Postgraduate Certificate in Education PGCE Secondary Science

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University of the West of England

Comments about Postgraduate Certificate in Education PGCE Secondary Science - At the institution - Bristol City - Bristol

• Objectives
  The 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 PGCE is a one academic year (36 week) course that trains graduates to be secondary school teachers of Sciences some of whom have particular expertise in teaching post-16 Biology (under review). 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 requirements
  Applicants normally have: -a good honours degree (2:2 or above) or equivalent with at least 50% in a related subject (related to the subject you want to teach eg Biology or Biochemistry -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 science 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 title
  Postgraduate Certificate in Education PGCE Secondary Science
• Course description
  Content
  
  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.
  
  Guiding young people to develop an understanding of how scientists set about investigating the world, what science can answer and, probably more important in some ways, what it cannot, is exciting and very rewarding. Helping pupils to address misconceptions and facing some of your own is certainly challenging and never boring.
  
  We will introduce you to a range of teaching styles, classroom management skills, lesson planning and assessment procedures both in the University and through classroom support from teachers in schools. You will consider strategies to support young people in their learning of science. You will also consider the use of a range of teaching styles and resources, including the appropriate use of information and communications technology (ICT). You will be exploring ways in which you can guide young people to develop an understanding of how scientists set about investigating the world, what science can answer and, probably more important in some ways, what it cannot. You will be helping pupils to address misconceptions and could even uncover some of your own.
  
  You will participate in sessions with other Science graduates as well as in mixed subject groups where cross-curricular issues, such as learning theories and behaviour management are covered.
  
  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. They 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)

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