Elementary Teaching, M.A.

Program Description

The Master of Arts in Elementary Teaching (MAT) is designed for individuals who hold a bachelor’s degree in a field other than education and decide to become teachers. The program is not designed for teachers who already have initial teacher certification, other than those graduate students who have completed a Transition to Teaching (T2T) program. The MAT program leads to initial K-6 teacher certification in Indiana. Candidates gain understanding of child development as they learn and apply instructional and assessment strategies to improve achievement of elementary students’ achievement in reading, mathematics, social studies, and science.

Program Outcomes

1. Design and deliver integrated, differentiated instruction with integrity that is responsive to student diversity and differences and promotes high achievement for all students. 
2. Apply standards-based, data-driven decision making, and integrated differentiated instruction using appropriate technologies and tools to improve the achievement of all students. 
3. Demonstrate in-depth understanding of assessment and use assessment results to inform instructional decision making. 
4. Collaborate with others to establish a well-organized, positive learning environment which supports the development of leadership skills, improves student achievement, and maintains the high ethical teaching standards of the educational profession. 
5. Engage in continuous professional growth, intellectual development, inquiry, and research reflective of educational needs and goals within a changing national and international society. 
6. Use knowledge of scientifically based research, developmental knowledge, and educational theory to plan and deliver instruction in content areas, including reading, language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, fine arts, health, wellness, and physical education, for the purpose of improving the achievement of all students. 

Mission Statement

The mission of the Master of Arts in Elementary Education is to prepare students to teach in K-6 classroom settings using effective curriculum designing, instructional methods, assessment and classroom management strategies for graduate students seeking teacher certification.