The Mathematics Education MA is for teachers, tutors and others interested in how mathematics is taught and learnt. The programme gives students the opportunity to explore issues in mathematics teaching, to consider the theoretical underpinnings, and to carry out a rigorous study of mathematical learning.
In the two core modules students consider research-based developments in mathematics teaching and their related sociological, psychological, curricular and linguistic issues, and they engage with mathematics itself, finding implications for teaching. Optional modules and the independent dissertation/report explore learning with digital technologies, study the wider values and practices of education, and allow teachers to develop and critique their own practice.
Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.
The Mathematics Education MA consists of two core modules (60 credits), two optional modules (60 credits) and a dissertation (60 credits), or a report (30 credits) and additional optional module.
A Postgraduate Diploma, two core modules (60 credits), two optional modules (60 credits), full-time nine months or flexible study up to five years, is offered.
A Postgraduate Certificate, one core and one optional module (60 credits), flexible study over a period of up to two years, is offered.
Core modules
Optional modules
Students can also choose optional modules from across the other MA programmes offered by the IOE and/or import a maximum of 90 credits into this programme.
Dissertation/report
All students undertake an independent research project which culminates in a 17,000-word dissertation or 8,000-word report.
Teaching and learning
Teaching varies according to the modules and includes face-to-face seminars and discussions of reading, mathematical workshops, student presentations, as well as online interactions. Only one module, Digital Technologies in Mathematical Learning, can be studied at a distance.
Further information on modules and degree structure is available on the department website: Mathematics Education MA
Graduates of this programme are currently working across a broad range of areas. Some are working as secondary school heads of mathematics, while others have jobs as primary school mathematics leads. Graduates can also be found working as head teachers and mathematics education lecturers.
Recent career destinations for this degree
Employability
For most teachers, the Mathematics Education MA enhances their satisfaction in teaching and adds a thoughtful critique that balances the pressures of teaching. It develops skills in mathematics, pedagogy, research methods and writing. This programme is a vital stepping-stone to a higher degree in mathematics education and a post in teacher education or education research. For non-teachers, this programme develops transferable skills of writing, critical analysis and understanding of how a mathematical perspective differs from other forms of reasoning.
Careers data is taken from the ‘Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education’ survey undertaken by HESA looking at the destinations of UK and EU students in the 2013–2015 graduating cohorts six months after graduation.
The Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment Department at UCL Institute of Education is a world-leading centre for geography, business, mathematics, history, religious education, citizenship and science education. Students will work with tutors who are at the forefront of mathematics education research and who are directly involved in some of these developments.
The department provides an impressive range of cutting-edge MA and CPD courses, presented in face-to-face, distance learning or mixed mode formats. In addition we offer a first class PhD programme and staff are actively involved in an extensive range of innovative, nationally and internationally acclaimed, research and development projects.
The department's student population is very diverse: students on initial teacher education programmes, practising teachers, and a rich and diverse range of international students.
The Research Excellence Framework, or REF, is the system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions. The 2014 REF was carried out by the UK's higher education funding bodies, and the results used to allocate research funding from 2015/16.
The following REF score was awarded to the department: Curriculum, Pedagogy & Assessment
78% rated 4* (‘world-leading’) or 3* (‘internationally excellent’)
Learn more about the scope of UCL's research, and browse case studies, on our Research Impact website.
Across the globe schools are seeking dynamic and highly qualified teachers to support pupils learning into the future.
We are delighted to announce that the School of Education will be offering the PGCE in Secondary Mathematics Education at the University of Birmingham’s Dubai campus, which will open this autumn. The School of Education at the University of Birmingham has a long-standing reputation as a centre of excellence for teaching and research in a wide range of areas of educational practice and policy. In the 2017 QS World Rankings, it was ranked 25th in the World and joint 6th in Europe.
Staff within the School of Education have been working closely with the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), which is responsible for the growth and quality of education, on the development of this high-quality training programme which leads to the award of the Postgraduate Certificate (PGCE) at secondary level.
The programme is based on both the UK and UAE standards. School-based experiences are a central part of this programme which also features a range of professional courses to help you plan, teach, and develop your classroom skills. The high quality personalised support, ensures that the majority of our students exceed the teachers' standards at an outstanding level (Ofsted report 2013).
The School of Education’s well established and renowned programmes in teacher education are due to commence in September 2018 at the Dubai campus. Applications for these courses will open in September 2017. This one year full-time teacher training programme will prepare you for entry into the teaching profession as a reflective and critically aware practitioner. It does this through a significant emphasis on research-led teacher education which will include key elements delivered by staff from the University of Birmingham in Dubai supported by senior teachers in schools.
The programme, which has been approved by KHDA, will support the Ministry of Education's aim of enhancing the status of teachers in the UAE and provide opportunities to share the School’s high quality provision internationally.
Download the flier for the Teacher Training courses in the University of Birmingham Dubai (PDF)
Designed for those who want to teach pupils aged 11-18, the Secondary Mathematics Education programme is a full time one year postgraduate course and includes study around teaching methods, school-based work and whole-school issues. The course develops a deep understanding of issues and complexities which surround the teaching and learning of mathematics. We wish to develop you as a thinking teacher who can be aware of choices in how to teach mathematics and make informed decisions about how you work with students. The course will not pretend that teaching mathematics is straightforward, because it is not! Our sessions will rarely be of the form of a lecture, instead we use activities and discussion as the main way of working.
We will help you become aware of issues relating to planning lessons, assessment, the difference between telling students information and teaching students, standard misconceptions students have about mathematics topics, how different approaches to teaching a topic can change the learning experience for students and how choice of resources and technology can change the sort of mathematics with which students engage.
We have an excellent record of students gaining teaching jobs at the end of the course. The programme is designed to meet recognised teacher standards in the UAE and UK and time is spent in placement schools to develop the necessary experience and skills.
The Primary and Secondary programmes are founded on our long-standing expertise in teacher education and combine the phase, curriculum and learning and teaching expertise of specialist tutors with centre-based training at the University.
A variety of teaching styles and approaches to learning are used in the programmes. These include university-based lectures, small group seminars and workshops, school-based work with pupils and teachers, and work undertaken individually or with other groups of students.
Specialist university tutors are experts in their field and lead dedicated subject programmes. Assessment is based on coursework undertaken during the year.
The ‘whole school issues’ part of the programme is concerned with aspects of education that are of importance to all intending teachers, irrespective of their particular teaching subjects. It is designed to provide a breadth of awareness, depth of insight and development of skills through a range of themes studied by all students.
As the University of the Year for Graduate Employment in The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2015-16, Birmingham is the UK’s number one university for securing a graduate-level job. Your University of Birmingham qualification is evidence of your ability to succeed in a demanding academic environment. Employers target Birmingham students for their drive, diversity, communication and problem-solving skills, their team-working abilities and cultural awareness, and our graduate employment statistics have continued to climb at a rate well above national trends.
Career progression
Following successful completion of the PGCE year, students have the option to study the Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching Studies. An MA in Teaching Studies can then be undertaken with includes an additional dissertation.The School also plans to offer postgraduates continuing professional development (CPD) courses for teachers and allied professionals in the near future.
“I decided to train to teach at the University of Birmingham, largely because of the reputation it has. I know that teachers who qualify from here are very highly respected and are snapped up very quickly in terms of getting jobs.”
Helena Mandleberg, Current student, Secondary Education: Mathematics
If you are enthusiastic about maths and would like to teach it but don’t have all the qualifications to begin our maths PGCE, this course is the ideal stepping stone. This full time one-year (36-week), DfE Teaching Agency approved, subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) course helps you to deepen your knowledge so that you are ready to train to teach maths.
The government needs more mathematics teachers, so you might even be eligible to receive a bursary while on the course.
Work towards teacher-training at Sheffield Hallam
Successfully completing this SKE course enables you to enrol for our one-year PGCE in Mathematics (subject to passing the pre-entry tests in numeracy and literacy). To be accepted onto this course you need to have already been successful in your application for a PGCE course.
Learn in a variety of ways and settings
This SKE course involves studying for one year at our City Campus, right in the heart of Sheffield. We help you to develop your subject knowledge and your confidence using a range of teaching and learning strategies and school visits. You complete mostly subject-based study at degree level, with some work alongside pupils in schools. Teaching groups are small, between 15 and 35 students, and are conducted in a lively and supportive atmosphere.
Other routes
Our two-week, non-accredited Subject Knowledge Enhancement (SKE1) Secondary Mathematics Education course could be a quick refresher if you’re a bit rusty.
Semester one modules
Semester two modules
Teaching maths is a great choice
Britain needs more maths teachers, so your chances of finding a good job when you graduate from teacher-training are very good.
If you’re still wondering if teaching is for you, we offer free three-day taster courses to give you all the information you need to make a decision.
Alternatively, you can arrange your own informal experience in schools prior to applying.
Our excellent graduate employment record
We have a superb record for graduate employment: over 90% of our PGCE graduates are teaching or in further study within six months of graduating.
Many students gain employment in the region, thanks to our excellent links with over 600 placement partners. About a third of our students accept a job where they did a placement — and since you complete two placements, that increases your chances of being offered a job at a place that you already know.
What you’ll be teaching and to whom
Successfully completing this SKE course qualifies you to take our PGCE course in mathematics (subject to passing the pre-entry tests in numeracy and literacy). Once the PGCE is complete you can begin teaching maths at Key Stages 3 and 4 (11-16) and 5 (16-18) as well as in the learning and skills sector (also called post-16 or post-compulsory education).
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