In the development of its support for new mathematics lecturers the Maths Stats & OR Network (MSOR Network) has for some time been developing materials that provide an introduction to teaching mathematics in HE [3]. An important question that has emerged during this is the pedagogical level on which to base such materials. The Higher Education Academy (HEA) in its Professional Standards Framework suggests that CPD should be underpinned by an understanding of how students learn and most generic programmes for the training of lecturers will contain some study of such ideas. In Mathematics we are fortunate in that we have a long established discipline of Mathematical Education on which to draw – a great deal of work has been done at the Higher Education (HE) level. But HE mathematics teachers have little time for the study of pedagogy and find it difficult enough just keeping up with the demands of day to day class contact. So how can we train educate and support lecturers for their teaching while recognising at the same time the practical and political realities within which we all have to work?
