Course description
PGCert
The Postgraduate Certificate in Advanced Educational Practice is designed to support school improvement initiatives through the professional development of practising teachers. It is part of the Postgraduate Professional Development Framework provided by the Westminster Institute of Education and comprises three modules of study. The framework forms one of the most flexible set of programmes and routes for teachers to take award-bearing professional development programmes in the country. Schools, groups of schools, local authorities and other educational organisations can commission Oxford Brookes University to develop and run 'bespoke' programmes provided at local centres as well as at our campus in Oxford.
Teacher participants successfully completing one of the three module programmes receive a Postgraduate Certificate in Advanced Educational Practice – or 60 credits towards a postgraduate degree at master's level.
Course content
You will complete three modules, each worth 20 M-level credits. Each named pathway comprises a set of modules from which each student group will select three modules.
A range of named awards are available. These include:
* Advanced Early Years
* Advanced Pedagogy for Mathematics Teachers
* Advanced Pedagogy for Modern Foreign Language Teachers
* Advanced Pedagogy for Music Teachers
* Advanced Pedagogy for PE Teachers †
* Advanced Pedagogy in Drama Teaching
* Artist Teacher Scheme
* Assessment for Learning through Coaching
* Coaching and Mentoring in Schools
* Cognitive Acceleration in Learning and Teaching (PDF format)
* Creative Practice, Arts and Culture
* Early Career Leadership
* Early Professional Development (PDF format)
* e-Pedagogy in Gifted and Talented Education
* Enterprise Education †
* Gifted and Talented Education
* Leadership and Management
* Leading Professional Learning
* Literacy Difficulties
* Managing the Primary Curriculum
* Mentoring New Teachers
* Philosophy for Children
* Postgraduate Certificate in Advanced Educational Practice (non-named award).
* Raising Attainment in English Teaching
* School Improvement and Development
* Social, Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties (SEBD)
* Special Educational Needs (SEN)
* Supporting Leadership Pathways †
* Teaching and Learning for Exceptionally Able Pupils
* Teaching for Personal Development and Wellbeing
* Thinking, Learning and the Curriculum
For all the awards, the programmes aim to develop students’:
* knowledge, understanding, skills and experience in order to carry out research in educational institutions and services
* capacity to evaluate perspectives, policies and practice at individual, institutional, local, national and international levels
* critical awareness of educational policies and debates in a comparative context, including their impact on policy and practice in particular institutions and organisations
* ability to contribute to contemporary educational debate and research
* critical and independent thought as a basis for enhanced professional practice
* capacity to act as effective professionals, including acting as a consultant to colleagues in particular areas of the curriculum, teaching and management
* capacity to communicate and collaborate effectively with learners, colleagues, clients and the community.
Modes of study
The course has been designed to offer a range of modes of participation. These are:
* part-time: taught sessions held at Oxford Brookes University
* part-time with online learning
* part-time: at local study centres (the responsibility for the organisation of local study centres to be undertaken by those wishing to take advantage of such arrangements)
* summer schools with online learning.
The approaches employed are intended to promote both constructive and critical reflection on a range of professional, research and study skills. Opportunities are also provided for comparative activities and discussions involving teacher participants from different schools with a wide range of professional responsibilities in order to develop comparative perspectives, analysis and understanding.
Teaching, learning and assessment
Teaching is organised on a modular basis, involving approximately 24 hours of face-to-face teaching, seminars and online discussions, plus 176 hours of directed study, independent investigation and assignment writing.
Many students on the programme are experienced professionals in education, and the methods of teaching, learning and assessment recognise the high standards demanded by this group. All teaching, learning and assessment draw on the different professional backgrounds, experience and knowledge of participants, and encourage critical reflection on that experience and knowledge.
A variety of assessment modes are employed, appropriate to the topics of study and the range of academic/professional skills and perspectives which the awards are designed to develop. Assignment tasks will be resonant with the variety of approaches to assessment, evaluation and appraisal found within education. Assessed work may therefore include evaluative reports, critical essays, practical projects, seminar presentations, group work, portfolio collections, online presentations, critiques and investigative research.
Quality
Teaching quality at the Institute was acknowledged by the recent Quality Assurance Agency assessments.
In recognition of our high standards, the Training and Development Agency for Schools has approved funding for the professional development of teachers. This will mean that substantially subsidised places will be available on award-bearing courses until 2011.
The Westminster Institute of Education is the largest provider of government-funded continuing professional development.
