The Mathematical Education of Teachers as an Application of Undergraduate Mathematics (META Math)

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This project will create textbook-independent, college mathematics modules aligned with recommendations from the Conference Board of the Mathematical Sciences 2012 report titled, "The Mathematical Education of Teachers II." Specifically, each module will present the teaching of secondary level mathematics as an application of a traditional, undergraduate mathematics major course. These materials will raise the application of teaching secondary-level mathematics to parallel traditional application areas such as engineering, physics, economics, and life sciences, which have always been featured in college mathematics. The modules developed by this project will be classroom tested and evaluated to provide feedback for improvement as well as for creating a blueprint for additional future module development in all mathematics major courses.This project will increase faculty capacity to guide undergraduate pre-service teachers in (i) making explicit connections between undergraduate mathematics and the school mathematics they will teach, and (ii) developing sophisticated understanding of mathematics taught in grades 7-12. The specific objectives of this project are to (i) develop quality instructional modules that make explicit connections between college mathematics and school mathematics; (ii) pilot test these materials; and (iii) research student learning that results from the use of these modules and evaluate the effectiveness of the process created to develop the modules. This project will also provide insight into the impact of module usage on a faculty member's own understanding of school mathematics content from an advanced perspective. The Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship program is providing co-funding for this project in recognition of its alignment with the broader teacher preparation goals of the Noyce effort.