Professor Tony Brown

Emeritus Professor

My profile

Biography

Tony Brown is Emeritus Professor of Mathematics Education. His work is primarily concerned with considering mathematics education and teacher education through the lens of contemporary social theory. He has written ten books in these areas. Tony also has an interest in professionally oriented research, typically carried out by practitioners working on doctoral studies, where seven have published their theses as books and three have become professors.

Originally from London, Tony Brown trained in Canterbury and Exeter, before returning to London where he taught mathematics for three years at Holland Park School. This was followed by three years as a mathematics teacher educator for Volunteer Services Overseas in Dominica in the Caribbean. In 1987 he completed his PhD at Southampton University, which focused on language usage in mathematics classrooms. After a spell as the mathematics coordinator in a middle school in the Isle of Wight Tony moved to Manchester Metropolitan University in 1989, where he became a professor in 2000. During 2003 and 2004 Tony was based at the University of Waikato where he was the first Professor of Mathematics Education in New Zealand.

Expert reviewer for external funding bodies

Expert reviewer for journals and publishers

Reviewer:

  • National Research Foundation, Republic of South Africa
  • Norway Research Council
  • University of Cyprus
  • University of York, Toronto
  • Routledge
  • Springer
  • Educational Studies in Mathematics

Consultancy and advisory roles

  • Member of Science Panel Norwegian Research Council (2015)
  • Member of Professorial Appointments Committee, University of Cyprus (2017)

Get in touch

0161 247 2243
Brooks Building

Teaching

Postgraduate teaching

Professionally oriented practitioner research spanning:

  • mathematics education;
  • teacher education;
  • emergency medicine practice;
  • Lacanian psychoanalytical theory in educational contexts;
  • university accreditation of professional training;
  • police training;
  • ethnicity and identity;
  • English education;
  • music education.

Tony is lead tutor on the Doctor of Education course.

Research outputs

Tony Brown’s research work has focused primarily on issues relating to language in educational contexts. His work in mathematics education is mainly theoretical but has typically been related to his own teaching in teacher education contexts. Recent work has focused on how teachers, students and mathematics are all shaped by the regulative social structures within which they are encountered. As well as leading doctoral studies in education at MMU for many years, his work on professionally oriented research has been built around work with his own doctoral and masters students, in areas as diverse as: the construction of mathematical objects, being a primary head teacher, interpretation in science, emotional involvement in special education, police training, the use of spreadsheets, emergency medicine, widening participation in higher education, and a psychoanalytic perspective on race in education. He has numerous international publications in the fields of mathematics education and teacher education.

He received two research grants from the Economic and Social Research Council to study the initial training of teachers in the area of primary mathematics. He has also held a grant from the New Zealand Centre for Educational Research to look at the experience of Pacific teachers in New Zealand secondary schools. Another project for the Centre for British Teachers piloted a distance learning programme enabling British volunteers based in Africa to research their own teaching practice. As a result of a research partnership with the College of Emergency Medicine, Tony was involved in a project funded by the General Medical Council and the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges to examine the effectiveness of Continuing Professional Development across the medical professions in the UK. Most recently Tony led MMU’s School Direct Research Project, which was presented at a House of Lords parliamentary seminar.

  • Books (authored/edited/special issues)

    Brown, T. (2020) A contemporary theory of mathematics education research. Cham Switzerland: Springer.

    Brown, T., Hanley, C., Dore, M. (2019) Research on becoming an English teacher: Through Lacan's looking glass. Routledge.

    Brown, T. (2017) Teacher Education in England: A critical interrogation of school-led training. Routledge.

    Brown, T., Solomon, Y., Williams, J. (2016) Educational Studies in Mathematics 92, 3: Special Issue: Mathematics Education and Contemporary Theory Volume Two. Springer.

    Brown, T., Walshaw, M. (2012) Educational Studies in Mathematics (80, 1-2): Double special issue: Mathematics Education and Contemporary Theory. Springer.

    Brown, T. (2011) Mathematics Education and Subjectivity: Cultures and Cultural Renewal. Springer.

    Brown, T., McNamara, O. (2011) Becoming a Mathematics Teacher: Identity and Identifications. Springer.

    Brown, T. (2008) The Psychology of Mathematics Education: A Psychoanalytic Displacement. Sense Publishers.

    Brown, T., Atkinson, D., England, J. (2006) Regulatory Discourses in Education: A Lacanian Perspective. Bern, Switzerland: Peter Lang UK.

    Brown, T., McNamara, O. (2005) New Teacher Identity and Regulative Government: The Discursive Formation of Primary Mathematics Teacher Education. Springer.

    Brown, T. (2001) Mathematics Education and Language. Springer.

    Brown, T., Jones, L. (2001) Action research and postmodernism. Open Univ Pr.

    Brown, T. (1997) Mathematics Education and Language. Kluwer Academic Pub.

  • Chapters in books

    Brown, A.M. (2017) 'The Political Shaping of Teacher Education in the STEM Areas.' In Clandinin, J., Husu, J. (ed.) The SAGE Handbook of Research on Teacher Education. SAGE Publications, pp. 665-680.

    Brown, T. (2017) 'Concepts and commodities in mathematical learning.' In de Freitas, E., Sinclair, N., Coles, A. (ed.) What is a mathematical concept?. New York: Cambridge University Press, pp. 189-202.

    Brown, T., Clarke, D. (2013) 'Institutional contexts for research in mathematics education.' Third International Handbook of Mathematics Education. Springer, pp. 459-484.

    Brown, A.M. (2013) 'Third International Handbook of Mathematics Education.' In Clements, M.A., Bishop, A.J., Keitel, C., Kilpatrick, J., Leung, F.K.S. (ed.) Third International Handbook of Mathematics Education.

    Brown, T., Heggs, D. (2011) 'From hermeneutics to post-structuralism to psychoanalysis.' In Somekh, B., Lewin, C. (ed.) Theory and Methods in Social Research. SAGE Publications Limited, pp. 295-303.

    Calder, N., Brown, T. (2010) 'Learning through Digital Technologies.' In Walshaw, M. (ed.) Unpacking Pedagogy: new perspectives for mathematics classrooms. Information Age Publishing, pp. 223-244.

    Brown, T. (2007) 'Comforting narratives of compliance: psychoanalytic perspectives on new teacher responses to mathematics policy.' In de Freitas, E., Nolan, K. (ed.) Opening the Research Text: critical insights and in(ter)ventions into mathematics education. New York: Springer, pp. 97-110.

    Brown, T. (2005) 'From hermeneutics to post-structuralism to psycho-analysis.' In Somekh, B., Lewin, C. (ed.) Research Methods in the Social Sciences. SAGE,

    Brown, T., Jones, L., Bibby, T. (2004) 'Identifying with mathematics in initial teacher training.' In Walshaw, M. (ed.) Mathematics Education Within the Postmodern. IAP,

    Brown, T. (2003) 'Towards a hermeneutical understanding of mathematics and mathematical learning.' Constructing Mathematical Knowledge: Epistemology and Mathematics Education. Routledge, pp. 152-161.

  • Reports

    Brown, T., Rowley, H., Smith, K. (2015) The beginnings of school led teacher training: New challenges for university teacher education.. Manchester Metropolitan University.

  • Journal articles

    Brown, T. (2020) 'A contemporary theory of mathematics education research: a new book.' Philosophy for mathematics education journal, (36)

    Sant Obiols, E., Brown, T. (2020) 'The fantasy of the populist disease and the educational cure.' British Educational Research Journal, 47(2) pp. 409-426.

    Hanley, C., Brown, T. (2017) 'Developing a university contribution to teacher education: creating an analytical space for learning narratives.' Journal of Curriculum Studies, 49(3) pp. 352-368.

    Hanley, C., Brown, T. (2017) 'Thinking with certainty or with doubt: a Lacanian theorisation of discursive knowledge in teacher education.' Discourse, 40(3) pp. 306-318.

    Brown, T., Solomon, Y., Williams, J. (2016) 'Theory in and for mathematics education: in pursuit of a critical agenda.' Educational Studies in Mathematics, 92(3) pp. 287-297.

    Brown, T., Rowley, H., Smith, K. (2016) 'Sliding subject positions: knowledge and teacher educators.' British Educational Research Journal, 42(3) pp. 492-507.

    Brown, T. (2016) 'Rationality and belief in learning mathematics.' Educational Studies in Mathematics, 92(1) pp. 75-90.

    Brown, T., Rowley, H., Smith, K. (2014) 'Rethinking Research in Teacher Education.' British Journal of Educational Studies, 62(3) pp. 281-296.

    Brown, T., Heywood, D., Solomon, Y., Zagorianakos, A. (2013) 'Experiencing the space we share: Rethinking subjectivity and objectivity.' ZDM - International Journal on Mathematics Education, 45(4) pp. 561-572.

    Smith, K., Hodson, E., Brown, T. (2013) 'Teacher educator changing perceptions of theory.' Educational Action Research, 21(2) pp. 237-252.

    Brown, T., Hodson, E., Smith, K. (2013) 'TIMSS mathematics has changed real mathematics forever.' For the Learning of Mathematics: an international journal of mathematics education, 33

    Smith, K., Hodson, E., Brown, T. (2013) 'The discursive production of classroom mathematics.' Mathematics Education Research Journal, pp. 379-397.

    Brown, T. (2012) 'Subjectivity and cultural adjustment in mathematics education: A response to Wolff-Michael Roth.' Educational Studies in Mathematics, 80(3) pp. 475-490.

    Brown, T., Walshaw, M. (2012) 'Mathematics education and contemporary theory: Guest editorial.' Educational Studies in Mathematics, 80(1-2) pp. 1-8.

    Hodson, E., Smith, K., Brown, T. (2011) 'Reasserting theory in professionally based initial teacher education.' Teachers and Teaching, 18(2) pp. 181-195.

    Walshaw, M., Brown, T. (2011) 'Affective productions of mathematical experience.' Educational Studies in Mathematics, 80(1-2) pp. 185-199.

    Brown, T., Heywood, D. (2010) 'Geometry, subjectivity and the seduction of language: The regulation of spatial perception.' Educational Studies in Mathematics, 77(2-3) pp. 351-367.

    Brown, T. (2010) 'Truth and the renewal of knowledge: The case of mathematics education.' Educational Studies in Mathematics, 75(3) pp. 329-343.

    Schostak, J., Davis, M., Hanson, J., Schostak, J., Brown, T., Driscoll, P., Starke, I., Jenkins, N. (2010) ''Effectiveness of Continuing Professional Development' project: a summary of findings..' Med Teach, 32(7) pp. 586-592.

    Brown, T. (2008) 'Signifying "students", "teachers" and "mathematics": A reading of a special issue.' Educational Studies in Mathematics, 69(3) pp. 249-263.

    Brown, T. (2008) 'Desire and drive in researcher subjectivity the broken mirror of lacan.' Qualitative Inquiry, 14(3) pp. 402-423.

    Brown, T. (2008) 'Lacan, subjectivity and the task of mathematics education research.' Educational Studies in Mathematics, 68(3) pp. 227-245.

    Kilroy, D., Brown, T., Davis, M. (2007) 'Development of a doctoral educational research programme in UK emergency medicine.' Emergency Medicine Journal, 24(7 SUPPL.)

    Brown, T., Hanley, U., Darby, S., Calder, N. (2007) 'Teachers' conceptions of learning philosophies: Discussing context and contextualising discussion.' Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education, 10(3) pp. 183-200.

    Brown, T., Devine, N., Leslie, E., Paiti, M., Sila'ila'i, E., Umaki, S., Williams, J. (2007) 'Reflective engagement in cultural history: A Lacanian perspective on Pasifika teachers in Aotearoa New Zealand.' Pedagogy, Culture and Society, 15(1) pp. 107-118.

    Brown, T. (2007) 'The art of mathematics: Bedding down for a new era.' Educational Philosophy and Theory, 39(7) pp. 755-765.

    Calder, N., Brown, T., Hanley, U., Darby, S. (2006) 'Forming conjectures within a spreadsheet environment.' Mathematics Education Research Journal, 18(3) pp. 100-116.

    Brown, T., England, J. (2005) 'Identity, narrative and practitioner research: A Lacanian perspective.' Discourse, 26(4) pp. 443-458.

    Bradford, K., Brown, T. (2005) 'Ceci n’est pas un circle.' For the Learning of Mathematics: an international journal of mathematics education, 25(1) pp. 16-19.

    Brown, T., England, J. (2004) 'Revisiting emancipatory teacher research: A psychoanalytic perspective.' British Journal of Sociology of Education, 25(1) pp. 67-79.

    McNamara, O., Roberts, L., Basit, T.N., Brown, T. (2002) 'Rites of passage in initial teacher training: Ritual, performance, ordeal and numeracy skills test.' British Educational Research Journal, 28(6) pp. 863-878.

    Jones, L., Brown, T. (2001) 'Reading the nursery classroom: a Foucauldian perspective.' International journal of qualititative studies in education, 14(6) pp. 713-725.

    England, J., Brown, T. (2001) 'Inclusion, exclusion and marginalisation.' Educational Action Research, 9(3) pp. 355-370.

    Brown, T., Roberts, L. (2000) 'Memories are made of this: Temporality and practitioner research.' British Educational Research Journal, 26(5) pp. 649-659.

    Jones, L., Brown, T., Hanley, U., McNamara, O. (2000) 'An enquiry into transitions: from being a ‘learner of mathematics’ to becoming a ‘teacher of mathematics’.' Research in Education, 6(3) pp. 1-10.

    Jones, L., Brown, T. (1999) 'A tale of disturbance and unsettlement: Incorporating and enacting deconstruction with the purpose of challenging aspects of pedagogy in the nursery classroom.' Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, 5(2) pp. 187-202.

    Brown, T., Eade, F., Wilson, D. (1999) 'Semantic innovation: Arithmetical and algebraic metaphors within narratives of learning.' Educational Studies in Mathematics, 40(1) pp. 53-70.

    Brown, T., Mcnamara, O., Hanley, U., Jones, L. (1999) 'Primary student teachers' understanding of mathematics and its teaching.' British Educational Research Journal, 25(3) pp. 299-322.

    Brown, T. (1999) 'Mathematics, Language and Derrida.' Advances in Mathematics Education, 1(1) pp. 11-22.

    Brown, T. (1996) 'The phenomenology of the mathematics classroom.' Educational Studies in Mathematics, 31(1-2) pp. 115-150.

    Brown, T. (1996) 'Creating data in practitioner research.' Teaching and Teacher Education, 12(3) pp. 261-270.

    Hanley, U., Brown, T. (1996) 'Building a professional discourse of mathematics teaching within initial training courses.' Research in Education, 55(1) pp. 39-48.

    Brown, T. (1996) 'Intention and significance in the teaching and learning of mathematics.' Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 27(1) pp. 52-66.

    Brown, T. (1994) 'Constructing the assertive teacher.' Research in Education, 52(1) pp. 13-22.

    Brown, T. (1994) 'Creating and knowing mathematics through language and experience.' Educational Studies in Mathematics, 27(1) pp. 79-100.

    Brown, T. (1994) 'Creating evidence towards making statements about classroom activity.' Research in Education, 51(1) pp. 33-40.

    Brown, T., Hardy, T., Wilson, D. (1993) 'Mathematics on Lacan's couch.' For the learning of mathematics, 13(1) pp. 11-14.

    Brown, T. (1991) 'Hermeneutics and mathematical activity.' Educational Studies in Mathematics, 22(5) pp. 475-480.

    Brown, T. (1987) 'Teacher student interactions..' For the learning of mathematics, 7(1) pp. 48-52.

  • Non-peer reviewed articles / reviews

    Brown, T. (2023) Book review response. Who wants to know? Author’s response to review of A Contemporary Theory of Mathematics Education Research.

  • Other

    Obiols, E., Brown, T. (2020) Confronting the elitist stranglehold of everyday reality.