Until recently, mathematics education courses were taught primarily by a small group of faculty. Consequently, very few mathematics faculty members were aware of the problems and special needs of mathematics education students. During the past three years, however, faculty participation in math ed courses has broadened, and several positive changes in the mathematics education curriculum have resulted.
Faculty who have taught math education courses generally agree that a careful revision of the curriculum can result in a gradual improvement of the mathematical knowledge of math ed majors. This view has already led to the revision of two important courses--MA 301 and MA 460--and the creation of a new course, MA 401.
MA 301 has become an introductory analysis course. (Since calculus is widely taught in the high schools, this change is pedagogically sound.) MA 301 in its current form focuses on developing students' mathematical intuition and ability to read and produce proofs. Although it is still too early to judge the effect on our math ed majors, anecdotal evidence suggests that students who have taken the new version of MA 301 are quite successful in handling proofs in subsequent courses such as linear algebra.
MA 460 was revised after several faculty members who had previously taught MA 560 provided a new perspective on how the course should be taught and what material should be covered. MA 460 in its current form includes a computer component that was primarily developed and implemented by Professor Jim McClure (see "Training Future High School Teachers"). The recent demand from our math ed majors for a second, more advanced course in geometry is one indication that the revised MA 460 is a success. We therefore intend to revise MA 560 and include in it more advanced topics such as projective geometry, to be offered to all math majors.
MA 401 is a new problem-solving course intended to fulfill the requirements of NCATE (National Council of Accreditations of Teacher Education). Initially this course was designed to enhance math problem-solving ability and to provide a historical perspective on ancient and modern problem-solving approaches. Our goal is to work with instructors who have taught the course, and with other faculty who have expressed interest, to articulate more clearly the instructional objectives and revise the course accordingly.
Another important and upcoming change is the revision of MA 133 and MA 134 for prospective elementary school teachers. A concerted effort by several people, including Dr. Roberta Schonemann (Department of Mathematics) and Professor Terry Wood (Department of Curriculum and Instruction) led to a proposal to expand the two courses into three: Introductory Algebra, Geometry, and Probability and Statistics. Changes will involve both content (for example, the geometry course will include a computer component) and the number of credit hours earned (from a total of 8 to 9 credit hours).
Further improvements in the mathematics education curriculum will require an ongoing dialogue among mathematics faculty members about teacher education. Future changes in the mathematics education program must be carefully coordinated with the general undergraduate mathematics program, the School of Education secondary program, and state and national accreditation guidelines.