Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE)
Secondary Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE)
Primary Postgraduate Certificate (Initial Training) in Community Education
Introduction
Students for the Diplomas and Certificate will be graduates entering the programmes after obtaining a recognised first degree of a UK university (or equivalent overseas qualification).
PGDE programmes are offered to graduates to enable them to qualify to teach in schools: awards are offered for both Primary and Secondary Education. Students who successfully complete their courses are recommended to the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) for provisional registration. All teacher education programmes in Scotland are governed by the Guidelines for Initial Teacher Education Courses in Scotland published by the Scottish Executive Education Department.
Placement is an integral part of teacher education programmes; it provides a context for the development of understanding and an arena for the practice and enhancement of abilities. Placement gives students the opportunity to take further their increasing skills in planning, implementing, and evaluating teaching at all relevant stages of school life, whether nursery, primary or secondary.
The one-year PGDE programmes aim to prepare students for all stages of the primary or secondary school as appropriate, providing a foundation on which they can build during their induction year. The programmes are 36 weeks in length, divided into a first term of 16 weeks and two further terms of 11 weeks and 9 weeks, with the normal starting date at the end of August. Study is divided between university-based components and practical experience in schools.
Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (Primary)
The programme aims to prepare students to teach at all stages of the nursery/primary school. There are several key elements leading to the teaching qualification:
Theory and Practice of Teaching: Extending throughout the programme, this component is concerned with the development of essential skills and with the theoretical studies to which these skills relate. It consists of four main themes: child development and learning, modes of teaching, resources of learning, and the context of the primary school.
Curriculum areas: The analysis of the major curricular areas of the primary school (language, mathematics, environmental studies, science, religious, moral and philosophical education, expressive arts, and physical education) and the ways in which these can be used to develop the knowledge, understanding and skills of pupils.
School experience: There are four periods of block placement, one at each of the following stages: nursery, infant, middle, and upper primary.
In order to obtain the award, students will be required to pass all four placements, two written assignments and three oral presentations. There will be no compensation among these nine assessments.
A student failing a placement will be given one opportunity to resit that placement.
The Diploma may be awarded as a pass or with Distinction.
Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (Secondary Education)
The following Secondary subjects are currently offered:
- Art & Design
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Computing
- Drama
- English
- Geography
- History
- Mathematics
- Modern Languages
- Music
- Physical Education
- Physics
- Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies
- Technological Education
The University-based element prepares students for work in schools and includes:
Subject studies: in the qualifying subject(s) of the student’s first degree, selected from the above list, that look at methodology and curriculum.
Professional studies: an examination of the theoretical principles underpinning teaching and learning, the practice of education and its context.
Supplementary studies: for students following a programme in one subject only (these include first level guidance, outdoor education, drama and information technology).
Equal weight will be given to school and University assessments of the student’s work. The Diploma is awarded as a pass or with Merit.
Students who fail to achieve the minimum standard on Placements 2 or 3 will be able to redeem their performance on subsequent Placements. Students who fail to achieve competence in all areas at the end of Placement 3 will be offered a maximum of one resit opportunity.
Postgraduate Certificate (Initial Training) in Community Education: PGC(IT)CE
Students for the Certificate will possess a recognised first degree or equivalent, and will be able to demonstrate substantial current or recent experience in a fieldwork setting and a commitment to the field of community education. Students must be at least over the age of 23 on completion of the course. The Certificate, which is a professional qualification as well as an academic award, is not classified and is awarded as a pass only.
The programme consists of academic and fieldwork elements, all of which must be passed successfully to achieve the award of this professional qualification.
Areas of study include:
Professional practice: Concurrent and block fieldwork practice; practice workshops; social purpose, educational practice and the policy context.
Methods and Approaches: Social Justice, Educational Groupwork, Educational Methodologies, Building and Managing Organisations.
Community Education Studies: History and Theory, Adult Education, Community Work, Working with Young People, Re-Theorising Community, and one elective from Adult Education, Youth Work, Community Work, and another elective from Globalisation and Communities, Health Issues and Community Education, Independent Study Project, Partnerships: Purposes and Problems, and Social Sciences and Education.