2026 Lelon Capps Lecture will explore effective mathematics instruction and teacher preparation

LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas School of Education & Human Sciences will welcome Angela Barlow, dean of the College of Education and Professional Studies and professor of mathematics education at the University of South Alabama, as the 2026 Lelon Capps featured lecturer.

Barlow will present “Effective Mathematics Instruction: From Classroom Practice to Teacher Preparation Design” at 4:30 p.m. Sept. 28 in 150 Joseph R. Pearson Hall. A reception follows from 5:30 to 6 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, and those who cannot attend in person can join virtually. Individuals interested in attending the 2026 Lelon Capps Lecture Series in person or virtually are encouraged to RSVP now and mark their calendars. Virtual registrants will receive Zoom login information to the email used for registration. Walk-ins for in-person attendance are welcome.

Barlow will discuss what effective mathematics teaching looks like when students get the chance to build their own understanding through productive struggle and sense-making. She’ll examine how those classroom practices should shape the way universities prepare future mathematics teachers.

Barlow has spent more than 30 years in K-12 classrooms, doctoral leadership and higher education administration, work that now anchors her role as inaugural editor-in-chief of Mathematics Teacher: Learning & Teaching PK-12, a National Council of Teachers of Mathematics journal reaching more than 35,000 math educators each month. She’s applying that same lens in Alabama, where she’s leading a statewide effort to develop preservice coursework around math content and pedagogy in response to the state’s 2022 Numeracy Act. Learn more about Barlow online.

The Lelon R. Capps Lecture Series was established in honor of a former professor to bring nationally recognized speakers in education to KU. Capps served the KU School of Education & Human Sciences for 44 years. His teaching and scholarship focused on elementary mathematics education. The series is supported by a fund established through KU Endowment and is hosted by the Department of Curriculum & Teaching, with support from the Department of Mathematics.