BA Major in Middle Level Mathematics Education
B.A., Major in Middle Level Mathematics Education
Student Learning Outcomes
Graduates in Middle Level (6-8) Mathematics Education (B.A.) will:
- Exhibit in-depth knowledge of pre-adolescent and adolescent development and behavior and use this knowledge to plan and create sequential learning opportunities grounded in mathematics education research where students are actively engaged in the mathematics they are learning and building from prior knowledge and skills. They demonstrate a positive disposition toward mathematical practices and learning, including culturally relevant perspectives in teaching, and demonstrate equitable and ethical treatment of and high expectations for all students. They use instructional tools such as manipulatives, digital tools, and virtual resources to enhance learning while recognizing the possible limitations of such tools.
- Provide evidence demonstrating that as a result of their instruction, middle level students’ conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, strategic competence, adaptive reasoning, and application of major mathematics concepts in varied contexts have increased. These teachers support the continual development of a productive disposition toward mathematics. They show that new student mathematical knowledge has been created as a consequence of their ability to engage students in mathematical experiences that are developmentally appropriate, require active engagement, and include mathematics-specific technology in building new knowledge.
- Understand the conceptual foundations of mathematics and can demonstrate and apply knowledge of major mathematics concepts, connections, applications, and how conceptual understanding leads to an understanding of algorithms and procedures, within and among number and quantity, algebra, geometry and trigonometry, statistics and probability, basic concepts of calculus, and discrete mathematics.
- Solve problems, represent mathematical ideas, reason, prove, use mathematical models, attend to precision, identify elements of structure, generalize, engage in mathematical communication, and make connections as essential mathematical practices. They understand that these practices intersect with mathematical content and that understanding relies on the ability to demonstrate these practices within and among mathematical domains and in their teaching.
- Apply knowledge of curriculum standards for mathematics and their relationship to student learning within and across mathematical domains. They incorporate research-based mathematical experiences and include multiple instructional strategies and mathematics-specific technological tools in their teaching to develop all students’ mathematical understanding and proficiency. They provide students with opportunities to do mathematics – talking about it and connecting it to both theoretical and real-world contexts. They plan, select, implement, interpret, and use formative and summative assessments for monitoring student learning, measuring student mathematical understanding, and informing practice.
- Recognize that learning is often collaborative. They participate in professional development experiences specific to mathematics and mathematics education, draw upon mathematics education research to inform practice, continuously reflect on their practice, and utilize resources from professional mathematics organizations.
- Engage in a planned sequence of field experiences and clinical practice under the supervision of experienced and highly qualified mathematics teachers. They develop a broad experiential base of knowledge, skills, effective approaches to mathematics teaching and learning, and professional behaviors in middle school settings that involve a diverse range and varied groupings of students. Candidates experience a full-time student teaching/internship in middle level mathematics directed by university or college faculty with middle-level teaching experience and mathematics content knowledge base.
Major requirements*
- MATH110 College Algebra (3 hours)
- MATH215 Introduction to Statistics and Probability (3 hours)
- MATH222 Calculus 1 (5 hours)
- MATH320 Introduction to Advanced Mathematics (3 hours)
- MATH331 Foundations of Geometry (3 hours)
- Three additional hours of math courses of 200-level or above**
**Any courses taken at another institution must be approved by the chairperson of mathematics
Cognate requirements
- CPTR112 Programming 1 (or any other high-level programming language) (Minimum 3 hours)
- PSYC112 General Psychology (3 hours)
- PSYC218 Child Psychology (3 hours)
Teacher Education Licensure Requirements
- EDUC150 Introduction to Education (2 hours)
- EDUC215 Foundations of Education (3 hours)
- EDUC216 Diversity Field Experience (1 hour)
- EDUC220 Educational Technology (3 hours)
- EDUC238M Teaching Mathematics in the Secondary Schools (3 hours)
- EDUC322 Educational Psychology (4 hours)***
- EDUC323 Introduction to Exceptionalities (4 hours)***
- EDUC343 Home, School, and Community (3 hours)
- EDUC344 Content Area Literacy (3 hours)
- EDUC352 Principles of Effective Secondary Instruction (3 hours)
- EDUC439 Secondary School Methods and Management (4 hours)***
- EDUC440 Student Teaching Seminar (1 hour)***
- EDUC449 Observation and Supervised Teaching in the Secondary School (4-12 hours)***
***Taken after formal admittance to the Teacher Education Program.
