Learning Area Mathematics (Additional) 1

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2015:

170 hours

Teacher Candidates must meet the minimum academic study requirements for teaching in specialist areas, in accordance with the Victorian Institute of Teaching's Specialist Area Guidelines, for entry into this subject.

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry.

The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison website: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

This subject complements the co-requisite subject (EDUC90457 Learning Area Mathematics 1). Teacher candidates will deepen their pedagogical content knowledge for the effective teaching and learning of the following mathematics strands in the Australian curriculum for Years 7 -10:

• Content Strands: Number and Algebra, Measurement and Geometry, Statistics and Probability
• Proficiency Strands: Understanding, Fluency

Teacher candidates will analyse the development of key mathematical concepts, and identify critical progression points for school students’ learning.

Teacher candidates will consider typical conceptions and misconceptions held by school students, and the likely causes for these. Teacher candidates will investigate the design and use of targeted diagnostic assessments to evaluate mathematical understanding, and recognise the advantages and limitations of particular assessment items for monitoring school students’ procedural and conceptual knowledge. In addition, they will learn to interpret school students’ mathematical solutions, and devise appropriate responses.

Teacher candidates will examine the role of cognitive conflict in learning, teaching strategies that focus on changing conceptions, and develop strategies for motivating learning and engagement. They will investigate the importance of appropriate examples for learning, and the changes in opportunities afforded as the parameters of examples are varied. Characteristics of the middle years of schooling will be considered.

On completion of this subject teacher candidates will be able to:

• Demonstrate understanding of key progression points in the development of mathematical understanding in the secondary school;
• Demonstrate an understanding of how school students construct mathematical knowledge;
• Demonstrate knowledge of a range of teaching techniques available to help school students develop mathematical understanding;
• Demonstrate the ability to evaluate examples and tasks to determine the mathematical knowledge that they develop;
• Demonstrate a knowledge of how to assess mathematical understanding and interpret school students’ reasoning;
• Demonstrate understanding of individual differences in school students;
• Analyse and synthesise findings from research literature.

The subject covers a range of the National Professional Standards for Teachers (for Graduate Teachers). In particular, the subject will contribute to students attaining the following standards:

1.2 Understand how students learn

2.1 Content and teaching strategies of the teaching area

5.1 Assess student learning

5.4 Interpret student data

There are 2 assessment tasks:

• An essay (1500 words) due mid semester (35%)
• An analytical report (2500 words) due end of semester (65%)

There is 1 hurdle requirement:

• Completion of 12 weekly tasks

Attendance at all classes (tutorial/seminars/practical classes/lectures/labs) is obligatory. Failure to attend 80% of classes will normally result in failure in the subject.

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

On completion of this subject, teacher candidates will have the knowledge, skills and understanding to enable them to:

• Be skilled communicators who can effectively articulate and justify their practices as knowledgeable agents of changes.
• Be flexible and able to adapt to change through knowing how to learn;
• Understand the significance of developing their practice on the basis of research evidence;
• Work in teams with skills in cooperation, communication and negotiation;
• Be independent of mind, responsible, resilient, self-regulating;
• Have a conscious personal and social values base.