The Master of Arts in Mathematics and Pedagogy [MA(MP)] programme was launched in 2011-2012. The target intakes were school teachers or teaching assistants who were keen to enrich their subject and pedagogical knowledge in Mathematics. During the first few years, the programme was implemented in a two-year part-time mode. From 2016-2017 onwards, double study tracks were carried out through the introduction of one-year full-time mode. Along with the change of students’ needs, the MA(MP) programme has been offering in one-year full-time mode only starting from 2019-2020. And gradually, more elective courses have been included in the programme to meet the needs and interests of the students.
The MA(MP) programme emphasizes the subject knowledge of mathematics, innovative pedagogical practices and flexible teaching environments. The history of mathematics, technology-based pedagogy and STEM education are integrated into the course contents. It aims at enabling the graduates to become competent mathematics teachers and enhancing their upward mobility of their teaching careers. All the courses are taught by experienced academic or teaching staff who are experts in teaching the courses concerned or academics doing active research in the relevant subject areas.
*The Programme Committee of MA(MP), taken by Eric Tang in Jan 2022
In the journey of the past ten years, the teaching team of MA(MP) has maintained the high quality of teaching. The administrative team always keeps an active communication with students. With the continuous development of the programme, the MA(MP) has received constant attention from local and non-local applicants. Enrollment has been increased in recent years. Our graduates used their professional skills to make contributions to the educational communities. Some graduates began to conduct educational research at doctoral level. In the recent Periodic Programme Review, the External Reviewers gave positive comments on the MA(MP) programme:
“The program meets the international standards based on our experience both in Asia (South Korea in particular) and North America (USA in particular). I believe that this university, compared with any other university, has better human staffs to develop a more sophisticated curriculum for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.” (Cited from External Reviewers (2019/20), Prof Cai Jinfa (University of Delaware) and Prof Lew Hee-chan (Korea National University of Education)
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic over the past two years, students had few opportunities to visit local schools. To enrich students’ practical experience, the Programme Committee has encouraged students to participate in various online seminars and events, such as Tutorials on Classroom Management and Pedagogy, STEM Education Demo, and Departmental Seminars. We expect that such experiences could strengthen students’ abilities to integrate and apply the knowledge and skills obtained from lessons through these activities.
*MA(MP) students and the course lecturer in the classroom, taken by Eric Tang in January 2022
To better equip our students to be professional reflective practitioners, the MA(MP) programme will keep in step with the dynamic local and global changes in various aspects of education, enhance the quality of teaching, cater for students’ learning diversity, strengthen connections with alumni, and step into the next fruitful years!