'Profound understanding of fundamental mathematics': a study into aspects of the development of a curriculum for content and pedagogical subject knowledge.

The Mathematics Enhancement Course (MEC) is now in its third year of national provision in England. It is a programme funded by the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA, formerly Teacher Training Agency TTA) which is aimed at graduates whose mathematics background is insufficient for entry to a PGCE or other route to Qualified Teacher Status in the subject, but who otherwise are suitable candidates for initial teacher education programmes. The course has a strong focus upon the development of subject knowledge (TDA 2003). The university where this study is carried out was part of the MEC pilot which ran for two years prior to expansion to national provision; thus this is its fifth year of running the course. Within the specification for the MEC, there was a key emphasis upon the nature of mathematical subject knowledge that should be nurtured by the course: