Postgraduate Certificate in Education PGCE Secondary Geography
ObjectivesThe Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) programmes now include 40 credits of assessment at Master's Level (Level M). For candidates who opt not to attempt the requisite credit at Level M, a Professional Graduate Certificate in Education will be available as an alternative award. The Secondary Postgraduate Certificate in Education is a one academic year (36 week) course that trains graduates to be secondary school teachers of Geography. The PGCE programme has been designed to train teachers for the full secondary age phase (11-18). Trainees are assessed against the standards for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) in two key stages, normally KS3 and KS4. In the first half of the autumn term, some trainees may seek to change this to Key Stage 4 and post-16, this will be subject to discussion with the Programme Leader. The course is active and practical allowing trainees to develop professional competence through work undertaken in schools and in the University. Trainees work with young people, develop their expertise in their specialist subject area, share and discuss educational issues and study relevant educational research. The course is just the beginning of what we hope will be a process of continual professional development throughout a challenging and rewarding career. The PGCE Secondary Programme has been awarded a Grade 1 (outstanding) for Management and Quality Assurance from OfSTED (Office for Standards in Education) and all of the nine subjects have received good or very good OfSTED grades.
Entry requirementsApplicants normally have: -a good honours degree (2:2 or above) or equivalent with at least 50% in a related subject (relating to the subject you want to teach) -English and Mathematics GCSE grade C or equivalent (equivalency tests in English Language and Mathematics may be available for some applicants) -to have spent between one to seven days in a classroom observing geography being taught in a comprehensive school Applicants who do not meet the minimum academic entry requirements, but have significant life and/or work experience will be considered on an individual basis.
Academic titlePostgraduate Certificate in Education PGCE Secondary Geography
Course descriptionContent
The course is part of the School of Education's programme for Initial Teacher Training. Units studied are:
-Enabling Learning
-Meeting Curriculum Challenges
-Becoming a Teacher
These units are studied in both the school and the University-based parts of the course, the work on each site being complementary.
We aim to help you to develop:
-your skills, knowledge and understanding of geography as set out in the National Curriculum, GCSE, AS/A2 and of the contribution of geography to Advanced VCE courses
-activities that promote an enquiry-based approach to teaching and learning
-fieldwork and other geographical skills, such as mapwork, the use of photographs, satellite images and ICT
-an appreciation of the importance of geography in the school curriculum and its contribution to other areas of the curriculum including citizenship and environmental education
-knowledge of teaching and learning approaches in other humanities subjects including history and religious education
-your use of technology, including active learning techniques with videos and ICT within a geography context
-your sensitivity to the teaching of the many important and controversial issues that arise in our subject
-We offer a course that has access to a wide range of resources to help you plan your school and university-based work. You will have practical teaching experience in two differing schools and will be supported by tutors and mentors from both schools and the University. The course sets out to support trainee teachers make the most of their year working in partnership with the University and our partner schools. Ultimately it is about making our subject stimulating, exciting and relevant to the students of today's classroom. If you share this enthusiasm for geography then our PGCE course is the one for you.
Placements
24 weeks are spent on placement: a total of eight weeks in one placement during the autumn term and 16 weeks in a second placement during the spring and summer.
As well as teaching, the programme includes contact time with a Senior Professional Tutor and a Subject Mentor, directed study time and personal study time.
There is an opportunity to spend time in a primary school and some students may also visit other institutions, such as special schools or colleges of further education.
Assessment
In order to pass the course, trainees are required to pass each unit. You are assessed on a number of written assignments and also on classroom practice against the standards specified by the Secretary of State for the award of QTS. Before the end of the course it is recommended that trainees take the computer-based QTS skills tests in Numeracy, Literacy and ICT which are set by the Training and Development Agency (TDA).