"<< Background >>PLURIMATHS is an innovative project that will develop a range of teacher training materials and resources underpinned by pluriliteracies to support and enhance the teaching and learning of mathematics by considering active innovative methodologies (game-based learning (GBL), cooperative learning (CL), problem-based learning (PBL), and attention to diversity and inclusion), which at the moment do not receive enough recognition in teacher training programs.Pluriliteracies or “new literacies” must be understood as the use of digital technologies and environments in general, and how technology has changed both individuals’ lives and society, allowing them to do things in a way that was not possible before (Lankshear, & Knobel, 2011). Furthermore, Leu, Kinzer, Coiro, Castek and Henry (2013) identified eight principles of New Literacies common across literature, namely: “1. The Internet is this generation’s defining technology for literacy and learning within our global community”, “2. The Internet and related technologies require additional new literacies to fully access their potential”, “3. New literacies are deictic”, “4. New literacies are multiple, multimodal, and multifaceted”, “5. Critical literacies are central to new literacies”, “6. New forms of strategic knowledge are required with new literacies”, “7. New social practices are a central element of New Literacies”, and “8. Teachers become more important, though their role changes, within new literacy classrooms.” Considering their changing nature, teachers willing to include new literacies in their lessons must be prepared “to handle diversity, unpredictability, and change” (Hauck, & Kureck, 2017, p. 9). In the specific case of mathematics teachers, they should be to open up their students’ exposure to diversity, supporting them in developing literacies to engage positively with current “multilingual, multicultural, multimodal, multigenre, and multiuser contexts” (Kureck & Hauck, 2014, p. 123). PLURIMATHS, aiming at developing training modules combining pluriliteracies and mathematics by integrating active teaching methodologies, aims at bridging this training gap for both pre-service and in-service teachers.To date, there are some partially related projects dealing with specific aspects that PLURIMATHS will address, including:- Pluriliteracies Teaching for Learning (PTL), developed by the European Centre for Modern Languages of the Council of Europe, which shows teachers and materials developers ways of fostering deep learning by paying attention to the development of students‘ subject specific literacies as well as their conceptual understanding and automatization of subject-specific procedures, skills and strategies.- Framework of Digital Literacies, developed by Dudeney et al. (2013).- Digital literacies revisited, developed by Pegrum et al. (2018).What these highly useful resources and projects do not offer yet is the use of pluriliteracies for mathematics learning and teaching, by considering innovative active methodologies. In this light, PLURIMATHS aims at building up on these reliable materials that deal with pluriliteracies, mathematics and innovative active methodologies, and delivering innovative research-based teaching materials for teacher education programs and professional development courses.The main objectives of this transnational project are to equip mathematics teachers and teacher trainers with comprehensive research-based modules that provide adaptable, flexible and sustainable resources for including pluriliteracies in mathematics teaching and learning by including GBL, CL, PBL and attention to diversity and inclusion. In this light, this project aims at highlighting synergies between pluriliteracies and mathematics, as well as proposing guidelines to implement different methodologies in the mathematics classrooms in and beyond Europe.<< Objectives >>The main objectives of PLURIMATHS are to equip mathematics teachers and teacher trainers with comprehensive research-based modules that provide adaptable, flexible and sustainable resources for including pluriliteracies in mathematics teaching and learning by including game-based learning (GBL), cooperative learning (CL), problem-based learning (PBL), and attention to diversity and inclusion. In this light, this project aims at highlighting synergies between pluriliteracies and mathematics, as well as proposing guidelines to implement different methodologies in the mathematics classrooms in and beyond Europe. The modules will consist of:-Specific thematic content on the different learning approaches considered: using pluriliteracies to teach mathematics, by including GBL, CL, PBL, and attention to diversity and inclusion. For this, relevant theories, frameworks and updated state of the art will be presented and discussed.-Guidelines to implement the different learning approaches (GBL, CL, PBL, and attention to diversity and inclusion) considering pluriliteracies applied to mathematics. -Interactive and collaborative activities and materials applicable to the different contexts.-A self- and shared reflection toolkit for professional development, considering all educational professionals, in order to monitor the learning process of the modules target audiences.Secondary objectives of PLURIMATHS include:- To provide open access to high quality teaching modules dealing with pluriliteracies and mathematics, driven by different learning methodologies (GBL, CL, PBL and attention to diversity and inclusion) for all learners, reducing the numeracy, gender and attainment gaps.- To raise awareness of the value-added benefits of combining pluriliteracies and mathematics by means of GBL, CL, PBL and attention to diversity and inclusion, in relation to the EU key competences: communication in the mother tongue; communication in foreign languages; mathematical competence and basic competences in science and technology; digital competence – learners as digital natives and learning to learn.- To contribute to the internationalization of tertiary teacher education and lifelong teacher training through active search for solutions to narrow the numeracy gap present in all international classrooms as well as through the creation of settings that require international cooperation.- To create local, national and international networks of education professionals (i.e., pre-service teachers, in-service teachers, teacher trainers) interested in the teaching and learning process of mathematics by using pluriliteracies.- To increase teachers’ and learners’ knowledge and understanding of pluriliteracies, and the potential to enhance the teaching and learning experience, resulting in a more ‘work ready’ population.- To increase confidence and self-esteem among learners with anxiety and previous negative experiences of mathematics; for learners who have previously displayed difficulties in understanding of mathematical concepts and for learners who have previously encountered different types of learning barriers.PLURIMATHS’ transnational cooperation will allow the participating institutions to bring into teacher training opportunities for authentic interaction by connecting communities of education professionals from different language and cultural backgrounds.<< Implementation >>PLURIMATHS will develop a range of teacher training materials and resources underpinned by pluriliteracies to support and enhance the teaching and learning of mathematics by considering active innovative methodologies (game-based learning (GBL), cooperative learning (CL), problem-based learning (PBL), and attention to diversity and inclusion). In order to pilot, test and assess the Project Results (PRs), two multiplier events and two learning, teaching and training activities are planned, which aim at serving different functions:1. To provide the target groups (education professionals, including pre-service teachers, in-service teachers and teacher trainers) with a relevant teaching and learning opportunity in international contexts. Education professionals will benefit from unique learning and teaching conditions not available in a single institution, and will obtain new ideas on pluriliteracies and mathematics from different learning perspectives (game-based learning (GBL), cooperative learning (CL), problem-based learning (PBL), and attention to diversity and inclusion). More specifically, learning, teaching and training activities will ultimately result in the development of transversal skills, including intercultural competence, global citizenship, intra- and interpersonal skills, foreign language competence, or critical thinking among others.2. To serve as a means of implementing, piloting and testing the training modules (PRs 1-4) among the target groups (education professionals, including pre-service teachers, in-service teachers and teacher trainers) and in different schools with students aged 8 to 14 years old from various EU member state institutions and the United Kingdom.3. To serve as a means of disseminating the training modules (PRs 1-4) and the case studies (PR6), as well as the overall project outcomes in different contexts, including those beyond the consortium.More specifically, the learning, teaching and training activities are: C1: ""PLURIMATHS Intensive Program: Pluriliteracies, Mathematics and Active Methodologies"", a 5-day teaching event for pre-service teachers during the development of the training modules PR1-PR4, which will be carried out by the four project partners and implemented in a multinational context.C2: ""PLURIMATHS Training Event: Workshop on Pluriliteracies and Mathematics"", a 3-day training event targetting in-service teachers and education professionals, and aiming at involving them within the modules themselves, leading to reflect on their teaching performance and raising awareness in the importance of using pluriliteracies in the field of mathematics all over Europe. The real use of the modules for teaching and learning purposes of student teachers will contribute to the empirical evaluation of the modules, helping improve them for the final versions. The involvement of these participants will allow the project consortium the opportunity to pilot and test the developed materials in different contexts and languages, which will guarantee the high-quality of the final materials.Moreover, the multiplier events are:E1: ""Bridging the Numeracy Gap with Pluriliteracies"", to familiarise these stakeholders from outside the consortium of the project outputs, and to share best practice, demonstrating how fusing pluriliteracies and mathematics teaching can lead to a narrowing of the attainment gap and gains in learners' numeracy and digital skills and competences.E2: ""Pluriliteracies and Mathematics"", final academic conference in order to present and disseminate the results of the finalized teaching modules and the case studies.The international set-up of the multiplier events (E1 and E2) and of the learning, teaching and training activities (C1 and C2), considering the above-mentioned functions, guarantees that the training modules and the case studies are versatile and relevant enough to be applied and discussed in a wider context beyond the consortium.<< Results >>The main result worked towards during the development of PLURIMATHS and expected upon its completion is the design, production and assessment of high-quality versatile training modules which focus on the application of the pluriliteracies approach in mathematics teaching and learning by considering active innovative methodologies (game-based learning (GBL), cooperative learning (CL), problem-based learning (PBL), and attention to diversity and inclusion). These modules will be documented as project results/outcomes PR1-PR4 and will:-address specific thematic content on the different learning approaches considered: using pluriliteracies to teach mathematics, by including GBL, CL, PBL, and attention to diversity and inclusion. For this, relevant theories, frameworks and updated state of the art will be presented and discussed;-contain guidelines to implement the different learning approaches (GBL, CL, PBL, and attention to diversity and inclusion) considering pluriliteracies applied to mathematics;-include interactive and collaborative activities and materials applicable to the different contexts;-contain a self- and shared reflection toolkit for professional development, considering all educational professionals, in order to monitor the learning process of the module target audience;-be available for use both by teacher trainers and teachers both as intensive workshops and as individual units/topics, facilitating its sustainable and systematic integration into different teacher education settings and structures;-be developed collaboratively by researchers, teacher trainers, mathematics teachers, applied linguists, education professionals, pre-service teachers and in-service teachers from partner countries;-be based on research findings and existing resources, combining then theoretical paradigms and theories with practical solutions for teaching mathematics under the pluriliteracies approach considering active innovative methodologies;-be empirically piloted and assessed in different transnational settings in order to have final high-quality materials which are reliable, sustainable and adaptable to different contexts and media (on-site and on-line learning);-be available on the project website (PR5), grating open access to all interested parties beyond the consortium.During the development of PLURIMATHS, the project team will test the modules, piloting and assessing them in the different contexts, which will lead to the creation of case studies (PR6). These case studies will showcase best practice in new methodologies and knowledge exchange in order to bring about change to teaching practices to help teachers address EU priorities.PLURIMATHS will implement the modules in different training events addressed to pre-service teachers (C1: PLURIMATHS Intensive Programme: Pluriliteracies, Mathematics and Active Methodologies) and in-service teachers (PLURIMATHS Training Event: Workshop on Pluriliteracies and Mathematics). The real use of the modules for teaching and learning purposes of student teachers and in-service teachers will contribute to the empirical evaluation of the modules, helping improve their final versions. The involvement of these participants will allow the project consortium the opportunity to pilot and test the developed materials in different contexts and languages, which will guarantee the high-quality of the final materials.Throughout the project, efforts will be made to disseminate information about the project and the training modules, especially during the dissemination event “Bridging the Numeracy Gap with Pluriliteracies” (E1) and the conference “Pluriliteracies and Mathematics” (E2). The expected outcome is raising the awareness of the relevance of pluriliteracies for mathematics learning and teaching as a topic among stakeholders involved in teacher training and teachers’ professional development: teacher trainers, university staff, researchers, policy makers, and authors of materials."