The Teaching of Mathematics

* This module is offered on a Pass/Fail basis. Although this module carries 0 AUs, a trainee teacher must pass the module before he/she can be awarded the PGDE.

 PCM513  Teaching and Learning of Mathematics I

Aims and objectives of mathematics education, Mathematics curriculum in Singapore, concept formation and learning theories in mathematics, teaching approaches and classroom organisation, lesson planning, mathematics communication and metacognition, mathematical thinking and problem solving, technology in mathematics education.  Teaching and learning of mathematics topics: Arithmetic, Mensuration and Geometry, Functions and Graphs, Statistics, Algebra, Trigonometry, Calculus, Probability, Sets, Matrices, Vectors, and Mechanics.  Understanding of concepts in the topics, curriculum structure, learning difficulties, teaching approaches, motivation techniques for each of the topics will be dealt with. Hands-on sessions on the use of  IT to teach  mathematics.

PCM514  Teaching and Learning of Mathematics II

Assessment in mathematics, test construction and marking. Project work and enrichment in mathematics at the secondary level. Classroom presentations of teaching ideas or practice of teaching skills, which will be critiqued by the tutor and fellow trainee teachers. 

PCM515 Essential Mathematics for Secondary Teachers

The objective of this module is for trainees to obtain content mastery of O level Mathematics topics which they will be teaching in schools. The module is run in an on-line self-study mode where trainees are required to do independent learning of O Level Mathematics topics using school textbooks and relevant materials. Trainees will also be able to access weblinks to resources containing the relevant Mathematics topics. The assessment for the module will be a mathematics test based on the O level syllabus (called the School Mathematics Mastery Test or SMMT) which the trainees are expected to pass with a mastery level equivalent to O Level distinction A1. A version of the SMMT will be conducted at the beginning of the PGDE(S) programme. Trainees who pass the test at mastery level will be deemed to have passed the module. Those who do not pass the test at mastery level in the first instance will undertake self-study of the materials and take the test again at subsequent sitting(s) during the semester.