CIAE conducts research to develop inclusive abacus education innovations for learners of all ages and abilities, including those with visual impairments and diverse disabilities.
Our work focuses on:
Co-design with learners to improve teaching methodologies and accessibility
Assistive technology integration to support inclusive learning and rehabilitation
Evidence-based numeracy education for children, young adults, and older learners, including those with cognitive challenges
Global collaboration with NGOs, universities, and education stakeholders to share best practices and inform scalable approaches
Supporting Research & References
We also maintain case studies and key references from earlier research on abacus education for sighted learners, providing context and evidence for numeracy development:
1. Pupils’ Maths in the UK
(1)Pisa tests: UK lags behind in global school rankings
(2)Scottish schools drop in world rankings
(3)Chinese maths textbooks to be translated for UK schools
2. Does the Japanese abacus improve underachieving children’s performance in mathematics?
3. How to be a supercalculator
4. Research finds Abacus is making an impact!
These supporting studies complement CIAE’s current focus on inclusive learning, demonstrating the effectiveness of abacus methods for a wide range of learners and informing our innovations in inclusive numeracy education.
Selected Publication
Learn more about our outputs in the Publications & Resources section.
British Abacus Association 