Secondary school mathematics initial teacher education (ITE) is predominantly taught through a one year post-graduate certificate of education (PGCE) which integrates school based learning with study at Masters’ level. The case study has been designed to foster more authentic connections between school-based learning (teaching practice) and research that informs mathematics teaching and learning. The cycle of teacher education used in the UoC case study is characterised by small-scale Teacher Research Group (TRG) collaborations that allow beginning mathematics teachers to use research to inform the design of a lesson and to collaboratively interrogate learner’s responses to the lesson design. This moves away from a lesson observation as a performance and towards a model of collaborative enquiry that focuses on learning. This leads to a second stage of the case study that allows beginning teachers to plan a practitioner enquiry in the latter half of their ITE course. The rationale for their enquiries is rooted in resolving issues that they are facing in their own classrooms. The ITE students become aware of appropriate methods for carrying out classroom enquiries whilst further interrogating research that informs the structure and design of their classroom interventions. Throughout both stages of the case study, the nature of professional learning is aligned to the seven steps of Engestrom’s cycle.