Certificate in Mathematics Teaching (Grades 5-9)

Acadia University's Certificate in Mathematics Teaching (Grades 5-9) will build your skills as a math educator for grades 5-9 (including grade 4/5 splits). The certificate is designed for teachers without a strong background in mathematics or for those seeking to update their knowledge of math curriculum and pedagogy. Our certificate addresses professional development needs identified by the Nova Scotia Department of Education, and the Minister's Advisory Committee on Teacher Certification.

This 30 credit-hour post-B.Ed. program will be offered on a part-time basis through a combination of summer courses and evening courses supported by on-line delivery formats. The first six courses (18 credit hours) include undergraduate mathematics courses focusing on key topics in mathematics curriculum at the target grade levels. The final four courses (12 credit hours) include graduate education courses in pedagogy, curriculum practice and instructional design, and assessment, all focused on these elements as applied to mathematics teaching. 

Most courses will be scheduled on weekends or evenings during the regular academic terms and in May/June. Intensive courses will also be scheduled at Acadia during July/August. Intensive courses will enable cohorts to develop a professional learning community as they complete the degree and beyond. 

The certificate combines undergraduate math courses in topics central to curriculum with graduate courses in education that focus on mathematics pedagogy, in order to provide you with both the content area support and the specific pedagogical knowledge to sharpen your math teaching. The courses are structured to offer a "scope and sequence" approach to math curriculum, providing you with an understanding of the development of these concepts across the grades, as well as the role those concepts play in understanding math in future grades.

Note: This post-baccalaureate certificate program has been approved by the Nova Scotia Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development for use towards a higher classification of teacher’s certificate. Please note in order for teachers to be eligible for an increase in certificate classification, they must obtain pre-approval for the certificate program through the Office of Teacher Certification.

In this program, you'll develop:

• A broad understanding of mathematics topics and concepts central to math curriculum in grades 5-9, with a focus on how students develop these concepts, on problems that may arise in learning/teaching these concepts, and how the topics are both inter-related and related to continuing topics in the public school math curriculum.
• An understanding of current research and theory in math pedagogy, and how it informs current math curricula.
• An understanding of individual, small group, and whole group curriculum and instructional design for the teaching of mathematics.
• An understanding of assessment as it applies to the learning of mathematics in these key grades.