From the left: Farouq Sessah Mensah, Bruna Leticia Nunes Viana, Yunus Hissan and Harita Pankajkumar Raval. Photo: Privat.

A few months ago, we got four new Ph.D. students at the Department of Teaching and Learning. It is an international group with a passion for mathematics education. The students have four year appointments, and they expect to graduate sometime during the spring semester 2026.

Their research projects are conducted within the framework of the research schools RelMaS and REMATH, for which Paola Valero and Anna Danielsson, respectively Iben Maj Christiansen are responsible.

Briefly about the students' project

Farouq Sessah Mensah. Photo: Privat.

Farouq Sessah Mensah comes from Ghana, where he has been working as a high-school mathematics teacher for nine years. His Ph.D. project is to investigate how to prepare teachers to use digital tools in mathematics teaching, and to investigate what happens in teacher education when this is in focus.

Farouq will compare the observations he makes in Sweden with similar situations in Ghana. He will analyze the differences and then draw conclusions about what teacher education in Ghana and Sweden can learn from each other to develop their mathematics teaching.

Harita Pankajkumar Raval. Photo: Privat.

Harita Pankajkumar Raval comes from India, where she has worked as a mathematics teacher for middle school children for four years and has worked as a scientific assistant at HBCSE (Homi Bhabha Centre For Science Education) since 2015. Her interest in working towards practice-based teacher education comes from her teaching and learning journey. During the initial teaching time, Harita encountered challenges in applying the literature or theories to real-world classroom situations, resulting in her asking: how do we balance students' curiosity and teaching?

Her Ph.D. research project aims to understand the role of professional noticing in pre-service teacher education in India and Sweden and how methodologies need to be adapted based on the classroom and cultural settings.

Yunus Hissan. Photo: Privat.

Yunus Hissan was a lecturer in mathematics at SD Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies in Ghana. He has taught for about six years as a teacher and as a lecturer. His mission is to investigate the aspects of mathematics addressed in the mathematics teacher education curriculum. In particular, how the aspects of mathematical competencies are reflected in the curricula at institutional level.

Yunus will compare the opportunities in the curricula given to prospective student teachers to develop mathematical proficiency in Sweden, Ghana, Australia and Finland.

Bruna Leticia Nunes Viana. Photo: Privat.

Bruna Leticia Nunes Viana comes from Brazil where she has just finished her master's degree in mathematics education. In her doctoral research project, she will investigate and try to understand how mathematical structures can be related to gender (in)equity. She asks: How are mathematical tasks traditionally structured, and how can it affect society, including the classrooms, and how can mathematics be related to gender issues?

In her research result, she hopes to gain an expanded understanding of mathematics, and in that way be able to develop new kind of mathematics practices to promote different school environments.

Inspired by the collaboration in Sweden

The community with others and the fine cooperation in teams is something that has made a great impression on Farouq, Harita, Yunus and Bruna since they arrived here. The way we work and how we include our Ph.D. students in the research activities within and across research groups, is something they are not used to from home.

Another very positive thing Harita has reflected on is the structure and organization of the Ph.D. education itself.

– Here, people from different parts of the world work together on one project, using guiding questions which allow them for diverse engagements, and that is a different practice from her home country.

Bruna also shares a similar experience and adds that;

– It is extremely valuable that we can just knock on someone's door and get help. It's something that I haven't experienced in the same way in Brazil.

– "Fika" is something new to me, says Farouq with a smile. It's a great way to get to know each other and meet colleagues. Then we can talk about all kinds of things, which is educational in many ways.

Hope to influence the work at home

Farouq, Harita, Yunus and Bruna agree that Sweden has many advantages that they would like to take home with them and inspire others to do the same. By getting better at collaborating and building networks with each other, they can build a stronger environment for the work they do.

All of them believe that by working in teams and collaborating in this way, we build relationships. And by discussing ideas with each other, we become more aware of what is going on around us. It strengthens us in our work.

– When you work in a team, it becomes less difficult, and one can move forward with the work smoothly, says Yunus.  I really hope to bring these experiences home with me and inspire other colleagues also to see the benefits of networking.