Lynda Colgan smiling between bookcases at the library

Lynda Colgan

Professor Emerita of Elementary Mathematics

People Directory Affiliation Category

BSc, B.Ed. (Toronto), M.Ed. (OISE), PhD (Toronto)

Professor of Elementary Mathematics Education, Graduate Faculty
Coordinator of Education Community Outreach Centre

Lynda Colgan has been an educator for 34 years. Over that time, she has taught at all levels of public education in Ontario: elementary, intermediate, secondary and post-secondary. She has been a classroom teacher (mathematics, science, biology), curriculum consultant (computers in the classroom), district curriculum coordinator (mathematics, K-12), Vice-Principal (secondary), and instructor for both pre-service and in-service teacher education programs. In these capacities, she has authored textbooks for elementary and intermediate classrooms and for post-secondary curriculum methods courses in mathematics. Her research has focused on supporting early career mathematics teachers, involving parents as partners in mathematics teaching and learning and alternate images of mathematics curriculum. Her creative projects have resulted in the development of a children’s television show, The Prime Radicals and an award-winning children’s non-fiction book, Mathemagic. As Coordinator of Community Outreach, her focus is on developing and researching university/community partnerships, and public education in the area of mathematics, science & technology and engineering.

Research Interests

  • Elementary Mathematics Education
  • Parent Involvement
  • Community/University Partnerships
  • Teacher Education
  • Public Education

Current Funding

Imperial Oil Foundation, Community Outreach Centre.

Selected Publications

Colgan, L.E.C. Mathemagic Number Tricks. Toronto, ON: Kids Can Press.

Colgan, L.E.C. (September, 2011) Parents as Teachers: Professional Development as Partnership. The Ontario Mathematics Gazette.Vol. 50, No. 1

Colgan, L.E.C (June, 2011)Inside, Out…Unusual Mathematics Classrooms. The Ontario Mathematics Gazette, Vol.49, No. 4

Colgan, L.E.C. (March 2011) The Elephant in the Room: Math Content Knowledge and Pre-Service Teacher Candidates. The Ontario Mathematics Gazette, Vol.49, No. 3

Reys, R.E., Lindquist, M.M., Lambdin, D.V., Smith, N.L. and Colgan, L.E.C. Helping Children Learn Mathematics, 1st Canadian Edition. Toronto: John Wiley and Sons. January 2010.

Dalgarno, N.. & Colgan, L.E.C. Supporting novice elementary mathematics teachers’ induction in professional communities and providing innovative forms of pedagogical content knowledge development through information and communication technology. Teaching and Teacher Education. 23(4).

Colgan, L.E.C. and Peguis, J. Elementary Mathematics in Canada: Research Summary and Classroom Implications. Toronto: Pearson Education Canada.

Current Students

  • Mandy Lam
  • Paul Hanash
  • Taciana de lira e Silva
  • Svitlana Voytsekhovska