485-240 Learning Area: Mathematics 2 (Advanced)

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Contact:

Objectives:

On completion of this subject students should be able to:

• demonstrate mastery of those parts of Space, Measurement and Algebra strands and their everyday applications which are relevant to primary and middle school teaching;

• demonstrate understanding of developmental, constructivist and cognitive science theories of learning mathematics and of the major cognitive obstacles encountered;

• demonstrate knowledge of the range of classroom teaching techniques available to teachers of primary mathematics to develop different components of mathematical competence;

• demonstrate understanding of the nature, range and psychological bases of individual differences in students' learning of mathematics and of methods, materials and activities by which these differences might be identified and addressed; and

• demonstrate an ability to develop lessons in all areas of the primary school mathematics curriculum and relate them to learning outcomes.

Content:

This subject deepens students' own knowledge of mathematics from Space, Measurement and functional dependence from the Algebra strand, through challenging investigations. The major psychological theories of children's thinking and learning of mathematics will be studied, along with the methods by which research into this is conducted. Individual differences in learning primary school mathematics will be examined, along with teaching to address the needs of children experiencing difficulty and gifted students. Students will analyse teaching techniques and concrete and technological aids which develop different components of mathematical competence such as skills, concepts, practical ability and estimation. Current Victorian and national curriculum documents will be used. Students will design sequences of lessons related to selected learning outcomes.

Assessment: