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CHECK HERE SEPTEMBER 2010 FOR APPLICATION INFORMATION
When is the program offered…
The program is designed for a cohort of students and each course is designed to complement the other courses. Students will be accepted into the program every two years in order to maintain continuity and develop a mode of collaborative enquiry. The next cohort starts in September of 2011.
The program has been designed so that teachers can take one course each semester at the same time as they continue their teaching career. Normally classes will be held at SFU's Burnaby Mountain Campus from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. one day a week for 13 weeks each semester.
What this program is about…
Our graduate program is designed to help teachers develop insights into the nature of mathematics and its place in the school curriculum. Teachers will become familiar with research on how secondary students learn mathematics, and with current ideas on how best to teach the subject. This is an opportune time for teachers to examine curriculum changes and upgrade their qualifications.
The program stresses the human aspects of mathematics. We emphasize the role of mathematics in society and the natural development of mathematics as a growing, changing, entity. Developments in the school mathematics curriculum, and in pedagogy, will be related to historical, cultural, and psychological forces operating within society. The goal is to produce teachers who have a broad understanding of mathematics and mathematics education, and who will be qualified to deal with rapid curriculum change in the next several decades. To this end, the Faculty of Education and the Department of Mathematics have collaborated to develop six courses specifically for secondary mathematics teachers.
Which prerequisites are necessary…
A Bachelor degree with a standing of a 3.0 CGPA (or B average) will normally be required for admissions.
The program is intended to meet the needs of practicing secondary mathematics teachers. The mathematical content is designed to increase students' breadth of understanding, and will not require students to recall details of their undergraduate mathematics couses. We recognize that teachers interested in this program may have completed their university work some time ago, and the courses are designed with this in mind.
How the program is structured…
All students will complete 6 core courses (28 credits).
Students electing the MSc route will complete a thesis supervised by a member of the Faculty of Education or the Department of Mathematics. For their thesis, students will be encouraged to apply ideas from the courses to curriculum development and implementation.
Students electing the MEd route will complete a minimum of 10 credits of graduate elective course work in addition to the six core courses, and will sit a comprehensive examination based on a given set of readings.
Courses Offered by the Faculty of Education
EDUC 844-5: Research Basis of Mathematics Education
In this course, students will develop an understanding of research practices and results in mathematics education by examining critical issues in contemporary research literature regarding the teaching, learning, and knowing of mathematics.
EDUC 845-5: Learning Mathematics with Computers
In this course, students will examine the use of digital technologies in the learning and teaching of mathematics. Emphasis will be placed on the use of computers in mathematical problem solving, and on critically appraising the effect of computer use on mathematical thinking.
EDUC 846-5: Foundations of Mathematics Education
This course will examine the historical, cultural, and psychological forces shaping mathematical thinking and the secondary school mathematics curriculum. The course will emphasize the historical underpinning of the curriculum and the cyclical nature of reform in mathematics education, and will focus on crucial periods in the development of the school mathematics curriculum.
EDUC 847-5: Teaching and Learning Mathematics
This course will examine the theory and practice of mathematics teaching at the secondary level. Emphasis will be placed on the nature of the learner and the role of the teacher. Students will examine implications for instruction of the ideas of various mathematics educators and schools of thought.
Courses Offered by the Department of Mathematics
MATH 603 -4: Foundations of Mathematics
The intent of this course is to show mathematics in the making rather than as a finished product. Various critical periods in the development of mathematics will be examined. All necessary mathematics will be taught as part of the course.
MATH 604-4: Geometry
In this course, students will look at the development of geometry to the present time. Emphasis will be placed on how geometry was interpreted at various times in history, including the influence of Euclidean geometry on philosophy, and the crisis precipitated by the discovery of non-Euclidean geometry.
The program is designed for a cohort of students and each course is designed to complement the other courses. Students will be accepted into the program every two years in order to maintain continuity and develop a mode of collaborative enquiry.
The program has been designed so that teachers can take one course each semester at the same time as they continue their teaching career. Normally classes will be held at SFU's Burnaby Mountain Campus from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. one day a week for 13 weeks each semester. The six core courses will not be taught during the months of July and August.
How to apply for admissions…
In addition to the standard requirements for entry to the SFU graduate program, the following prerequisites are normally required:
- sufficient mathematics background for certification to teach secondary school mathematics
- mathematics teaching experience in secondary school
- an undergraduate methods of teaching mathematics course, for example, SFU's EDUC 415-4 Designs for Learning: Secondary Mathematics
Check here September 2010 for application information.
What financial support is available…
Outstanding applicants may be offered financial assistance in the form of an entrance Graduate Fellowship in the amount of $6250. Applicants should note, however, that the number of such fellowships is limited. Additional financial resources can include scholarships and bursuries as well as part-time employment as a teaching assistant (TA) or research assistant (RA). Information on graduate financial aid and other useful links are available at the University's main information source for graduate students,
Contact information...
For academic queries concerning Secondary Mathematics Education, please contact Dr. Peter Liljedahl, Program Coordinator (liljedahl@sfu.ca; 778-782-5643).
For advising regarding the graduate admissions process and course registration, please contact Shirley Heap (educmast@sfu.ca; Tel: 778-782-3984; Fax: 778-782-4320).
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