning difficulties: Norwegian teachers’ experiences. Journal of Pedagogical Research. 10(1), p. 1–17. doi: 10.33902/JPR.202638721. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This study examines how Norwegian primary and lower-secondary teachers adapt mathematics instruction for pupils with learning difficulties. Drawing on qualitative interviews with seven teachers from diverse school contexts, it explores instructional strategies, decision-making, and the perceived impact of pedagogical adaptations. The findings are organised using Molbaek’s inclusive teaching framework, comprising four dimensions: relational, didactic, organisational, and framing. Teachers emphasised the importance of emotional safety, structure, and positive teacher–pupil relationships in supporting struggling learners. Common strategies included differentiated instruction, formative assessment, and digital tools to enhance engagement and conceptual understanding. Despite their efforts, teachers reported encountering systemic constraints such as limited time, inadequate staffing, and lack of specialist resources. The study highlights the role of teacher agency, professional judgement, and classroom culture in fostering inclusive mathematics education. It calls for stronger institutional support and targeted professional development to ensure meaningful participation for all pupils, particularly those with mathematics learning difficulties.

• Xenofontos, Constantinos (2025). Mathematical heterotopias: Lessons for the mainstream classroom. In Bosch, Marianna; Bolondi, Giorgio; Carreira, Susana; Spagnolo, Camilla & Gaidoschik, Michael (Ed.), Proceedings of the Fourteenth Congress of the European Society for Research in Mathematics Education (CERME14), Free University of Bozen-Bolzano; ERME, Feb 2025, Bozen-Bolzano, Italy.. European Society for Research in Mathematics Education. ISSN 9791221086553. doi: https:/hal.science/hal-05283895v1. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This paper explores the application of Michel Foucault's concept of heterotopia to mathematics education, examining alternative learning environments such as special needs classrooms, gifted education programmes, and prison education. These "mathematical heterotopias" challenge traditional educational structures, fostering inclusive and flexible approaches to learning. By highlighting the potential of these environments to inspire critical thinking and personalised instruction, this paper emphasises the importance of reimagining mainstream mathematics education. The insights gained from these alternative spaces offer valuable lessons for creating more empowering and inclusive learning environments in mainstream classrooms.

• Xenofontos, Constantinos (2025). The mathematics classroom as junkspace: a conceptual critique of educational spatiality. Journal of Curriculum Studies. ISSN 0022-0272. doi: 10.1080/00220272.2025.2600966. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In this perspective paper, I introduce junkspace – a concept from architectural theory proposed by Rem Koolhaas – as a metaphor and a critical lens for analysing the contemporary mathematics classroom. I argue that many mathematics classrooms around the world, particularly in the Norwegian context, increasingly resemble junkspace: fragmented, placeless and homogenized, reliant on artificial systems, shaped by additive reforms, and marked by diminished teacher and student agency. Through four fictionalized but research-informed vignettes, I illustrate how policy and institutional logics materialize in everyday pedagogical routines, often at the expense of coherence, cultural relevance, and intellectual depth. Rather than criticizing individuals, I highlight systemic conditions that render mathematics education generic, managerial, and disengaged. Within such conditions, moments of resistance do emerge, challenging dominant patterns and pointing towards alternative possibilities. I propose junkspace as a generative concept for curriculum studies, encouraging us to rethink the classroom not as a neutral container for instruction but as a space that is socially produced, culturally situated, and pedagogically contested. This framing opens space for imagining educational environments that are coherent, humanizing, and intellectually vibrant.

• Paulsen, Rikke; Støve, Mari Bråstein & Xenofontos, Constantinos (2025). ‘You have to want it yourself’: how gender and socioeconomic status shape girls’ mathematical identities. International Journal of Adolescence and Youth. ISSN 0267-3843. 30(1). doi: 10.1080/02673843.2025.2581509. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This study investigates how adolescent girls from different socioeconomic backgrounds in Oslo, Norway, construct their mathematical identities. Drawing on interviews with eight girls—four attending a school in a low-SES area and four in a high-SES area—the data were analyzed using a qualitative, narrative-informed approach grounded in theories of identity, self-efficacy, and intersectionality. The findings reveal notable contrasts: girls from the low-SES school often drew motivation from effort and persistence, while those from the high-SES school tended to rely more on external validation and reported higher levels of self-doubt. Despite these differences, all participants navigated complex emotional and relational dynamics in their experiences with learning mathematics. The study highlights the need to foster inclusive classroom environments where girls, as well as all students, feel recognized, supported, and empowered to see themselves as capable mathematics learners.

• Opheim, Linda Gurvin & Xenofontos, Constantinos (2025). Designing a Mathematics Teacher Education Course for Multicultural and Multilingual Pre-Service Teachers: Working Towards Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. Education Sciences. 15(11). doi: 10.3390/educsci15111498. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In this paper, we reflect on the revisions made to a mathematics course for multicultural and multilingual pre-service teachers in Norway. The course had originally been designed and taught by one of the authors, and together we now analyze how it was retaught and restructured in light of student experiences, high failure rates, and our shared professional values. Using an action research approach and drawing on an equity–diversity–inclusion framework, we examine specific changes in pedagogy, assessments, and student support. This paper contributes to conversations about how mathematics teacher education can become more inclusive, responsive, and just.

• Xenofontos, Constantinos & Appelbaum, Peter (2025). Conceived linearities in mathematics education and how to disrupt them. Research in Mathematics Education. ISSN 1479-4802. doi: 10.1080/14794802.2025.2579307. Full text in Research Archive
• Xenofontos, Constantinos (2025). Atmospheres of Exclusion: Dante’s Inferno and the Mathematics Classroom. Philosophies. 10(6), p. 1–17. doi: 10.3390/philosophies10060116. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This paper employs allegory to examine how pupils experience exclusion in mathematics education. Using Dante’s Inferno as a structural frame, I present nine fictional narratives aligned with the nine circles of Hell. These depict recurring learner experiences: displacement, disorientation, mechanical drill, grade-chasing, resistance, doubt, internalised failure, performance without understanding, and withdrawal. The narratives are not verbatim accounts but constructed stories synthesising themes from research, classroom practice, and observed discourse. Through narrative inquiry, each story reframes issues such as language barriers, high-stakes assessment, proceduralism, and stereotype threat—not as individual shortcomings but systemic conditions shaping learner identities. The allegorical mode makes these conditions vivid, positioning mathematics education as a moral landscape where inclusion and exclusion are continually negotiated. The analysis yields three insights: first, forms of exclusion are diverse yet interconnected, often drawing pupils into cycles of silence, resistance, or performance; second, metaphor and fiction can serve as rigorous research tools, allowing affective and structural dimensions of schooling to be understood together; and third, teacher education and policy must confront the hidden costs of privileging narrow forms of knowledge. Reimagining classrooms through Dante’s allegory, this paper calls for pedagogies that disrupt exclusion and open pathways to belonging and mathematical meaning.

• Nolan, Kathleen Theresa & Xenofontos, Constantinos (2025). Exploring Teachers' Fears and Resistance when Learning about Culturally Responsive Pedagogy in the Mathematics Classroom. Journal for Theoretical & Marginal Mathematics Education (JTM ME). 4(1). doi: 10.5281/ZENODO.17024063. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In this study, we examine the fears and resistance of prospective and practicing teachers (PPTs) toward culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP) in mathematics classrooms. Drawing on reflective journal assignments collected during several offerings of a teacher education course in Canada, we ground our analysis in Ladson-Billings’ elements of a culturally relevant pedagogy and extend it through our COFRI model (Challenges, Opportunities, Fears, Resistance, Insights). Our use of thematic analysis with PPTs’ reflections reveals that PPTs experience mathematical, pedagogical, and ideological fears, alongside forms of resistance which can also be categorized as mathematical, pedagogical, and ideological. These PPT-expressed fears and resistance serve as barriers to developing one’s CRP, highlighting tensions between personal and professional identity, systemic constraints, and the complexities of implementing CRP. To address these barriers, we introduce reflective praxis tools that encourage PPTs to confront and navigate their fears and resistance. Through this research, we aim to advance understandings of CRP in mathematics education and offer actionable strategies for promoting equitable and culturally responsive teaching practices.

• Xenofontos, Constantinos (2025). Mathematical heterotopias: lessons from other-ed spaces for the mainstream classroom. Pedagogy, Culture & Society. ISSN 1468-1366. 34(2), p. 367–386. doi: 10.1080/14681366.2025.2508715. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Many mathematics classrooms worldwide often adhere to rigid, traditional practices that may serve some students effectively but risk disengaging others. In this paper, I draw on Michel Foucault’s concept of heterotopia to introduce the notion of mathematical heterotopias, encompassing alternative educational spaces such as special needs classrooms, gifted programmes, homeschooling, and prison education. While recognising the various limitations of these heterotopic spaces, I focus on the valuable lessons they offer for mainstream mathematics classrooms. These environments can challenge conventional teaching methods, providing significant insights into flexibility, personalised support, emotional care, and practical learning, all of which can enhance student autonomy and engagement. Such methods are not confined to mathematical heterotopias; they are frequently highlighted as effective practices in research concerning the mainstream mathematics classroom. Rather than advocating for radical changes, this article endorses these practices found in both mathematical heterotopias and mainstream classrooms, concluding with a call for the systematic promotion of these practices.

• Fjærestad, Maria & Xenofontos, Constantinos (2025). Digital Tools in Mathematics Classrooms: Norwegian Primary Teachers’ Experiences. InEducation. doi: 10.37119/ojs2025.v30i1.807. Full text in Research Archive
• Xenofontos, Constantinos (2025). Mathematics education in the shadow of fascism. For the Learning of Mathematics. ISSN 0228-0671. 45(1), p. 20–25. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Building on Umberto Eco's concept of Ur-Fascism, this essay examines how authoritarian traits permeate mathematics education. Through a reflective analysis of my prior research within the context of Cyprus, I discuss troubling patterns of centralised control, rigid traditions, and hierarchical structures shaping the educational landscape. These patterns, often subtle yet pervasive, manifest in mathematics classroom practices and policies in ways that reinforce exclusionary norms. In closing, I advocate for a shift towards a critical, inclusive pedagogy that values autonomy, cultural responsiveness, and meaningful engagement with diverse perspectives. I call on teachers, policymakers, and researchers to recognise, confront, and address authoritarian influences in school mathematics and beyond.

• Xenofontos, Constantinos & Smestad, Bjørn (2025). Real people in mathematics textbooks of Cyprus and Norway. In Skott, Charlotte Krog; Blomhøj, Morten; Eckert, Andreas; Elicer, Raimundo; Herheim, Rune; Kristinsdóttir, Bjarnheiður; Larsen, Dorte Moeskær; Nortvedt, Guri A.; Nyström, Peter; Sigurjónsson, Jóhann Örn & Tamborg, Andreas Lindenskov (Ed.), Interplay between research and teaching practice in mathematics education : Proceedings of NORMA24, The tenth Nordic Conference on Mathematics Education, Copenhagen, 2024. Svensk förening för MatematikDidaktisk Forskning - SMDF. ISSN 9789198402483. p. 417–424. Full text in Research Archive
• Xenofontos, Constantinos; Solomon, Yvette & Knudsmoen, Hege (2024). Norwegian teachers’ perspectives on inclusive practices in the mathematics classroom. International Journal of Inclusive Education. ISSN 1360-3116. doi: 10.1080/13603116.2024.2361347. Full text in Research Archive
• Xenofontos, Constantinos (2024). Reimagining the Mathematics Classroom through Magical Realism. Pedagogický časopis. ISSN 1338-1563. 15(2), p. 20–43. doi: 10.2478/jped-2024-0006. Full text in Research Archive
• Ukkonen, Aino; Yadav, Aman; Pajchel, Katarina & Xenofontos, Constantinos (2024). Elementary Teachers Assessing Computational Thinking. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education (JTATE). ISSN 1059-7069. 32(4), p. 521–546. doi: 10.70725/844708cswcsk. Full text in Research Archive
• Hafeez, Aleena & Xenofontos, Constantinos (2024). Pupils’ gendered experiences in the mathematics classroom: “When you’re in a class with such dominant boys, it’s not easy to put yourself forward”. SN Social Sciences. 4(9). doi: 10.1007/s43545-024-00969-8. Full text in Research Archive
• Xenofontos, Constantinos (2024). Gender representations in school mathematics: a study of primary textbooks in the Republic of Cyprus. International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology. ISSN 0020-739X. doi: 10.1080/0020739X.2024.2337945. Full text in Research Archive
• Xenofontos, Constantinos (2024). On blurring the boundaries between mathematics and the real world. Review of Science, Mathematics and ICT Education. ISSN 1791-261X. 18(2), p. 5–27. doi: 10.26220/rev.5239. Full text in Research Archive
• Xenofontos, Constantinos; Alkan, Sinem Hizli & Appelbaum, Peter (2024). An exploration of Scottish teachers’ perceptions of equitable teaching practices in mathematics. Cogent Education. 11(1). doi: 10.1080/2331186X.2024.2310436. Full text in Research Archive
• Killi, Elias Kahlil & Xenofontos, Constantinos (2024). Teaching Mathematics to Children of Immigrant Backgrounds: Primary Teachers’ Perspectives from Norway. Journal for Theoretical & Marginal Mathematics Education (JTM ME). doi: 10.5281/zenodo.13621544. Full text in Research Archive
• Nolan, Kathleen Theresa & Xenofontos, Constantinos (2023). Mapping teachers’ perspectives on culturally responsive pedagogy in mathematics: from academic achievement to insights and opportunities. Intercultural Education. ISSN 1467-5986. 34(6), p. 550–567. doi: 10.1080/14675986.2023.2265855. Full text in Research Archive
• Nolan, Kathleen Theresa & Xenofontos, Constantinos (2023). The Role of Insights in Becoming a Culturally Responsive Mathematics Teacher. Education Sciences. 13(10). doi: 10.3390/educsci13101028. Full text in Research Archive
• Pettersen, Josefine & Xenofontos, Constantinos (2023). The construction of mathematical identities among early adolescents. Cogent Education. 10(1). doi: 10.1080/2331186X.2023.2214474. Full text in Research Archive
• Nolan, Kathleen Theresa & Xenofontos, Constantinos (2023). On Becoming a Culturally Responsive Teacher of Mathematics. Journal of Mathematics and Culture. Full text in Research Archive
• Bjerke, Annette Hessen & Xenofontos, Constantinos (2023). Teachers’ self-efficacy in teaching mathematics: tracing possible changes from teacher education to professional practice. Teachers and Teaching: theory and practice. ISSN 1354-0602. 31(1), p. 1–15. doi: 10.1080/13540602.2023.2219982. Full text in Research Archive
• Khilji, Mohammed Ali & Xenofontos, Constantinos (2023). “With maths you can have a better future”: how children of immigrant background construct their identities as mathematics learners. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research. ISSN 0031-3831. doi: 10.1080/00313831.2023.2204108. Full text in Research Archive
• Xenofontos, Constantinos; Alkan, Sinem Hizli & Andrews, Paul (2023). Estimation in the Primary Mathematics Curricula of Cyprus, Greece and Turkey: A Privileged or Prevented Competence? Athens Journal of Education (AJE). ISSN 2407-9898. 10(1), p. 117–138. doi: 10.30958/aje.10-1-7. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Estimation is an essential competence with a developmental role in the learning of various mathematical topics. Yet, as previous studies highlight, this competence is either excluded or ambivalently included in intended curricula around the world. The current study investigates the estimation-related opportunities in the primary curricula of three Eastern Mediterranean countries (Cyprus, Greece, and Turkey). Our analyses are framed by four forms of estimation (computational, measurement, quantity, number line). As with previous studies in other contexts, computational estimation and measurement estimation are extensively addressed in the curricula of Cyprus and Turkey, yet without any meaningful justification for their inclusion. All three curricula fail to recognise the importance of number line estimation and quantity estimation, the two forms with the most significant developmental implications for the later learning of other mathematical concepts and areas of mathematics. Among the three curricula under scrutiny, the Greek is the one with the fewest and most superficial references to estimation. In closing, we discuss the implications of this study and suggestions for future research.

• Xenofontos, Constantinos & Andrews, Paul (2023). The experiential construction of mathematics teacher identity and the impact of early mathematical failure. Frontiers in Education. 8. doi: 10.3389/feduc.2023.1158973. Full text in Research Archive
• Xenofontos, Constantinos & Mouroutsou, Stella (2022). Resilience in mathematics education research: a systematic review of empirical studies. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research. ISSN 0031-3831. doi: 10.1080/00313831.2022.2115132. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In recent years, the number of studies examining resilience in relation to mathematics teaching/learning (or mathematical resilience, according to some), increased significantly. This paper is a systematic review of 78 studies published between 2010 and 2021, and investigates (a) conceptualisations of mathematical resilience, (b) demographic characteristics of participants in the papers identified, and (c) factors that influence the development of mathematical resilience. Our analysis indicates that mathematical resilience is conceptualised in two ways: as the coexistence of disadvantage and high mathematical performance; and, as part of one’s mathematical identity. Participants in related studies belong to one of the following categories: disadvantaged pupils; “typical” pupils; disadvantaged university STEM students; “typical” university students; prospective teachers; in-service teachers. Mathematical resilience is found to be influenced by both psychological and social/environmental factors. Finally, we discuss implications and how the field can move forward.

• Xenofontos, Constantinos & Alkan, Sinem Hizli (2022). Prospective Primary Teachers’ Professional Noticing in Non-formal Learning Environments: The Case of a Mathematics Fair. Education Sciences. 12(1). doi: 10.3390/educsci12010055. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Research around mathematics teachers’ professional noticing has been largely contextualised by the formal setting of the classroom. In addressing the lack of relevant studies in non-formal learning environments, this paper draws on student teachers’ observations within a Mathematics Fair, which was part of a mathematics methods module of a primary education undergraduate programme. Working in pairs, 64 student teachers designed interactive mathematical games which upper primary school pupils had the opportunity to play in an event having taken place at our university. In this study, we analyse student teachers’ individual reflective essays written after the Fair, where they discussed important, in their view, incidents and observations. Employing a thematic analysis approach, we identified four themes discussed by students: the task; learning; teaching; non-formal environment. We conclude with the implications for teacher education and suggestions for future research.

• Appelbaum, Peter; Stathopoulou, Charoula & Xenofontos, Constantinos (2022). Actionable mathematics education via dystopia. In Hodgen, Jeremy; Geraniou, Eirini; Bolondi, Giorgio; Feretti, Federica & Ferretti, Federica (Ed.), Proceedings of the 12th Congress of the European Society for Research in Mathematics Education (CERME12). European Society for Research in Mathematics Education. ISSN 9791221025378. p. 1679–1679. Full text in Research Archive
• Xenofontos, Constantinos & Alkan, Sinem Hizli (2022). Scottish teachers’ perceptions of marginalisation in school mathematics. In Hodgen, Jeremy; Geraniou, Eirini; Bolondi, Giorgio; Feretti, Federica & Ferretti, Federica (Ed.), Proceedings of the 12th Congress of the European Society for Research in Mathematics Education (CERME12). European Society for Research in Mathematics Education. ISSN 9791221025378. Full text in Research Archive
• Xenofontos, Constantinos & Alkan, Sinem Hizli (2022). “They’re coming into school hungry, they’re not ready to learn”. Scottish teachers’ perceptions of marginalization in school mathematics. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education. ISSN 1305-8215. 18(6). doi: 10.29333/ejmste/12071. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In recent years, many studies have highlighted significant differences between the mathematical performances of white middle-class boys and several other groups of children with other demographic characteristics. The ways teachers perceive marginalization influence how they make sense of diverse classrooms and how they can actively support pupils from marginalized backgrounds. Discussions about who is marginalized in school mathematics vary across different countries. In Scotland, not least at the level of policymaking, marginalization is typically associated with social class and children’s socioeconomic backgrounds. The main aim of this paper is to explore Scottish teachers’ perceptions of the roots of marginalization in school mathematics. Participants were 29 teachers from different school levels (eight early-years, 11 primary, and 10 secondary teachers). Drawing on data from individual semi-structured interviews, our thematic analysis indicated that teachers’ responses mainly reflected the social-class/poverty discourse of policymakers, while very few recognized other marginalizing variables (for example, gender, English language competence). Yet, none of the teachers talked about how such variables may be interlinked. In conclusion, the intersectional character of marginalization (structural interplay of variables such as race, class gender, sexuality, disability etc.) needs to be promoted more explicitly in initial teacher education and continuous professional development programs.

• Appelbaum, Peter; Stathopoulou, Charoula & Xenofontos, Constantinos (2022). Mathematics education as dystopia: A future beyond. Journal of Humanistic Mathematics. Full text in Research Archive
• Andrews, Paul; Xenofontos, Constantinos & Sayers, Judy (2021). Estimation in the primary mathematics curricula of the United Kingdom: Ambivalent expectations of an essential competence. International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology. ISSN 0020-739X. doi: 10.1080/0020739X.2020.1868591. Full text in Research Archive
• Xenofontos, Constantinos; Fraser, Sally; Priestley, Andrea & Priestley, Mark (2021). Mathematics teachers and social justice: a systematic review of empirical studies. Oxford Review of Education. ISSN 0305-4985. doi: 10.1080/03054985.2020.1807314. Full text in Research Archive
• Xenofontos, Constantinos & Andrews, Paul (2020). The discursive construction of mathematics teacher self-efficacy. Educational Studies in Mathematics. ISSN 0013-1954. doi: 10.1007/s10649-020-09990-z. Full text in Research Archive
• Xenofontos, Constantinos (2019). The use of problem in upper-primary and lower-secondary textbooks of the Republic of Cyprus. In Jankvist, Uffe Thomas; Heuvel-Panhuizen, Marja Van den & Veldhuis, Michiel (Ed.), Proceedings of the Eleventh Congress of the European Society for Research in Mathematics Education. European Society for Research in Mathematics Education. ISSN 9789073346758. Full text in Research Archive
• Xenofontos, Constantinos (2019). Primary teachers' perspectives on mathematics during curriculum reform: A collective case study from Cyprus. Issues in educational research. ISSN 0313-7155. Full text in Research Archive
• Xenofontos, Constantinos (2018). Greek-Cypriot elementary teachers’ epistemological beliefs about mathematics. Teaching and Teacher Education : An International Journal of Research and Studies. ISSN 0742-051X. doi: 10.1016/j.tate.2017.11.007. Full text in Research Archive
• Andrews, Paul & Xenofontos, Constantinos (2017). Beginning teachers’ perspectives on linear equations: A pilot quantitative comparison of Greek and Cypriot students. In Dooley, Thérèse & Gueudet, Ghislaine (Ed.), Proceedings of the Tenth Congress of the European Society for Research in Mathematics Education (CERME 10). European Society for Research in Mathematics Education. ISSN 9781873769737. Full text in Research Archive
• Xenofontos, Constantinos & Kyriakou, Artemis (2017). Prospective elementary teachers' beliefs about collaborative problem solving and dialogue in mathematics. Mathematics Teacher Education and Development (MTED). ISSN 1442-3901. Full text in Research Archive
• Xenofontos, Constantinos & Andrews, Paul (2017). Explanations as tools for evaluating content knowledge for teaching: A cross-national pilot study in Cyprus and Greece. In Dooley, Thérèse & Gueudet, Ghislaine (Ed.), Proceedings of the Tenth Congress of the European Society for Research in Mathematics Education (CERME 10). European Society for Research in Mathematics Education. ISSN 9781873769737. Full text in Research Archive
• Xenofontos, Constantinos & Kyriakou, Artemis (2016). Prospective elementary teachers’ talk during collaborative problem solving. Proceedings of the International Groups for the Psychology of Mathematics Education. ISSN 0771-100X. Full text in Research Archive
• Xenofontos, Constantinos (2016). Teaching Mathematics in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Classrooms: Greek-Cypriot Elementary Teachers’ Reported Practices and Professional Needs. Journal of Urban Mathematics Education (JUME). Full text in Research Archive
• Xenofontos, Constantinos (2015). Working collaboratively on unusual geometry problems. Mathematics Teaching. ISSN 0025-5785. Full text in Research Archive
• Andrews, Paul & Xenofontos, Constantinos (2015). Analysing the relationship between the problem solving-related beliefs, competence and teaching of three Cypriot primary teachers. Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education. ISSN 1386-4416. doi: 10.1007/s10857-014-9287-2. Full text in Research Archive
• Xenofontos, Constantinos (2015). Immigrant pupils in elementary classrooms of Cyprus: how teachers view them as learners of mathematics. Cambridge Journal of Education. ISSN 0305-764X. doi: 10.1080/0305764X.2014.987643. Full text in Research Archive
• Xenofontos, Constantinos & Papadopoulos, Christos (2015). The history of mathematics in the lower secondary textbooks of Cyprus and Greece: Developing a common analytical framework. In Krainer, Konrad & Vondrova, Nada (Ed.), Proceedings of the Ninth Congress of the European Society for Research in Mathematics Education. European Society for Research in Mathematics Education. ISSN 9788072908448. Full text in Research Archive
• Xenofontos, Constantinos & Papadopoulos, Christos (2015). Opportunities of learning through the history of mathematics: The example of national textbooks in Cyprus and Greece. International Journal for Mathematics Teaching and Learning. Full text in Research Archive
• Xenofontos, Constantinos & Andrews, Paul (2014). Defining mathematical problems and problem solving: prospective primary teachers’ beliefs in Cyprus and England. Mathematics Education Research Journal. ISSN 1033-2170. doi: 10.1007/s13394-013-0098-z. Full text in Research Archive
• Xenofontos, Constantinos (2014). The cultural dimensions of prospective mathematics teachers’ beliefs: Insights from Cyprus and England. Preschool & Primary Education. ISSN 2241-7206. doi: 10.12681/ppej.85. Full text in Research Archive
• Xenofontos, Constantinos & Andrews, Paul (2012). Prospective teachers’ beliefs about problem-solving: Cypriot and English cultural constructions. Research in Mathematics Education. ISSN 1479-4802. doi: 10.1080/14794802.2012.657439. Full text in Research Archive

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• Xenofontos, Constantinos & Nolan, Kathleen Theresa (2024). Critical Perspectives on Mathematics Teacher Education. MDPI. ISBN 9783036598826. 284 p. doi: 10.3390/books978-3-0365-9882-6. Full text in Research Archive
• Xenofontos, Constantinos (2019). Equity in mathematics education: Addressing a changing world. Information Age Publishing. ISBN 9781641137287. Full text in Research Archive
• Xenofontos, Constantinos (2009). International comparative research on mathematical problem solving: suggestions for new research directions. European Society for Research in Mathematics Education. ISBN 9782734211907. Full text in Research Archive

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• Opheim, Linda Gurvin & Xenofontos, Constantinos (2026). Matematikk for tospråklige og flerkulturelle faglærere: videreutviklet med mål om like muligheter, mangfold og inkludering. doi: https:/www.uhr.no/nyheter/nyheter-fra-uhr/larerutdanningskonferansen-2026-demokrati-og-kunnskapsberedskap.8216.aspx#faqsporsmal-582. Full text in Research Archive
• Xenofontos, Constantinos (2026). STEM education in motion. Cogent Education. 13(1). doi: 10.1080/2331186X.2026.2619823. Full text in Research Archive
• Ukkonen, Aino; Yadav, Aman; Pajchel, Katarina & Xenofontos, Constantinos (2024). Elementary Teachers Assessing Computational Thinking. Full text in Research Archive
• Xenofontos, Constantinos & Smestad, Bjørn (2024). Real people in mathematics textbooks of Cyprus and Norway. Full text in Research Archive
• Xenofontos, Constantinos & Smestad, Bjørn (2023). Sosial rettferdighet. Tangenten - Tidsskrift for matematikkundervisning. ISSN 0802-8192. 34(2), p. 21–26. Full text in Research Archive
• Nolan, Kathleen Theresa & Xenofontos, Constantinos (2023). Book Review: With whom am I speaking? A perspective on audiences. Tony Brown (2020) A contemporary theory of mathematics education research. Educational Studies in Mathematics. ISSN 0013-1954. doi: 10.1007/s10649-023-10214-3. Full text in Research Archive
• Xenofontos, Constantinos & Nolan, Kathleen Theresa (2023). Special Issue Introduction: Critical Perspectives on Mathematics Teacher Education. Education Sciences. 13(12). doi: 10.3390/educsci13121218. Full text in Research Archive
• Xenofontos, Constantinos (2021). Promoting equity, inclusion, and social justice in Scottish mathematics classrooms: Early-years, primary, and secondary teachers’ perceptions. Full text in Research Archive

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