The Research Mathematicians in the Classroom: How Their Practice Has Potential to Foster Student Horizon

Abstract

The requirements needed to become a mathematics teacher at secondary level vary in different countries and in different teacher education programmes. In some countries, mathematics teachers are required to hold a bachelor's degree in mathematics or other STEM fields (Cooper & Zaslavsky, 2017), while in other countries it is sufficient to pass a certain number of university-level mathematics courses. For example, in Greece, only mathematics graduates are eligible to teach mathematics at secondary level (i.e. grades 7 to 12); specifically, the majority of university mathematics students 1 aspire to become secondary mathematics teachers with no obligation for further training. In the UK, in contrast, the majority of mathematics graduates work in sectors other than education. Some of those who decide to become schoolteachers pursue a degree where teacher training is an integral part or register after graduation for a school-or university-based programme in teacher education.Despite the differences, those undergraduates who are seeking to become secondary school mathematics teachers usually spend a significant part of their education in mathematics courses taught by mathematicians (Leikin, Zazkis & Meller,