Self-Funded PhD opportunity in Mathematics Education (Ref: SCI26-SF-001)

About the Project

We research how people learn, think about, and use mathematics, from early number development through higher education and into professional practice.

Themes

• Mathematical cognition: how learners reason, represent ideas, and develop conceptual understanding
• Educational design and evaluation: evidence-based teaching approaches, assessment, and digital learning tools
• Higher education pedagogy: teaching and learning in university mathematics and statistics

Environment and Facilities

• Experimental and design-based research
• Eye-tracking and comparative judgement
• An interdisciplinary, applied research culture with strong links to schools, colleges, and universities

Supervisor

• Dr Julia Bahnmuller - J.Bahnmuller@lboro.ac.uk

Tuition fees for 2026-27 entry

• UK fee - £5,238 Full-time degree per annum
• International fee - £23,100 Full-time degree per annum

Fees for the 2026-27 academic year apply to projects starting in October 2026, February 2027 and July 2027.

UK tuition fees for 2026/27 are currently to be confirmed pending the release of the UKRI recommended rates. Once published, these rates will be subject to formal approval by the University before being confirmed.

Opportunity Details

• Target Start Date: October 2026
• Full time or part time available.
• Open to UK and international applicants.

How to Apply

We welcome discussions with interested candidates.

• Step 1: Interested applicants should first contact Julia Bahnmuller (J.Bahnmuller@lboro.ac.uk) the Department's Deputy Director of Doctoral Programmes, to discuss your research interests and funding options.
• Step 2: Applicants are then strongly encouraged to contact potential supervisors with a CV, academic transcripts, and confirmation of funding sources or planned funding sources.
• Step 3: following any informal discussion, applicants are invited to make a formal application on the Loughborough Website.