EDU551 │ Elective Subject │ 10 credit points
Overview
Mathematics and the Christian school: What does it look like? What can it look like? And what does it look like to teach Mathematics from a biblically-informed perspective? In this subject, students will have opportunities to engage with explicit curriculum issues, as well as the implicit curriculum that is often nested in the pedagogy that teachers use to deliver the explicit curriculum in the subject that most people believe is neutral, Mathematics. As a result of studies in this course, teachers will be enabled to develop curriculum using pedagogical approaches that will help promote a Christian world and life view for their students. This subject will encourage and inspire teachers of Mathematics providing them with the advanced knowledge and skills that are needed to respond to the curriculum in a way that is authentically Christian and engaging for students.
Prerequisites
EDU400/400a Biblical Foundations of Education and EDU501/501a Worldviews and Educational Practice
Teaching methods
| TYPE | HOURS PER WEEK | NUMBER OF WEEKS | TOTAL (NUMBER OF HOURS) |
| Online Semester Directed online learning and independent learning | 10 | 13 | 130 |
| Total | 130 |
Learning outcomes
Student who successfully complete this subject will be able to:
- Demonstrate specialised knowledge of contemporary research regarding educational practice in mathematics.
- Critically evaluate the theoretical and philosophical assumptions underpinning the teaching of mathematics.
- Communicate a biblically-informed approach to the theory and practice of mathematics education.
- Apply biblical principles and contemporary research to mathematics unit design and classroom practice.
- Critically reflect on the non-neutral nature of mathematics education.
Assessment
| TYPE | WEIGHTING |
| Critical Reflective Pieces | 20% |
| Literature Review, Rationale and Policy Document | 40% |
| Unit of Work | 40% |
Subject content
- Introduction to teaching mathematics in the Christian school
- Knowledge, wisdom, and learning
- Perceived neutrality of mathematics
- Mathematics is just mathematics – or is it?
- The student’s viewpoint
- Planning units of work in mathematics (part 1)
- Planning units of work in mathematics (part 2)
- Reflection on teaching in mathematics
Prescribed text and reading materials
Su, F. & Jackson, C. (2020). Mathematics for human flourishing. Yale University Press.
A list of reading materials will be available in the Subject Outline on eLearning Portal.
