Beliefs and beyond: affect and the teaching and learning of mathematics

The importance of beliefs for the teaching and learning of mathematics is widely recognized among mathematics educators. In this special issue, we explicitly address what we call “beliefs and beyond” to indicate the larger field surrounding beliefs in mathematics education. This is done to broaden the discussion to related concepts (which may not originate in mathematics education) and to consider the interconnectedness of concepts. In particular, we present some new developments at the conceptual level, address different approaches to investigate beliefs, highlight the role of student beliefs in problem-solving activities, and discuss teacher beliefs and their significance for professional development. One specific intention is to consider expertise from colleagues in the fields of educational research and psychology, side by side with perspectives provided by researchers from mathematics education.