Three UCLan Mathematics Students are celebrating a triple success after each secured a prestigious Mathematics Teacher Training Scholarship. The trio, Lauren, Jamie and Alana successfully negotiated the selection panel to win the scholarships that will fund their teacher training studies after graduation.
Jamie told us “I was delighted to be awarded the IMA Scholarship, as it carries a certain prestige. It also represents the body’s faith in my potential as a teacher, so I feel honoured to be chosen.” Lauren added “It actually took a few days to sink in, it felt too good to be true, but once it finally did I was really excited.”
Commenting on the benefits of the scholarships, Alana said “I feel the scholarship will help in my training year as it provides lots of resources and materials. It will also allow me to be involved in a large community of maths enthusiasts which will be great to discuss ideas and experiences.”
All three students are currently participating in the University Ambassador Scheme (UAS) teaching placements as part of a new initiative by the UCLan Maths course team. The placement module allows students interested in teaching to spend time in schools, developing their teaching skills and gaining experience as part of their academic studies.
“The UAS module has helped me gain the experience needed to apply for my PGCE whilst still working towards my degree. It also helped me within the scholarship preparation as I based my presentation and discussion parts of the IMA assessment on lessons I have observed through the module” Alana explained.
“The UAS module being spread over the year enables you to see the changes and challenges faced within schools. It gave me a realistic look into teaching and meant I had a real understanding of what goes on in schools. This helped me answer the interview questions honestly, with real life examples” Lauren commented.
The scholarships are administered by the Institute of Mathematics and Its Applications.