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Do you need a Maths degree to be a Maths teacher?

emmaxoxo

The maths you learn at Uni seems and sounds very hard now reading about it. I want to be a Maths teacher teaching Yr7 to Yr13 (including 6th form/college).

Do you have to do a whole Maths degree, or is there some other kind of course you can do to be able to teach Maths? Or like a combined course where you learn only what you need or something..?

It's seems silly having to learn all this Maths, that your not going to teach!

I really enjoy maths, I'm not "gifted" at it, and have to work really hard at, but I still love it

Reply 1

thetopnotch

I can't answer this for certain but just looking at the Maths department at my old school one of my teachers did a Physics degree, another did a Maths and Economics degree, one did a Maths ans Philosophy degree but the other 4 did Maths degrees as far as I know :smile:

Hopefully someone else can give a definitive answer :smile:

Reply 2

Morbo

emmaxoxo

Don't sweat how hard and scary uni maths looks. If you're on a good grade at A-level, you'll be able to do it.

And generally, you need to be a level above what you're teaching. It takes a heck of a lot more understanding to teach a subject than to learn it!

Reply 3

kingtoke

emmaxoxo

No but it has to me maths related. So either physics, engineering, or something similar. You do need a degree though that's for sure

Reply 4

emmaxoxo

kingtoke

No but it has to me maths related. So either physics, engineering, or something similar. You do need a degree though that's for sure

What kind of degrees then?..obviously ones that include Maths

What's engineering like? Easier than maths degrees or not...

Reply 5

kingtoke

emmaxoxo

What kind of degrees then?..obviously ones that include Maths

What's engineering like? Easier than maths degrees or not...

To be honest I doubt any of the alternative degrees you could do are any easier or harder. It sounds like you might be basing a life changing decision on the wrong basis. You're gonna be doing a degree for three years, and if you don't want to drop out then make sure you find it interesting.

I'm not sure exactly what other degrees you could do (the examples earlier were all degrees some of the maths teachers at my school had done) but if you do some searches on google i'm sure it wont be hard to find

Reply 6

Cardozo

No. Depends what level...

There are general teaching degrees. Or even a degree with GCSE's allows you to be a teacher. But if you want to be HighSchool/College level then the Degree is probabl necersary.

Reply 7

win2kpro

emmaxoxo

What kind of degrees then?..obviously ones that include Maths

What's engineering like? Easier than maths degrees or not...

I dont think there is such a degree that is "easier" than others.

Do the one you will enjoy the most and dont be scared by how hard it looks!

When doing Gcse's and looking at A level maths, I found it looked very hard, obviously it does, most things look hard untill you understand them. :smile:

Good luck with it!

Reply 8

CapturedSoul

If you're teaching maths at GCSE you need at least an A-level in maths, and a degree to teach A-level maths (I think).

Reply 9

TLG

emmaxoxo

Ebay is pretty good too. You find weird stuff on there. Plus saves you the money you would pay to earn that degree.

Reply 10

emmaxoxo

I have had another look at the UCAS site, and there are some courses that offer Maths Education -- where you do 2-3yrs and get your teaching degree aswell. like at Manchester Met (MMU), are these courses as good as doing just Maths by there self?

Or is a Maths degree better and then doing a teaching degree, rather than doing it all together? Is Maths Education a bit of a black-listed course?

Also probably the most stupid question ever, but whats the different between a MMath, BA, ad BSc?

Reply 11

MrShifty

emmaxoxo

It's difficult to compare the two, especially since the MMU site doesn't actually give much information on the degree. Judging by the summary they give, it seems like the mathematical content is largely confined to A-level material with the emphasis very much placed on the educational side. Quite how this is regarded in the teaching profession, I have no idea, though I would expect someone with a maths degree + a PGCE might have an advantage. Having said that, there is a shortage of maths teachers in general, so that might not be too much of a problem. Perhaps it would be wise for you to ask your own teachers about the course, and what their view of it is.

Also probably the most stupid question ever, but whats the different between a MMath, BA, ad BSc?

MMath, Master of mathematics, is a four year undergraduate degree in mathematics.

The BA, bacherlor of arts, and BSc, bachelor of science, are both three year undergraduate degree. As qualifications they're equivalent, the difference in the name simply refers to the different nature of the subject studied (except at some universities, such as Oxford, who give all of their three year undergraduate degrees the title of BA).

Reply 12

Edwin Brophy

Getting a maths degree if you want to be a maths teacher, definitely a wise choice. Stage 3 of a maths degree gets a bit hard though. If you don’t complete a maths degree, consider a diploma in teaching mathematics, numeracy but this option option not as good as an OU course in Mathematics.

Reply 13

Edwin Brophy

You are right about it seeming silly that you should have to learn all this maths that you are not going to teach but there is a workaround. While you are still an undergraduate in mathematics you can get teaching practice teaching mathematics. If it turns out the degree overwhelms you with mathematics don't worry, I've been there. Do a distance learning course in mathematics with the OU if you drop out of your brick uni and move to an easier module. If that still doesn't work out, change degree course and then do a pgce. That way you get more options about what you want to teach if you don't just want to teach mathematics. Or do a bachelor in education, if you want to teach in a primary school. Or a level 5 diploma in education and training, teaching mathematics; if mathematics is the only thing you want to teach. There is no need at all to be put off doing a maths degree when wanting to teach mathematics, when there is a will there is a way. You may even find the maths degree OK with hard work and get onto a pgce in mathematics, if you want to get into more senior, consultant roles in mathematics education.