Title: Passing the TEST: Praxis II Secondary Mathematics
Prerequisites: Students seeking admission into the Secondary Mathematics Teacher Education
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
OR
· 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