BSc (Hons) Mathematics and Secondary Teaching (QTS)

Learners and Learning Communities

This module focuses on the behaviours and needs of the learner and the implications of this for teachers.

It will explore how different conditions for learning are established and how they are influenced by school-based factors, as well as the range of other factors that can inhibit or promote pupils’ ability to learn, including children’s social, physical and cognitive development.

The module sessions, student discussion and reflection, supplemented by school experience, will therefore reference current research, including aspects of neuroscience, learning theory from seminal theorists and the observation of learning behaviours and environments in school. This combination aims to aid the establishment of links between theory and effective practice, as well as highlighting issues regarding children’s holistic development, which may impact learning in the classroom.

The module will support the key study skills needed for reading and writing at HE Level 4.

It also includes 12 days of school experience, enabling student teachers to begin to understand how the teacher as researcher can be effective in shaping classroom practice.

The Effective Educator

This module will support your understanding of effective education and the role of the educator in this.

You will be supported in recognising and developing the professional attributes and attitudes, knowledge, understanding and appreciation of professional roles and responsibilities within relevant professional frameworks.

Equality of Opportunity and Diversity

This module aims to explore relationships between cultural identity, social policy and issues of equality and diversity.

During this module, you will examine key features of the theory and practice of social and educational inclusion from a number of perspectives across the wider social and more specific educational arenas and explore issues central to inclusion, human rights, equal opportunities and social justice.

You will also examine patterns of inequality in selected areas of social policy and provision. While the focus of the module will be on the British experience, some international issues will also be explored with the help of practitioners and your reading of literature.

You will have the opportunity to develop and share individual case studies, which will enable you to understand how policy affects the very real experience of individuals and institutions.

Core Mathematics 1: Mathematical Structures

This module will introduce you to areas of mathematics that underpin the study of the subject beyond A level. This will allow future secondary school maths teachers to share an insight into how the subject develops at degree level, so that they can, in turn, encourage pupils to choose to study maths at A level and beyond.

The mathematical structures studied will be contextualised using topics closely related to those found in the 11-16 curriculum, such as symmetry and transformations, thus reinforcing and deepening understanding of school-level mathematics while showing how these can be applied at a much higher level.

The study of logic will develop your skill in constructing coherent logical arguments and the deductive process, including an understanding of a range of proof methods.

The module is designed to enable you to:

• Consolidate and develop their algebraic skills
• Appreciate the need for notation, axioms, definitions and proof
• Acquire knowledge of logical systems
• Acquire technical skills in manipulating logical symbols
• Develop the transferable skill of applying concepts and principles to the analysis of problems

Introduction to Curriculum and Subject Knowledge

This is an introductory module in a series of three across the programme, all of which are underpinned by developing subject knowledge and enhancing conceptual understanding of the mathematics national curriculum strands.

Using current theoretical frameworks and linking theories about the science of learning to professional practice, you will develop your conceptual understanding of the secondary curriculum, and analyse the important difference between ‘knowing what to teach’ – the curriculum content, ‘knowing how to do maths’ (the subject content) and ‘knowing how to teach maths’ (the pedagogical content knowledge element).

Grounded in the structure of number and developing a sense of algebraic thinking, this module aims to enable you to see beyond algorithmic processes and to begin to appreciate how confidence with a conceptual understanding of number and algebraic thinking is integral to pupil success in the secondary classroom.

School Experience 1

This module will complement university-based studies, particularly the professional studies content. The module aims to develop student-teacher confidence and competence in the classroom.

The student teacher must demonstrate their potential to teach whilst also making the theoretical and evidence-based links to university-taught content.

Developing Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching

This module explores what effective mathematics teachers need to know in terms of their own subject knowledge and depth of cognitive understanding.

Using current theoretical frameworks, you will develop your own cognitive understanding of key, foundational topics in the secondary curriculum, and analyse the important difference between knowing how to do maths and knowing how to teach mathematics.

Teaching and Learning Mathematics

This module focuses on developing pedagogies and skills that enhance specifically the effective teaching of mathematics with cognitive understanding. These are developed alongside an awareness of the historical and contemporary approaches to teaching mathematics responsibly.

Perspectives in Research in Mathematics Education (Prime)

This module provides opportunities for studying how mathematics education is researched, and changing emphases in mathematics education and in research.

It provides insights into key questions, factors and issues associated with the study of school mathematics contexts.

It enables you to critically examine the evidence basis for current policies and initiatives in schools, and the application of research methodologies.

Calculus III

This module builds on the material covered within the first year calculus courses. Calculus will be extended to functions of more than one variable and applications of partial differentiation and multiple integrals.

Network Analysis

In recent years, interest in the theory of complex networks has exploded. The advent of social media and progress in artificial intelligence have made network analysis into an indispensable tool.

In this course, you will study the mathematical theory that underlies network analysis; namely, graph theory. Graph theory is an exciting and rich subject in its own right and many of its results and principles will be studied in this module.

Applications of Probability

This module aims to develop techniques in the use of probability in real-world contexts. Exploration of the theoretical mathematical models used to describe patterns of events that occur in time, and in space.

School Experience: Developing As A Teacher

You will work on placement for ten weeks to support and develop your confidence to teach the whole class in mathematics at Key Stages 3 and 4.

You will be able to demonstrate a competent level of subject and pedagogical knowledge towards teaching mathematics in a secondary setting and through effective reflection will be able to understand the impact of your teaching on pupils’ learning.

Introduction to Statistical Theory

Statistics involves the analysis and interpretation of data with a view to making more informed decisions. As such, its importance in the 21st century can hardly be overstated: statistical techniques are fundamental tools in data science, economics and biology, to name a few.

In this module, you will gain an introduction to statistical inference and investigate topics such as point and interval estimation, hypothesis testing and regression models.

Perspectives in the Teaching and Management of Mathematics

In this module, you will consider the teaching styles, leadership qualities and resources that are effective in the delivery of the secondary mathematics curriculum.

You will also examine the management structures of the wider school setting and explore decision making and leadership styles of those in higher positions.

Social Justice and Equity in Education

For teachers to become truly competent practitioners, it is vital for them to have an awareness of social justice, equity and social democracy, knowing both what this means in a broader global context and how this translates more locally; specifically, being aware of what the implications are for this in a whole-school context and in their classroom.

This module will enable student teachers to develop and critically reflect on matters relating to; educational inequality in schools; what it means to practice social justice principles; discrimination; the relevance of meritocracy; inclusive pedagogy and breaking the cycle of disadvantage in and through education.

Independent Project – Critical Pedagogical Analysis

This double module builds on the outcomes of two Y2 modules, Perspectives of Research in Mathematics Education and Teaching and Learning and aims to extend trainee teachers‘ independent research enquiry and intellectual capacity by extending their chosen area.

Trainee teachers will be given opportunities to reflect on the knowledge base introduced in taught modules and to extend and demonstrate the inter-relationships between pedagogical theory, mathematics and their placement experiences. It is designed to be focused on the awareness that effective teachers need to be able to integrate and apply their body of knowledge to professional practice

Applied Statistics

This module builds on statistical ideas and techniques studied in earlier modules and introduces you to using SPSS.

The emphasis of this module is on statistical modelling and case studies will be drawn from various areas including education, environmental science and health. 

Advanced Calculus

This module follows from the calculus modules in levels 4 and 5 and continues the study of calculus and associated applications.

You will link linear algebra and calculus to investigate vector functions, extend your knowledge to include functions of a complex variable, and further develop your understanding of the solutions of partial differential equations

Advanced Game Theory

Game theory tries to model how decision makers interact during situations of conflict or cooperation.

The implications of this theory are widespread and have had a significant impact on many subjects including economic, biology and computer sciences.

School Experience: Developing As A Professional

This is the final placement, where you will spend 10 weeks in a secondary school.

It is designed for student teachers to gain proficiency in whole-class teaching across the KS3 and KS4 secondary curriculum, and to develop your knowledge about school management, performance and national targets.

This placement is linked to, and designed to, enable student teachers to meet the Teachers’ Standards for qualified teacher status (QTS). The placement aims to increase student teachers’ understanding and application of the relationship between theory and practice in education and develop their professional confidence and competence within a school setting.