Program Overview

Pre-Service Early Years/Primary Postgraduate Diploma in Education: EDUSM1

Course Description

This course focuses on the theories and principles of learning design in mathematics and their application in the secondary mathematics classroom. Students will develop in-depth theoretical and practical understandings of relevant theories and practice in the mathematics teaching profession and then critically reflect on selected pedagogical practices and the overarching nature of mathematics education in the UAE context.

Course Resources

• Visible Learning: Feedback by John Hattie; Shirley Clarke
• Teaching Secondary School Mathematics by Merrilyn Goos; Gloria Stillman; Colleen Vale; Katie Makar; Sandra Herbert; Vince Geiger
• Visible Learning for Mathematics, Grades K-12 by Douglas Fisher; Nancy Frey; Linda M. Gojak; Sara Delano Moore; William Mellman; John Hattie

Course Outline

Week 1: Introduction to Course: Learning to be a mathematics teacher

• Course Overview
• Professional teaching standards
• Required Reading:
  • Teacher standards
  • UAE inspection framework
  • National Educator's Competency Framework (NECF)
• Recommended Reading:
  • Mandt, H. M. P. (2021). Prospective mathematics teachers' emotions and identity
  • National Educator's Competency Framework (NECF)
  • Prospective Mathematics Teachers' Emotions and Identity

Week 2: Active Learning Approaches in Mathematics

• Bridging the gap between Theory and Practice
• Required Reading:
  • Litster, K., MacDonald, B., and Shumway, J. F. (2020). Experiencing active mathematics learning
• Recommended Reading:
  • Nurbavliyev, O., Kaymak, S., and Sydykov, B. (2022). The effect of active learning method on students' academic success, motivation and attitude towards mathematics

Week 3: Inquiry-based Learning

• Practical Examples in the Secondary Mathematics Classroom
• A Critical Overview of Research Evidence
• Required Reading:
  • Artigue, M., & Blomhøj, M. (2013). Conceptualizing inquiry-based education in mathematics
• Recommended Reading:
  • Yan, Z. M., Chai, C. S., & So, H. (2018). Creating tools for inquiry-based mathematics learning from technological pedagogical content knowledge perspectives

Week 4: Formative assessment / AfL Strategies in Mathematics (I)

• Diagnostic assessment
• Required Reading:
  • Hattie, J., & Clarke, S. (2018). Visible learning: Feedback. Chapter 4
• Recommended Reading:
  • Goos, M., Vale, C., Stillman, G., Makar, K., Herbert, S., & Geiger, V. (2020). Assessing Mathematics Learning

Week 5: Planning and Preparation for Effective Pedagogy

• Lesson planning (I)
• Required Reading:
  • Akyuz, D., Dixon, J. K., & Stephan, M. (2013). Improving the quality of mathematics teaching with effective planning practices
• Recommended Reading:
  • Davidson, A. (2019). Ingredients for planning student-centred learning in mathematics

Week 6: Realistic Mathematics Education (RME)

• Linking the Use of Metacognitive Strategies with IBL in the Mathematics Classroom
• Required Reading:
  • Laurens, T., Batlolona, F. A., Batlolona, J. R., & Leasa, M. (2017). How does realistic mathematics education (RME) improve students' mathematics cognitive achievement?
• Recommended Reading:
  • Isik, S., Tutak, T., & Kalkan, M. (2020). The effect of teaching sequence subject with realistic mathematics education on student achievement and opinion

Week 7: Effective Teaching Strategies in Mathematics

• Hands on secondary mathematics activities with real-life applications
• Required Reading:
  • Hattie, J., Fisher, D., Frey, N., Gojak, L. M., Moore, S. D., & Mellman, W. (2016). Visible learning for mathematics, grades K-12. Chapter 7
• Recommended Reading:
  • Goos, M., Vale, C., Stillman, G., Makar, K., Herbert, S., & Geiger, V. (2020). Developing Mathematical Understanding

Week 8: Formative Assessment / AfL Strategies in Mathematics (II)

• Self-regulation and metacognition Peer and Self-Assessment
• Required Reading:
  • Goos, M., Vale, C., Stillman, G., Makar, K., Herbert, S., & Geiger, V. (2020). Assessing Mathematics Learning
• Recommended Reading:
  • Hattie, J., & Clarke, S. (2018). Visible learning: feedback. Chapter 4

Week 9: Teaching Mathematics to Diverse Populations

• Ethnomathematics
• Culturally Responsive Pedagogy
• Required Reading:
  • Johnson, J. D., & Corey, D. (2020). Reaching the 21st century student in the United Arab Emirates: Using Ethnomathematics through #Innovation
• Recommended Reading:
  • Al Alaleeli, S. (2022). Empowering female pre-service teachers through culturally responsive teaching

Week 10: Strategies for teaching "Hard to teach" (H2T) topics

• Using examples for the Secondary Mathematics Classroom
• Required Reading:
  • Hattie, J., Fisher, D., Frey, N., Gojak, L. M., Moore, S. D., & Mellman, W. (2016). Visible learning for mathematics, grades K-12. Chapter 5
• Recommended Reading:
  • Tanner, R. (2009). Hard-to-teach topics: Using ICT Part 1
  • Clark-Wilson, A. & Oldknow, A. (2009). Teachers using ICT to help with hard to teach topics