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Mathematics Pedagogy (Ed.D) - Graduate - 2009 University Catalog

Montclair State University's EdD program in Mathematics Pedagogy prepares candidates for careers in mathematics education that include:

  • teaching mathematics and mathematics education at a two-year college,
  • teaching mathematics education and conducting research at a four-year college,
  • working with state and federal departments of education or foundations,
  • serving as a curriculum specialists or math coach for school districts,
  • working with commercial curriculum projects, and
  • teaching in a middle or secondary classroom and serving as a peer leader.

The program provides candidates with opportunities to obtain expertise in the teaching of mathematics, educational leadership and curriculum development and modification and to conduct research in mathematics education. It recognizes the influence that teacher leaders have in renewing and strengthening our nation's educational system and the critical importance of strong education programs in our nation's quest for improving our social and political democracy while maintaining its technological superiority.

ADMISSIONS

Initial admission status requires that students meet the minimum admissions criteria. Prospective students must submit the following for consideration:

  • A completed and signed application for doctoral study
  • A personal essay describing their view of the relevance of doctoral education to their personal and professional development
  • A statement discussing areas of potential research interest
  • Transcripts of undergraduate and graduate work, (WES evaluation, if necessary)
  • GRE scores; TOEFL or IELTS scores if necessary
  • Three letters of recommendation, including at least two from professional colleagues or college/university faculty who can attest to the candidate's potential for advanced study and research
  • Application fee.

MATHEMATICS PEDAGOGY

Complete 60 semester hours including the following 8 requirement(s):

  1. REQUIRED MATHEMATICS EDUCATION COURSES

    Complete 5 courses for a total of 15 semester hours:

    MATH 811 Mathematics Education Leadership 3
    MATH 812 Mathematical Modeling for Middle Level & High School Grades 3
    MATH 813 Geometry for Middle and High School Grades 3
    MATH 814 Algebra and Analysis for Middle and High School Grades 3
    MATH 815 Critical Thinking and Cognitive Development in Mathematics 3

  2. REQUIRED EDUCATION COURSES

    Complete 4 courses to earn 12 semester hours:

    EDCO 801 Democracy and Education 3
    EDCO 802 Access to Knowledge 3
    EDCO 803 Pedagogy: The Art and Science of Teaching and Learning 3
    EDCO 804 Organizational Change, Policy and Leadership 3

  3. ELECTIVE MATHEMATICS EDUCATION COURSES

    Complete 3 courses from the following list to earn 9 semester hours.

    EDCO 711 The Classroom Community of Inquiry 3
    EDCO 712 Implications of Race and Ethnicity in U.S. Schools 3
    MATH 740 Technological Tools for Education in Mathematics 3
    MATH 741 Historical and Multicultural Foundations of Mathematical Thought 3
    MATH 742 Mathematical Modeling in the Sciences 3
    MATH 745 The Use of Teacher Knowledge in Mathematics Teaching 3
    MATH 790 Independent Study in Mathematics Education 3

  4. RESEARCH REQUIREMENT

    Complete the following 4 requirements:

    1. Complete for a total of 4 semester hours.

      EDCO 820 Qualitative Methods for Educational Research 3-4

    2. Complete for a total of 4 semester hours.

      EDCO 821 Quantitative Methods for Educational Research 3-4

    3. Complete for a total of 3 semester hours.

      MATH 825 Research in Mathematics Education 3

    4. Complete for 1 semester hours.

      MATH 830 Dissertation Proposal Seminar 1-3

  5. QUALIFYING PORTFOLIO/EXAM/ASSESSMENT

    Successfuly complete the qualifying portfolio, examination, or assessment requirement.

  6. REQUIRED DISSERTATION COURSES

    Complete the following 2 requirements:

    1. Dissertation Advisement

      Complete MATH 900 for a total of 12 semester hours.

      MATH 900 Dissertation Advisement 3-12

    2. Dissertation Extension

      After 12 hours of Dissertation Advisement, register for 1 semester hours of each semester within a 10 yr limit.

      MATH 901 Dissertation Extension 1

  7. ADMISSION TO CANDIDACY

    Following completion of pre-dissertation research courses and qualifying exam, one may be admitted to candidacy.

  8. DISSERTATION REQUIREMENT

    Complete a dissertation in accordance with University and doctoral program requirements.

Course Descriptions:

EDCO711: The Classroom Community of Inquiry

This course provides students with an opportunity to move into the theory and practice of community of inquiry, in the context of classroom and other environments (e.g. school communities, child care centers, prisons). Participants will construct a general theory of communal dialogue, with particular emphasis on its application to the structure of classroom discourse. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: Matriculation in Ed.D.in Pedagogy.

EDCO712: Implications of Race and Ethnicity in U.S. Schools

This course is designed to explore the dynamics of race and ethnicity as well as the ways in which they potentially impact democracy. The course will analyze the historic legacies of race and ethnicity within the United States and the ways in which they manifest and impact different sociopolitical systems globally. Further, a goal of this course is to heighten participants' awareness of such issues and examine the relationships between race/ethnicity and education, schooling, democratic practice and literacy development. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: Matriculation in Ed.D.in Pedagogy.

EDCO801: Democracy and Education

This course will examine the concept of democracy and a range of interrelated issues inherent in the public purposes of schooling in social and political democracies. Students will inquire into the meaning of citizenship in a democracy, and the role of schools in fostering its development and expression. This inquiry will be conducted comparatively. Varying domestic and international socio-cultural and political contexts will be examined. Students will examine various curricular and pedagogical designs and governance structures that can be associated with models of democratic schooling. The moral obligations of pedagogy and stewardship that fall to teachers in the conduct of educating for democratic citizenship will also be examined. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: Matriculation in Ed.D.in Pedagogy.

EDCO802: Access to Knowledge

This course addresses the concept of access to knowledge through an examination of multiple literacies and a range of epistemological and ethical perspectives. Knowledge construction by the learner, in literacy and subject areas, will be examined. Students will develop an understanding of the epistemological dimensions undergirding the various school subjects. Foundational epistemological theories and current thinking in the psychological, social and cultural underpinnings of literacy will be related to fundamental disciplinary groups such as arts, humanities, social and natural sciences and mathematics. Students will be encouraged to critically analyze and evaluate standard school texts and curriculum units. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: Matriculation in Ed.D.in Pedagogy.

EDCO803: Pedagogy: The Art and Science of Teaching and Learning

This course examines the art and science of teaching and learning in an evolving social and political democracy. It aims at developing an understanding that teaching and learning occur in sociocultural contexts. Themes to be explored include competing views of knowledge and their implications for curriculum construction; current theories of learning and assessment; strategies to ascertain student's prior knowledge and experience; and pedagogical practices that build upon student's cultural capital. The course will examine diverse pedagogical strategies and their relationships to the structure and epistemology of the disciplines. Special attention will be given to the moral dimensions of the teaching-learning process. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: Matriculation in Ed.D.in Pedagogy.

EDCO804: Organizational Change, Policy and Leadership

In this course, doctoral students will learn to analyze complex organizational patterns, situations and policies that define and affect diverse educational settings in the US and in other places. Students will examine various models of leadership, theories and research on change models, and the processes of educational policy formation. Students will develop an understanding of their own role as change agents. There will be a field component for this course in which students will conduct research on the development, implementation and/or evaluation of a plan for change in an educational setting. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: Matriculation in Ed.D.in Pedagogy.

EDCO820: Qualitative Methods for Educational Research

This introductory course is designed to give doctoral students a working knkowledge of the theoretical, conceptual, and practical foundations of qualitative research in education. Attention will be given to the purposes, strengths, and limitations of qualitative social science research, as well as to its social, political, and ethical dimensions. Students will learn about writing proposals for qualitative research and have some practice with qualitative data collection and analysis. Students taking the course for 4 semester hours will be required to conduct a small-scale qualitative study. 3 - 4 sh.

Prerequisites: Matriculation in a doctoral program at MSU.

EDCO821: Quantitative Methods for Educational Research

This course introduces students to major methodologies and fundamental skills of quantitative research. Students critically examine the features of common research methods, including experimental, quasi-experimental, and non-experimental designs, as well as related sampling techniques. Students study the underlying principles of educational psychological measurement, focusing on such concepts as validity, reliabiliity, and bias. Students also acquire skills for interpreting basic statistical procedures. Topics include descriptive statistics, introduction to statistical inference, and the presentation and interpretation of statistical data in educational literature. The course provides students with an opportunity to use statistical computing packages, such as SPSS, to support data analysis and interpretation. Students will learn about writing proposals for quantitative research and have some practice with data collection and analysis. Students taking the course for 4 semester hours will be required to conduct a small-scale quantitative study. 3 - 4 sh.

Prerequisites: Matriculation in a doctoral program at MSU.

MATH740: Technological Tools for Education in Mathematics

This course will explore the research literature on technology tools for education in mathematics and science in order to create a richer and more egalitarian learning environment. Classroom practices and state and national science and mathematics standards will be examined in light of research knowledge on tecnology in education. The scholarly literature on other issues related to technological literacy, such as equity, will be discussed and explored. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: MATH 512 or MATH 513 and matriculation in Ed.D.in Pedagogy or permission of graduate program coordinator.

MATH741: Historical and Multicultural Foundations of Mathematical Thought

This course will trace the historical evolution of major themes and concepts in mathematics and the role and influence of various cultures in the development of these ideas. Multicultural perspectives will survey the impact of non-European cultures, including those of Asia, Africa, the Americas, and the Middle East, on the development of mathematical thought. The course will also trace major curriculum reform movements in the teaching and learning of mathematics throughout the United States during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and their impact on contemporary school programs. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: Matriculation in Ed.D.in Pedagogy, permission of graduate program coordinator.

MATH742: Mathematical Modeling in the Sciences

The exploration of mathematical models in the sciences and issues related to the teaching and learning of such models. Includes the collection and analysis of data using modern technology. Discussion of curricula that emphasize modeling and current research related to interdisciplinary approaches to teaching mathematics and science. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: Matriculation in Ed.D.in Pedagogy. Permission of graduate program coordinator.

MATH745: The Use of Teacher Knowledge in Mathematics Teaching

General and mathematics-specific domains of teacher knowledge are defined, critiqued, compared and contrasted. In addition, they are applied in analyzing and determining the domains' roles in lesson planning, responding to students' questions, addressing students' misconceptions, and assessing student understanding. The research history on teacher knowledge is examined and critiqued with an eye towards understanding the introduction and use of the domains of knowledge being employed by current educators and researchers. The role of these knowledge domains in implementing the NCTM Standards also is examined. Articles on teacher knowledge are discussed and analyzed. These ideas are employed in analyzing classroom or interview videotapes, audiotapes, and transcripts to determine the potential use of teacher knowledge as it is instantiated in more practical situations. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: Matriculation in Ed.D.in Pedagogy, permission of graduate program coordinator.

MATH790: Independent Study in Mathematics Education

With the guidance of a member of the doctoral faculty, students investigate topics that are outside the scope of regular course offerings. This allows doctoral candidates the opportunity to explore research topics more deeply. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 semester hours.. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: Matriculation in the Ed.D. in Mathematics Pedagogy; permission of graduate program coordinator.

MATH811: Mathematics Education Leadership

Students will gain experience working for systemic change in educational programs and thus become capable of assuming a leadership role for such change. This course is designed to provide a long-term experience with nurturing pedagogy, leadership development, and stewardship of best practices. Candidates will work closely with faculty to develop goals and expectations for specific change in their work settings, where appropriate, then evaluate progress towards these goals. Candidates will conduct field work in this area, including experimental design, implementation, and evaluation of results. The course includes reading, seminars, and portfolio development as well as presentations from visiting faculty and other leaders in mathematics education. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: Matriculation in Ed.D.in Pedagogy, permission of graduate program coordinator.

MATH812: Mathematical Modeling for Middle Level & High School Grades

This course will examine mathematical modeling as a process of identifying a problem, determining a mathematical core, working within that core, and reexamining the problem to ascertain what mathematics reveals about the original problem. Specific models related to various areas of mathematics will be explored, developed, and applied in the solution of contemporary problems, and the models will serve as unifying structures in the secondary curriculum. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: Matriculation in Ed.D.in Pedagogy, permission of graduate program coordinator.

MATH813: Geometry for Middle and High School Grades

This course discusses specific topics from geometry, their impact on the changing geometry curriculum in the schools, their application through technology, and their connection to other areas within and outside mathematics. Examples include dimension, scaling, measurement, and fractal dimension, with their use as unifying themes that can be studied from several points of view, that make use of current visualization technology, and that can be applied across disciplines. Additional topics may be selected from finite and projective geometries, spherical and other non-Euclidean geometries. The roles these topics play in enhancing mathematical thinking and visualization skills, both in these classroom teachers and, ultimately, in the students whom these teachers teach, are emphasized. Classroom materials, activities, and techniques are discussed and developed and concepts explained and explored through various modes, such as hands-on manipulatives, interactive computer software, and graphing calculators. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: A background in undergraduate geometry comparable to MATH 350 and matriculation in Ed.D.in Pedagogy, permission of graduate program coordinator.

MATH814: Algebra and Analysis for Middle and High School Grades

Topics from algebra and analysis will be used to explore and unify a variety of topics in the changing school curriculum. For example, the topic of linear transformations can be used to motivate the connection between geometric transformations and the related algebra. Topics will be selected to provide students with the tools to approach algebra numerically with middle school students as well as more abstractly with advanced senior high school students. Other topics, such as the Fundamental Theorem of Algebra, complex numbers, sequences, and series will be used to bridge the gap between algebra and topics in analysis. Then topics from analysis will be used to build a firm foundation on the structure of various number systems such as real and complex numbers. Part of the course will be axiomatic and theoretical development in the classical sense. Applications of these theoretical results to the school mathematics curriculum and to other academic fields, such as physics, will be explored. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: MATH 425 and MATH 431 and matriculation in Ed.D.in Pedagogy, permission of graduate program coordinator.

MATH815: Critical Thinking and Cognitive Development in Mathematics

Cognitive development and the application of critical thinking and problem solving strategies to the teaching and learning of mathematics. Mathematical models as unifying structures will be examined together with investigations into methods of acquiring mathematical knowledge and the nature of mathematical proof. Contemporary learning theories in mathematics will be surveyed and applied in specific classroom situations. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: Matriculation in Ed.D.in Pedagogy, permission of graduate program coordinator.

MATH825: Research in Mathematics Education

This course will examine the nature of research in mathematics education, its designs and methodologies, and its impact on school curricula. Research studies in cognitive development, curriculum and instruction, the teaching-learning process, language and communication in mathematics classrooms, and critical contemporary issues in mathematics education will be examined, analyzed, and discussed from the perspective of the classroom teacher. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: Matriculation in Ed.D.in Education with a concentration in Pedagogy (Philosophy for Children) or Ed.D.in Mathematics Pedagogy, permission of graduate program coordinator.

MATH830: Dissertation Proposal Seminar

Students will work with their dissertation advisors to develop and refine their dissertation proposals. The seminar is a supplement to the formal dissertation proposal process that is outlined in the handbook. Successful completion of this course does not imply approval of the dissertation proposal. This course will be offered as pass/fail only. Cross listed with Center of Pedagogy EDCO 830 and Educational Foundations EDFD 830. 1 - 3 sh.

Prerequisites: Matriculation in Ed.D.in Education with a concentration in Pedagogy (Philosophy for Children) or Ed.D.in Mathematics Pedagogy; admission to candidacy, permission of graduate program coordinator.

MATH900: Dissertation Advisement

While enrolled in Dissertation Advisement, students will work with their dissertation advisor and dissertation committee. Credits are reported as IP (In Progress) while the dissertation is being written. At the successful conclusion of the dissertation defense, a final grade of pass will be recorded. 3 - 12 sh.

Prerequisites: Matriculation in Ed.D.in Education with a concentration in Pedagogy (Philosophy for Children) or Ed.D.in Mathematics Pedagogy; advancement to candidacy, permission of graduate program coordinator.

MATH901: Dissertation Extension

Designed to allow students to maintain their matriculation while working on their dissertation similar to that of the master's thesis extension. Once students have acquired 12 credits of EDCO/EDFD/MATH 900 Dissertation Advisement, they are permitted to enroll in 1 credit of EDCO/EDFD/MATH Dissertation Extension. Students must register every semester until and including the semester of their defense. There is a ten-year limit from the time of initial matriculation. Credits are reported as IP (In Progress) while the dissertation is being written. At the conclusion of the dissertation defense, a final grade of pass or fail will be recorded. Cross listed with EDCO 901. 1 sh.

Prerequisites: 12 credits of dissertation advisement.