IOE academics develop course supporting teachers to mentor early career maths teachers

The 5-week course uses current research to boost participants’ subject knowledge in teaching secondary school pupils mathematics. It provides teachers with the opportunity to apply new research to their teaching practice.

The course covers four themes:

• Fostering Algebraic Reasoning,
• Fostering Geometric Reasoning,
• Fostering Numerical Reasoning,
• Fostering Functional Reasoning.

These themes focus on promoting ‘big ideas’ in learning and teaching mathematics such as generalisation and abstraction, reasoning and proof, precision in mathematical language, conceptual structures within mathematics, and appreciating the potential for mathematics teaching and learning of digital technologies.

Dr Cosette Crisan said: “Currently and nationally, the professional development opportunities for mentors are limited, with most of the courses offered of generic nature, where the subject specific needs of mentors are not addressed. However, for a mentoring programme to be successful, mentors must have a role beyond generic pedagogic support. Our research informed view is that engagement with educational research should be part of one’s preparation for teaching and a constant feature of a teacher’s professional development, and mentors are indeed best positioned to model and promote these views.

"This view has guided the design of our course 'Key Ideas in Mentoring Mathematics Teachers' aimed at supporting the development of the subject specific mentoring capacity in schools.  In this course we aim to make explicit how prospective mentors could engage with the research findings to benefit their own teaching practice, and also their practice as mentors. In our view, engagement consists of a practitioner’s awareness of mathematics education specific research findings, together with a critical reflection on the potential of incorporating such research in mathematics specific teaching and learning situations.”

Key Ideas in Mentoring Mathematics Teachers begins on 6 January 2020.

Links

• Key Ideas in Mentoring Mathematics Teachers
• View Dr Cosette Crisan’s research profile
• View Dr Eirini Geraniou’s research profile
• Department of Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment