This edited volume provides and overview of the papers presented by the ICME-15 TSG3.1 Mathematics Education at the Early Childhood and Primary level at the 15th International Congress on Mathematical Education (ICME-15) in Sydney, Australia, 2024. The book discusses themes, theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches of the papers. It brings together complementary views of the TSG3.1 team who support collaborative development of research programs across a range of cultural contexts. The chapters enable the readers to focus on particular conceptual domains of interest including chapters on patterning and pattern and structure; counting; number concepts, operations and number sense; multiplicative thinking and fractions; spatial concepts and reasoning and statistical reasoning. There are examples of the role of technological tools in the development of mathematical thinking. The final section focuses on teacher education and the role of community and caregivers in promoting early mathematical thinking. This book is particularly suited for mathematics education researchers and educators.  

Joanne Mulligan is Professor of Education, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia. Her research expertise is early mathematics education research, curricula and assessment, and professional learning. Her current projects include longitudinal studies of early numeracy, spatial and statistical reasoning, and international research programs on ‘pattern and structure’.

Camilla Björklund is Professor of Education, specialising in research on early numerical development and play-oriented pedagogy. Björklund worked in the years 2000-2011 at Åbo Akademi University, Finland with preschool teacher education. From 2010, she works at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, where she first had a post-doc position, then senior lecturer and since 2017 full professor.

Raimundo Olfos is a mathematics education researcher at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Chile. His background is in numbers, statistics, and algebra teaching and learning. He specialises in research in early and primary mathematical development and learning, teacher knowledge, teacher practice reflections, assessment and curricula.

Douglas H. Clements, Distinguished University Professor and Kennedy Endowed Chair in Early Childhood Learning at the University of Denver, has published over 200 refereed research studies, 30 books, 107 chapters, and 300 additional works on the learning and teaching of early mathematics, computer applications, creating, using, and evaluating research-based curricula, and taking interventions to scale using technologies and learning trajectories.

Julie Sarama, Distinguished University Professor, Kennedy Endowed Chair, and co-executive Director of the Marsico Institute at the University of Denver, conducts research on young children's development of mathematical concepts and competencies, implementation and scale-up of educational reform, professional development models and their influence on student learning, and implementation and effects of software environments in mathematics classrooms.