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Secondary Education and Professional Studies

Module title	Secondary Education and Professional Studies
Module code	EDUM036
Academic year	2023/4
Credits	30
Module staff	Mr Luke Graham ()

Duration: Term	1	2	3
Duration: Weeks	12	12	12

Number students taking module (anticipated)	200

Module description

Whilst taking this module you will examine the educational theories, policies and pedagogical frameworks that apply to all subjects in secondary education. The module comprises a suite of online self-study materials such as video and audio recordings with associated tasks and readings which cover a range of topics, with most being followed up in subject-specific seminars. There will be directed study tasks that will enable you to engage with literature and theoretical frameworks to extend and deepen your understanding of important aspects of education including research methodology.

 

This module will be taken alongside one of the Subject Knowledge and Pedagogy modules & EDUM052.

Module aims - intentions of the module

The principle aims of the module are to:

• enable you to gain an understanding of a range of contemporary education policies and issues, theory and practice;
• support you in reflecting critically on children’s learning and development, pedagogy and teachers’ roles and responsibilities; and

support you to meeting the Teachers’ Standards (for Qualified Teacher Status).

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. identify and evaluate educational theories and policies and to engage in critical debate about current issues, drawing on evidence from theory, policy, research and practice;
• 2. understand theories of pedagogy, learning and development, and consider how these can inform professional practice;
• 3. demonstrate confident academic and pedagogic knowledge to teach at Secondary level;
• 4. demonstrate secure understanding of the statutory requirements of the National Curriculum and other policies relevant to teaching in Secondary schools

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 5. critically evaluate the relevance of educational theories to practice;
• 6. synthesise relevant educational literature in support of an argument;
• 7. use appropriate technologies for data handling and writing in education;
• 8. present data and findings in a form appropriate for educational contexts;
• 9. use research data in support of an argument in education (including government reports).

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 10. manage your own learning development and evaluation of your learning;
• 11. learn effectively both independently and co-operatively, and be aware of your own learning strategies;
• 12. express ideas and opinions, with confidence and clarity, to a variety of audiences for a variety of purposes with rational argument based on relevant and reliable evidence;
• 13. work productively in different kinds of teams (formal, informal, project based, etc); and
• 14. think creatively about the main features of a given problem and develop strategies for its resolution.

Syllabus plan

The module introduces students to current thinking in Education and Professional Studies and develops students’ curricular, pedagogic and academic subject knowledge in the field of Secondary education. Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged key elements of the module will include:

 

•       Lecture Programme: This covers the policies, theories and practice that apply to all teachers in secondary education.

•       Subject Specific Follow Up Seminars: These sessions give you an opportunity to build on the content of the lectures in a subject specific manner.

•       Seminar Days: University-led days to share school-based work experiences and develop the links between the theoretical and practical aspects of teaching.

 

On the Secondary PGCE, you will learn and reflect on the skills and knowledge required by the programme’s credit-bearing and non-credit bearing modules throughout the year. You will need to think about the modules in relation to each other. To facilitate this, the learning and teaching activities and guided independent study described below are scheduled to occur across all three terms both in the context of your university taught course and in the context of your 24 weeks of applied professional experience in schools.

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
99	201	0

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Scheduled Learning & Teaching activities	24	Lecture Programme
Scheduled Learning & Teaching activities	18	Subject Specific Follow Up Seminars
Scheduled Learning & Teaching activities	13	Seminar Days
Scheduled Learning & Teaching activities	20	Professional Studies seminars in Spring and Summer terms.
Scheduled Learning & Teaching activities	24	EPS Tasks
Guided Independent Study	201	Independent Study

Formative assessment

Form of assessment	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Framework tasks related to the Educational and Professional Studies programme	1,000 words equivalent	1,2,3,4; 10-14	Verbal
Directed study tasks related to the Professional Studies seminars	2,000 words or equivalent	1,2,3,4; 10-14	Verbal
Formative assignment for research study	1,500 words	1-14	Verbal and written

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Coursework	Written exams	Practical exams
100	0	0

Details of summative assessment

Form of assessment	% of credit	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Report on research study	100	4,000 words or equivalent	1-14	Written

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Original form of assessment	Form of re-assessment	ILOs re-assessed	Timescale for re-assessment
Report on research study (4,000 words)	Report on research study (4,000 words)	1-14	See notes below.

Re-assessment notes

If a submitted assignment is deemed to be a Fail, you will be given feedback outlining what needs to be done to bring the assignment to a pass standard and one opportunity for resubmission will be allowed.

You can choose to resubmit a failed assignment ‘in year’ (i.e. before the final PGCE Assessment, Progression and Awarding Committee (APAC) in July). The resubmission would normally be made 4 weeks after receiving feedback on the first submission. Alternatively, you may opt to go to the PGCE Assessment, Progression and Awarding Committee with the fail mark. You will then be referred to the College level Assessment, Progression and Awarding Committee who will confirm the conditions for resubmission of the work. Normally the resubmission should be by 1st September. You should discuss these options with your tutor.

Note: if you choose the second option, the award of PGCE will be delayed until the Assessment, Progression and Awarding Committee meeting following any successful resubmission (normally held in December).

If an assignment is deemed to be a Fail by the APAC, the mark obtained on resubmission will be capped at 50%.  If after submitting a revised assignment, you have still failed to gain an overall pass mark for the module, you will have been deemed to have failed the PGCE with no further opportunity for resubmission.   If however, you have passed the Professional Learning module, you can leave the programme with QTS only and can therefore gain employment as a Newly Qualified Teacher (NQT). If you pass both your Subject Knowledge & Pedagogy and the Educational & Professional Studies modules but fail the Professional Learning module, you can leave the programme with a Postgraduate Certificate in Professional Studies in Education (PGCert) which does not confer QTS status.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

See PGCE Secondary Education and Professional Studies course on ELE (http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/ )

Key words search

Secondary PGCE, Education Studies, Professional Studies, Research methods, critical reflection, theoretical frameworks.

Credit value	30
Module ECTS	15
Module pre-requisites	None
Module co-requisites	EDUM052 Professional Learning One of the Specialist Subject Knowledge and Pedagogy  Modules – EDUM037, EDUM038, EDUM039, EDUM040, EDUM041, EDUM042, EDUM043, EDUM044, EDUM045, EDUM046, EDUM047, EDUM048, EDUM049, EDUM050, EDUM051
NQF level (module)	7
Available as distance learning?	No
Origin date	28/04/2013
Last revision date	04/05/2022