Serious Frivolity: Exploring Play in UK Secondary Mathematics Classrooms

As part of a PhD researching teacher’s positive emotions in secondary mathematics education, I am exploring the role of play as both instigator and product of emotions. Play has recognised social, creative, cognitive and especially emotional benefits for young children. However, as students mature, do they still respond to play? Teaching mathematics in secondary school is not normally associated with play, but as illustrated below, can appear in many forms. I will argue that, in the hands of a skilled practitioner, playfulness can benefit teacher, students, and their mathematics learning. This paper explores the unique nature of play in everyday classrooms using a sample of observations and interviews with experienced UK teachers. I conclude that play appears in many subtle forms, playing various roles in a mathematics classroom