MTED Editorial: Challenges and Opportunities

Welcome to the first issue of MTED for 2020. What a challenging year it has been. The COVID-19 pandemic has interrupted social, economic, and cultural life and impacted on people’s lives worldwide. Our thoughts are with all members of our extended mathematical community, who have experienced adverse effects as a result of the virus. COVID-19 restrictions have meant that many of us have had no or limited access to research sites and have been tasked with reimagining our teaching approaches to accommodate online learning. While these effects have been challenging, they also provide opportunities for us to reconsider our research and teaching approaches. The rapid shift to online learning in many educational contexts is an area that is ripe for research, and for mathematics teacher educators, research into one’s own practice could examine the impact of this learning on pre-service teachers. Opportunities are also available in the work we do with teachers. While facilitation of in-situ professional learning has been impacted, online delivery has opened access to professional learning seminars, conferences, and expertise that is available to teachers world-wide. We hope that you have had the opportunity to reimagine your role, and if not, that some of the articles in this issue may ignite some ideas to both revitalise your research and your teaching.