Graduate Certificate of Mathematics and Physical Sciences Education

The Invergowrie Foundation and Monash University's Faculty of Education are pleased to introduce a new Graduate Certificate of Mathematics and Physical Sciences Education, commencing in Semester 1, 2027.

Thanks to the support of The Invergowrie Foundation, all places are fully funded through scholarships.

Facts and figures

Part time over two years
Commencing in Semester 1, 2027
Multi-modal

face-to-face workshops and online learning
fully funded

Program overview

Bringing together Monash's expertise in teacher education and the Invergowrie Foundation's long-standing commitment to advancing education for girls and women, this innovative postgraduate qualification has been designed to strengthen expertise in senior secondary mathematics and physics while supporting greater participation and achievement of girls and young women in STEM.

You will develop disciplinary knowledge in senior secondary mathematics and physical sciences, along with the pedagogical expertise to design and deliver engaging, evidence-based teaching in these fields.

You will build skills in applying data-informed and technology-enhanced practices to improve student learning outcomes, while promoting gender equity and inclusion in STEM education. You will also be prepared to lead innovation and curriculum development in mathematics and physical sciences education, and to contribute to educational improvement within schools and systems.

Learning outcomes

These course outcomes are aligned with Australian Qualifications Framework Level 8 and Monash Graduate Attributes.

Upon successful completion of this course, it is expected that you will be able to:

demonstrate advanced and integrated understanding of core mathematical and physical science concepts relevant to senior secondary curricula, including the capacity to identify and address common student misconceptions
design, implement, and evaluate evidence-based teaching practices that enhance students’ conceptual understanding, problem-solving, and critical reasoning in mathematics and physical sciences
apply inclusive, gender-responsive, and culturally aware pedagogical approaches that encourage participation and achievement of girls and other underrepresented groups in mathematics and physical sciences fields
use educational technologies, data, and assessment evidence to inform teaching, evaluate learning, and improve student outcomes in mathematics and physical sciences
demonstrate leadership and reflective practice in designing, implementing, and evaluating innovative approaches to curriculum development and mathematics and physical sciences education improvement within school or system contexts.

Course details

Duration:: Two years part time
Deferment and intermission are not available.
Commmence:: Semester 1, 2027
Delivery format:: Multi-modal with a blend of coursework, face-to-face workshops and synchronous and asynchronous online learning.
Location:: Face-to-face workshops will be delivered at Ivanhoe Girls Grammar School, 123 Marshall Street, Ivanhoe and Monash University, Clayton campus

Course structure

This course is completed over two years and consists of four units, totalling 24 credit points.

Year 1

Semester 1

EDF5320: Core concepts in senior mathematics and physics

6 credit points

Semester 2

EDF5321: Pedagogies for deep learning in senior mathematics and physics

6 credit points

Year 2

Semester 1

EDF5322: Assessment and data-led practice in senior mathematics and physics

6 credit points

Semester 2

EDF5323: Leading practice in senior mathematics and physics education

6 credit points

Unit overviews

Core concepts in senior mathematics and physics
In this unit, you will deepen your understanding of the core concepts that underpin senior secondary mathematics and physics, with a particular focus on the ideas, representations, and reasoning practices that enable students to build robust conceptual knowledge. You will examine key disciplinary ideas across senior curricula, with attention to common student misconceptions and the conceptual obstacles that can arise when learning abstract mathematical and physical principles. Through collaborative inquiry, you will explore ways of unpacking complex concepts using models, visualisations, multiple representations, and purposeful mathematical and scientific reasoning.
You will investigate evidence-based approaches for identifying students’ prior knowledge, interpreting their thinking, and using diagnostic insights to inform pedagogical decision-making. Inclusive and gender-responsive practices will be emphasised throughout, enabling you to recognise structural and cultural factors that shape participation and achievement for girls and other underrepresented groups in mathematics and physics. By the end of the unit, you will be able to analyse key conceptual ideas with disciplinary depth, design learning experiences that address misconceptions, and apply insights from research to support equitable and engaging senior mathematics and physics learning environments.
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you should be able to:
1. analyse core concepts in senior mathematics and physics, including their representations, structures and common areas of student misconception
2. interpret and evaluate students’ conceptual understanding using evidence from diagnostic tools, classroom tasks, or assessment artefacts
3. apply inclusive and gender-responsive approaches that support effective engagement and conceptual progression in senior mathematics and physics
4. design learning experiences that promote deep conceptual understanding using enquiry-based approaches, multiple representations and disciplinary reasoning
5. critically engage with research literature to inform conceptual analysis, teaching decisions and professional practice in mathematics and physics education.
Assessment 1 (40%):
Concept analysis portfolio (1600 words or equivalent)
You will construct a portfolio analysing core concepts from senior mathematics and/or physics, including representations, conceptual structures, and misconceptions, drawing on research and curriculum documents.
Assessment 2 (60%):
Learning design project (2400 words or equivalent)
You will design an enquiry-based learning experience that addresses identified misconceptions, integrates multiple representations, and incorporates gender-inclusive strategies to support conceptual understanding in senior mathematics or physics.
Pedagogies for deep learning in senior mathematics and physics
In this unit, you will investigate pedagogical approaches that promote deep conceptual learning in senior secondary mathematics and physics. You will explore problem-based learning (PBL), inquiry models, modelling pedagogies, and other evidence-based strategies shown to strengthen students’ reasoning, problem-solving, and capacity to work with abstract and applied ideas. Using authentic, complex problems drawn from mathematics, physics and interdisciplinary STEM contexts, you will examine how deep learning can be supported through purposeful task design, scaffolding, dialogue, and opportunities for students to engage in exploratory and collaborative thinking.
A significant focus of the unit is understanding how pedagogical decisions influence students’ engagement and participation, including the ways that gender, identity, and classroom norms shape students’ willingness to persist with challenging mathematical and physical problems. You will analyse research on motivation, mindset, belonging and stereotype threat, and consider how such insights can inform equitable and inclusive PBL environments. By the end of the unit, you will be able to design rich learning experiences that cultivate conceptual insight, creativity, persistence, and agency in senior mathematics and physics learners.
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you should be able to:
1. analyse and evaluate pedagogical theories and approaches that support deep learning in senior mathematics and physics
2. design problem-based learning experiences that foster conceptual understanding, reasoning, and inquiry in mathematics and physics
3. apply gender-responsive and inclusive pedagogical strategies that promote equitable participation in problem-solving and deep learning activities
4. critically examine research literature to inform pedagogical choices and evaluate the impact of pedagogies on student learning
5. reflect on and justify pedagogical decisions using evidence-based reasoning and insights from professional and research contexts.
Assessment 1 (40%):
Pedagogical Analysis Task (1600 words or equivalent)
You will analyse a problem-based pedagogical approach, drawing on research literature, curriculum expectations, and classroom scenarios to identify how deep learning is fostered in mathematics or physics.
Assessment 2 (60%):
Learning Design Portfolio (2400 words or equivalent)
You will design a problem-based learning sequence for a senior mathematics or physics concept, incorporating inclusive and gender-responsive strategies, scaffolding for deep learning, and a rationale grounded in research.
Assessment and data-led practice in senior mathematics and physics
In this unit, you will examine how assessment evidence and data-informed approaches support effective teaching and learning in senior secondary mathematics and physics. You will explore formative, summative and diagnostic assessment strategies, analysing how different forms of evidence can be used to identify student understanding, track progress, and inform decisions about instruction. Through examining authentic case studies including student work samples, error patterns, assessment interviews and classroom data you will learn to interpret evidence critically and apply data-led reasoning to scaffold and extend learning.
You will investigate how data and assessment practices can perpetuate or challenge inequities, considering how gender, identity and classroom culture influence students’ experiences of assessment and their opportunities to demonstrate understanding. The unit emphasises ethical, inclusive and purposeful assessment design that supports diverse learners and strengthens conceptual development in mathematics and physics. By the end of the unit, you will be able to analyse student learning using multiple data sources, design assessment approaches that promote deep understanding, and use data to guide responsive and equitable teaching practice.
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you should be able to:
1. analyse and evaluate assessment practices in senior mathematics and physics, including their purposes, strengths and limitations
2. interpret student learning data from multiple sources, identifying patterns, misconceptions and opportunities for conceptual growth
3. apply data-led reasoning to plan or adapt teaching strategies that support diverse learners in senior mathematics and physics
4. design inclusive and gender-responsive assessment approaches that promote equitable participation and meaningful demonstration of learning
Assessment 1 (40%):
Data analysis task (1600 words or equivalent)
You will analyse a set of student data (e.g., work samples, diagnostic results, interview excerpts, or task responses) to identify patterns in student thinking, conceptual strengths and common misconceptions in mathematics or physics.
Assessment 2 (60%):
Assessment and Intervention Plan (2400 words or equivalent)
Drawing on your analysis of student data, you will design an assessment-informed teaching plan that includes strategies for addressing misconceptions, supporting diverse learners, and embedding inclusive and gender-responsive assessment practices.
Leading practice in senior mathematics and physics education
In this unit, you will explore what it means to lead professional practice and innovation in senior secondary mathematics and physics education. You will investigate research-informed approaches to curriculum development, teacher professional learning, and pedagogical improvement, considering how educators can act as change agents within their schools and systems. Drawing on contemporary literature, policy directions, and case studies of effective STEM leadership, you will examine the conditions that support and hinder improvement in mathematics and physics teaching.
A key focus of the unit is supporting you to analyse your own professional context and identify opportunities to strengthen practice, collaboration, and equity. You will consider how leadership in STEM education intersects with issues of gender, participation, and social justice, and how teachers can design initiatives that promote inclusive and engaging learning pathways for girls and other underrepresented groups. By the end of the unit, you will be able to use research processes to investigate a local problem of practice, propose evidence-informed solutions, and articulate a personal philosophy for leading improvement in mathematics and physics education.
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you should be able to:
1. analyse research and policy literature relevant to leadership and innovation in senior mathematics and physics education
2. evaluate professional practice challenges and opportunities in your own educational context using evidence-informed frameworks
3. apply research methods to investigate a problem of practice related to senior mathematics or physics teaching and learning
4. design and justify strategies for leading equitable, inclusive and gender-responsive improvements in mathematics and physics education
5. articulate a reflective and research-informed professional identity as a leader in senior STEM education.
Assessment 1 (40%):
Professional inquiry proposal (1600 words or equivalent)
You will develop a proposal for a small-scale inquiry into a leadership or improvement challenge in senior mathematics or physics education, informed by research literature and contextual analysis.
Assessment 2 (60%):
Leadership portfolio (2400 words or equivalent)
You will develop a portfolio that presents your inquiry findings, proposes evidence-informed strategies for leading improvement, and articulates your emerging identity and philosophy as a leader in senior mathematics and physics education.

Workload requirements

The minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for each unit is 144 hours per teaching period comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study.

Usually, you can expect to engage with:

12 hours of scheduled learning delivered on campus via weekly/regular directed learning activities, 12 hours of scheduled learning delivered online via a combination of synchronous and asynchronous directed learning activities, and the remaining hours to be allocated towards self-directed/independent study

24 hours of scheduled learning delivered online via a combination of synchronous and asynchronous directed learning activities, and the remaining hours to be allocated towards self-directed/independent study

Scheduled learning activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.

Scholarship application

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply for a scholarship, you need to:

currently teach, or aspire to teach, senior secondary mathematics or physics
have the support and endorsement of your principal
satisfy Monash University's admission requirements, including:
- an Australian bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in initial teacher education, with at least a pass average (50%)
- qualifications that meet the requirements for teacher registration in Australia, together with current VIT registration
- Monash University's English language requirements for admission.

Application process

Scholarship recipients will be selected by a panel appointed by the Invergowrie Foundation and will be invited to apply for a place via the Monash University Portal. Applicants who satisfy Monash University’s admission requirements will be offered a place.

Eligible teachers are invited to submit their scholarship application to admin@invergowrie.org.au by 5:00 pm on Monday 21 September 2026.

Please complete the Application form with an endorsement from your principal and include with your application:

A personal statement addressing your primary motivation for wanting to participate in this Graduate Certificate course and how learnings from this course will impact your classroom practice.
A curriculum vitae

Download application form

Key dates

5:00 pm, 21 September 2026

Scholarship applications close.

7 September – 2 October 2026

The Invergowrie Foundation assesses scholarship applications and notifies applicants of the outcome.

Note: Additional information may be requested from applicants during the assessment period to support the selection process.

Scholarship recipient details are provided to Monash University.

5 – 23 October 2026

Successful scholarship applicants are invited by Monash University to apply for admission to the course via the Monash University Portal by 23 October 2026.

26 October – 6 November 2026

Monash University assesses applications against the University's admission requirements. See eligibility criteria above.

9 November 2026

Monash University notifies successful applicants.

9 – 30 November 2026

Applicants must accept the course offer by enrolling.

1 March 2027

Course commencement

Enquiries

Sponsorship application enquiries:

Kim Bartlett, CEO of the Invergowrie Foundation
admin@invergowrie.org.au

Course enquiries:

Monash Connect
1800 MONASH (1800 666 274)

Graduate Certificate of Mathematics and Physical Sciences Education