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EDUC 160

Title: Passing the TEST: Praxis II Secondary Mathematics

Prerequisites: Students seeking admission into the Secondary Mathematics Teacher Edcuation Program; Junior standing or instructor approval.

Credit Hours: (2)

This course is intended to support the analysis and development of the required mathematical knowledge and skills for professional secondary mathematics educators through the lenses of student efficacy, mathematics anxiety, and problem-solving approaches. The course focuses on encouraging students to reflect on previous experiences in mathematics courses, exploring the most common areas of difficulty on the Praxis II Mathematics Content Knowledge Exam, and having students work on individualized skill goals that have been identified through course pre-assessments.

Note(s): This course will be graded Pass/Fail (P/F).

Detailed Description of Course Content

This course is intended to support the development and analysis of mathematics skills essential for professional secondary mathematics educators through the lenses of student efficacy, mathematics anxiety, and problem-solving approaches to skill development and test taking. Course content includes the various mathematical skills and concepts assessed by the Praxis II Mathematics Content: Knowledge Exam, pre-assessments to identify areas of challenge for each student, and reflections on their experiences learning mathematics and taking standardized mathematics assessments. The meaning behind mathematical concepts will be explored so that students attain a deeper understanding of these concepts and make connections to their college mathematics courses. More importantly, students will analyze and discuss how much more they know than they realize, and, in turn, how prior experiences may have hindered their capacity to learn from mistakes and/or fully demonstrate their knowledge and understanding. This will create an important frame of reference for their own philosophies of teaching and the significance of creating a safe, nurturing atmosphere for learning in their future practice.

Detailed Description of Conduct of Course

Pre-assessments constructed from Praxis II practice exam items will be administered at the beginning of the course to target specific areas of need for each student. In addition, the students will begin by looking at their personal histories in mathematics and standardized assessments. Based on reflection and pre-assessment data, learning and practice plans will require students to revisit mathematical concepts in which they have encountered difficulty. The course will address secondary mathematical concepts by examining them in greater depth and detail by focusing on the connections between these traditional secondary mathematics concepts and the mathematics taught in their upper-level college mathematics courses. In addition, class discussions will examine the roles stress and anxiety play in the development of mathematics skills, efficacy and confidence, and performance in testing situations. Students will learn strategies for mitigating the impacts of stress and anxiety on their achievement.

Goals and Objectives of the Course

Having successfully completed this course the students will be able to:

1) Apply prior knowledge to advance a deeper understanding of complex mathematical concepts through making connections between secondary mathematics topics and their college-level mathematics courses.

2) Use diagnostic assessments to identify individual mathematical knowledge and skills in need of mastery.

3) Identify and explain how mathematical anxiety and previous experiences with mathematics and assessments affect present attitudes about math, assessment and individual performance.

4) Develop and apply critical thinking skills to solve problems and strategies for successful performance on mathematics assessments.

Assessment Measures

Assessment measures may include, but are not limited to, the following:

· Performance on the Praxis II Mathematics Content Knowledge Exam

· Practice math assessments

· Regular participation in class discussion

Students will receive a P (pass) for the course by meeting these objectives

· Pass the Praxis II Mathematics Content Knowledge Exam any time during the semester

· Complete at least 90% of the course assignments

Miss no more than 3 classes the entire semester with no more than two unexcused absences

Other Course Information

Review and Approval

April 2019