Module manager: Innocent Tasara
Email: I.Tasara@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable
Year running 2026/27
GCSE in mathematics or equivalent
EDUC3060 Mathematics Education
This module is approved as a discovery module
This module explores how mathematics is learned, the social and material environments that shape this learning, and how mathematical understanding can be assessed. Throughout the sessions, you will engage with carefully selected mathematical tasks. While these tasks will not exceed A-level content, they will be deliberately non-routine and designed to prompt deeper reflection on the processes of mathematical thinking and learning. Drawing on your own experiences of learning mathematics, the module will critically examine key themes, including the nature of mathematical activity, the role of tools and representations, and contemporary approaches to assessment in mathematics education. These discussions will help you develop a richer understanding of how mathematical knowledge is constructed, supported, and evaluated in educational settings.
The module will enable you to:
Identify and articulate key learning theories that have significantly influenced contemporary mathematics education.
Analyse the societal factors and expectations that shape policy, practice, and learner experiences within mathematics education.
Differentiate between a range of assessment approaches used in mathematics and critically evaluate their respective advantages and limitations.
Critically discuss the role of tools, technologies, and representations in supporting or constraining the learning and understanding of mathematics.
Reflect on and connect theoretical perspectives with their own experiences of learning mathematics, demonstrating an ability to contextualise personal learning within broader educational debates.
On successful completion of the module, you will be able to:
Explain the range of institutional, pedagogical, and contextual factors that shape the teaching and learning of mathematics in educational settings.
Analyse the multiple dimensions of mathematical activity and evaluate the cultural and societal influences that inform and shape mathematical practices.
Critically discuss major theories of learning in mathematics and assess the ways in which these theoretical perspectives have informed and influenced institutional approaches to mathematics education.
Evaluate the roles of tools, technologies, and assessment practices in supporting, mediating, or constraining mathematical activity and learners’ mathematical development.
On successful completion of the module, you will be able to:
Exercise critical thinking, examining a range of arguments and perspectives and drawing on appropriate evidence to formulate well-reasoned opinions, arguments, theories, and ideas.
Produce reflective writing that clearly articulates knowledge and understanding, makes meaningful connections to personal experience, and demonstrates learning, development, and insight derived from those experiences.
Communicate effectively through academic writing, constructing coherent and well-supported arguments, drawing on relevant evidence, and adhering to established academic conventions and standards.
Search for, evaluate, and use information effectively, identifying appropriate, credible, and relevant sources to strengthen the quality and rigour of academic work and research.
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seminars | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Lecture | 11 | 2 | 22 |
| Private study hours | 174 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 26 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 200 | ||
On successful completion of the module, you will be able to:
Exercise critical thinking, examining a range of arguments and perspectives and drawing on appropriate evidence to formulate well-reasoned opinions, arguments, theories, and ideas.
Produce reflective writing that clearly articulates knowledge and understanding, makes meaningful connections to personal experience, and demonstrates learning, development, and insight derived from those experiences.
Communicate effectively through academic writing, constructing coherent and well-supported arguments, drawing on relevant evidence, and adhering to established academic conventions and standards.
Search for, evaluate, and use information effectively, identifying appropriate, credible, and relevant sources to strengthen the quality and rigour of academic work and research.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Essay | Critical analysis | 100 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
Normally, resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated.
Check the module area in Minerva for your reading list
Last updated: 30/04/2026
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team