Professor Anne Cockburn is Professor in Early Years' Education. Her research interests focus on mathematics education in the primary school and teacher well being, recruitment and retention. She is currently working on 5th edition of Understanding Mathematics for Young Children with Derek Haylock (Sage Publications) and writing a book with the working title, Primary Head Teachers Talking: reflections on the challenges and complexities of educational leadership.She has completed a range of research projects including - Understanding the Primary Mathematics Classroom Part 2 (Economic and Social Research Council Award, RES-000-22-0851) with Paola Iannone (2004-2005); Communicating our Strategies in Primary School Mathematics (Socrates-Comenius 2.1) with colleagues from across the European Union (2003-2006) and Mathematical Misconceptions in the Primary Years (British Academy, LRG-42447) with international partners (2006-2007). She is currently disseminating the findings of her most project - Challenging Colleagues: primary head teachers managing mediocre practitioners - which was funded by the Nuffield Foundation (# 39039).Professor Cockburn chaired the International Meeting of the Psychology of Mathematics Education Group in 2002 and was a member of the International Committee (2001 -2005). She was an Associate Editor of the Journal of Mathematics Teacher Educators (2007-2012) and was an external examiner for the Economic and Social Research Council student awards (2002-2006).

She currently teaches research methods at masters' level and supervises 4 doctoral students.