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This week we shared the results of two independent studies, one in the state of New Jersey (United States) and the other in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), that measured Innovamat’s impact in classrooms where teachers and students work with our program, compared with other classrooms that do not use it. For those who have not seen them yet, the results are promising. Students whose teachers worked with Innovamat achieved better results in math, and behind those numbers is the daily effort of thousands of teachers who have made it possible for the program to come to life in their classrooms. This article is about a belief we have held since day one: the role scientific research should play in education, why we believe this way of working is more necessary than ever, and where we want to go next.
From Research to the Classroom: Building Bridges
Research on how children learn math has advanced greatly in recent decades. We know more than ever about the right sequencing of content, the role of the teacher, and how mathematical thinking develops. And yet, bringing all that knowledge into the classroom remains one of education’s great collective challenges. There is a tremendous opportunity ahead of us: building bridges between research and teaching practice so that this accumulated knowledge can flourish in classrooms.
Building these bridges is a path we walk step by step, with patience and conviction. It means evolving teaching practice, investing in training, standing shoulder to shoulder with teachers, supporting them, and going through a period of learning together before seeing results. In fact, the two studies we published show that results flourish in the second year of implementation; the first is the year of teacher adaptation and learning.
Science at the center: A foundational decision
When we founded Innovamat, we decided that our driving force would be helping children learn math better. That is why our first decision was to seek out and partner with Cecilia Calvo and Laura Morera, who hold doctorates in math education and combined the scientific rigor of the university with their experience as practicing Elementary and Middle school teachers. From day one, they have been part of Innovamat’s leadership team, and their judgment is decisive in the company’s strategy and offering. Beyond contributing content and resources, they shape the way we understand math education.
What we have built from their work has an identity of its own: a distinct sequencing, research-based mathematical models, and an approach that strengthens and recognizes the teacher’s role as the driving force behind learning. All of this comes with a great deal of personalized support for the thousands of teachers we work with, through classroom observations, ad hoc training, and the creation of communities of practice in every region where we work.
But there is something that has surprised us and reaffirmed our belief: many teachers not only accept this approach, they embrace it. We share with them the same excitement about continuing to move forward so that every child can learn math better. Our work is, to a large extent, to support the conviction they already carry within them, the force that drives any transformation. Thanks to the willingness of thousands of teachers, and to Cecilia and Laura’s leadership within Innovamat, we have found a way to put research at the service of the classroom.
Research in education is a long-distance race
Teachers at the heart of our approach
Research concludes that the teacher is the most decisive school-related factor in student learning, above resources, materials, or the program chosen. Teachers are the ones who bring content to life and create the conditions in the classroom for learning to truly happen. We know that gaps in math learning, whether by gender or socioeconomic background, widen as students progress; and we also know that a well-supported teacher has the power to reduce them. Research confirms this, but so does anyone who remembers the teachers who shaped their life.
That is why at Innovamat we dedicate time and resources from math coaches to train and support teachers. And with that same formative purpose, we design our guides not only to be used in the classroom, but also to support teachers and explain the reasoning behind each instructional decision. Not as an extra, but as an essential part of who we are. Because we believe that training teachers well multiplies our impact. And because teachers can give their best when they have good working conditions, the time they need to reflect, a community that supports them, and the recognition they deserve. An education system that takes care of its teachers multiplies its own potential.
Teacher Training Sessions at Kern County
Our commitment to impact
From day one, at Innovamat we have wanted our work to have a real, positive impact on what happens in the classroom. We publish materials, create guides, and develop resources, yes; but all of that is part of a broader purpose: supporting teachers, leadership teams, and schools in their daily work of teaching math.
That conviction leads us to something essential for us: measuring what we do and being transparent about it. That is the logic behind the studies we published this week. We want to understand the real impact of our work, together with the teachers who place their trust in us, so we can keep learning and improving every day.
That is why we are an educational organization with a clear purpose: to put all our effort into ensuring that every teacher has the best resources and the best support to do their work, and that every child can truly learn math.
The path we want to travel together
Evaluating the impact of educational programs is an area that education, as a sector, is still building. For these studies to be carried out with the rigor they deserve, we need to continue strengthening a shared culture of using anonymized student learning data and an ecosystem that enables external, independent evaluations of the programs used in classrooms. This is a collective challenge we want to contribute to, and we work every day to help make it possible. The studies we published this week show that it can be done.
So I want to end with an invitation. To researchers around the world who work in math education, learning, or education policy: we want to collaborate with you. To universities, research centers, public agencies, and foundations that share this vision: we would like to explore how to build it together.
What we published this week fills us with energy and responsibility. The road ahead is demanding and has only just begun. And we want to travel it alongside teachers, students, families, researchers, and institutions that share this belief.
