SMU education professor Candace Walkington helps students see the power of mathematics everywhere around them. Having struggled with math in middle school, she is determined to find the best ways to teach future generations of students to discover their own love for math – and open the doors to careers that require STEM skills.
An educator and researcher in the Simmons School of Education and Human Development, Walkington specializes in mathematics education. In 2019, she received a Gerald J. Ford Research Fellowship based on the significance of her scholarly contributions and future research plans. Early-stage support of her research from a donor was a catalyst for her work on effective mathematics teaching practices – work that in 2021 enabled Walkington to obtain a $2.5 million research grant from the National Science Foundation.
Made possible by the kind of interdisciplinary research collaborations found at SMU, Walkington’s work could one day be replicated in classrooms and learning environments around the country – and beyond. Through the SMU Ignited campaign, donors to research initiatives enhance pursuits that have substantial societal impact and address important challenges.
To help students “see the world through the lens of math,” Walkington’s research focuses on making abstract mathematical ideas more understandable and tangible for students. She’s partnering with SMU Guildhall – the University’s video game design program – to develop a mobile application that takes learning from the whiteboard to the sidewalk. Using the Mathfinder app, students in grades 4-8 will be led on video- and direction-guided STEM walks, using the camera in their phone or tablet to scan real-world items. The app will then use augmented reality to show students the mathematical angles and shapes that make up the world around them.
We want students to see math as something that exists in the world all around them – the trees, the buildings, the artwork and the things they use every day.
Professor Candace Walkington
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