University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee mathematics focus courses: mathematics content for elementary and middle grades teachers

Abstract

There has been much debate in recent years as to the amount and type of mathematical knowledge that teachers need to acquire. One set of recommendations is provided by the Mathematical Education of Teachers (MET) report, produced jointly by the American Mathematical Society and the Mathematical Association of America. This paper reports on efforts at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to implement the MET report recommendations for pre-service elementary and middle grades teachers, in the contexts of teacher education programmes and the teacher licensing structure of the state of Wisconsin. Data is also presented on the results of teaching the resulting courses to in-service teachers.

Acknowledgements

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0314898 and by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Title II, Part B, Grant No. 05-3619-MSP. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation (NSF) or of the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

Notes

Elementary’ here refers to US grades Kindergarten through grade 5 (ages 5–11); ‘middle grades’ to grades 6–8 (ages 11–14).