Secondary English Subject Knowledge and Pedagogy
| Module title | Secondary English Subject Knowledge and Pedagogy |
|---|---|
| Module code | EDUM042 |
| Academic year | 2023/4 |
| Credits | 30 |
| Module staff | Dr Annabel Watson (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 12 | 12 | 12 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 30 |
|---|
Module description
English is a subject fundamental to learning and a core subject in the curriculum. This module is structured to encourage collaborative learning, and personal development - collaborative, because schools are made of teams of professionals working collaboratively to support each other and to support the learners in their charge; personal, because the best teachers continue to learn and develop throughout their careers and possess a strong sense of their own development needs. The module addresses not only what to do in an English lesson, but also why you are doing it. By understanding the principles underpinning the teaching of English, and through being introduced to the latest research in the field, you will be empowered both to evaluate your own classroom practices and the responses of the students you teach. To take this module, you will normally need to possess an upper second class or first class Honours degree in English or a closely related subject.
Module aims - intentions of the module
The principal aims of the module are to:
- enable you to gain a comprehensive understanding of the research, principles and practice relating to current teaching of English in the secondary curriculum;
- introduce you to how students learn in English;
- develop your confidence in using principled practices for teaching English;
- offer you contexts for learning through observation, participation, collaboration and co-operation;
- develop your ability to reflect critically on your own practice;
- encourage you to be an autonomous and independent learner;
- encourage you to teach with imagination, enthusiasm and courage;
- nurture an understanding of, and an enthusiasm for, continuing professional development: a lifelong commitment to developing your literary, linguistic, creative and aesthetic strengths; and
- support you to meet the Standards required for the award of 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 concepts and issues related to English in education;
- 2. recognise pupils learning needs in English and interpret these learning needs in order to plan, teach, assess and evaluate lessons and schemes of work;
- 3. demonstrate confident academic and pedagogic subject knowledge to teach English;
- 4. demonstrate secure understanding of the National Curriculum for English;
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 5. critically evaluate the relevance of educational theory 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;
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 10. manage your own learning development;
- 11. learn effectively 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;
- 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 the teaching of English and develops students’ pedagogic and academic subject knowledge in the field of English education. Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, the content will cover:
- Best practice in pedagogy for English: how to support students' development in talk, reading and writing
- Understanding of the National Curriculum for English, and how English is assessed
- Key pedagogical concepts, e.g. scaffolding,modelling
- Research-informed approaches to teaching English
key elements of the module will include:
- Seminars: the taught course is realized principally through highly interactive sessions which combine and integrate workshop approaches, practical work, seminar-style discussion and lecture-style direct input;
- Directed Online Study Programme: this covers the theory and practice of English PedagogyPeer and Expert Teaching: each student participates in peer teaching sessions during which they develop skills of teaching and reflection before going into their first placement
- Independent and directed study activities: including developing subject knowledge, directed reading, and other tasks as relevant to the seminar sessions.
- Seminar Days: Five days when students return to the university to share school-based work experiences and develop the links between theoretical and practical aspects of teaching English.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 92 | 208 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning & Teaching activities | 72 | Seminars and workshops |
| Scheduled Learning & Teaching activities | 9 | Peer Teaching |
| Scheduled Learning & Teaching activities | 10 | Seminar Days |
| Scheduled Learning & Teaching activities | 1 | Tutorials with academic tutor |
| Guided Independent Study | 20 | Subject knowledge and enhancement tasks |
| Guided Independent Study | 20 | Directed tasks |
| Guided Independent Study | 20 | Directed reading |
| Guided Independent Study | 40 | Independent reading for assignments |
| Guided Independent Study | 108 | Assignment preparation and writing |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Written notes on preliminary tasks | 2 weeks prior to beginning course | 1, 2, 5, 13 | Verbal or written |
| Keeping warm task: Written notes | 1 hour | 1 | Verbal or written |
| Written subject knowledge audit | 3 hours | 3, 4, 10, 11 | Verbal (tutorial) and written action plans |
| Formative assignment using work with academic literature | 1,500 words | 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 | Written feedback and opportunity to discuss this in tutorial |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Written assignment | 100 | 4,000 words (or equivalent) | 1-14 | Written and verbal |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Written assignment | Resubmission of written assignment (4,000 words) | 1-14 | See notes below. |
Re-assessment notes
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 Exam Board 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 Exam Board with the fail mark. You will then be referred to the Consequences Board 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 Exam Board following any successful resubmission (normally held in December).
If an assignment is deemed to be a Fail by the Exam Board, 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 the English 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
London: SAGE Burn A, Durran J. (2007) Media Literacy in Schools London: Paul Chapman
Fleming, M., & Stevens, D. (2010). English teaching in the secondary school: Linking theory and practice. Routledge. 3rd Ed.
Goodwyn A and Stables W (2004) Learning to Read Critically in Language and Literacy Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications
Hopkins, D. (2014) A Teacher’s Guide to Classroom Research Maidenhead: Open University Press
Mercer, N. (2000) Words and Minds: how we use language to think together London: Routledge
Myhill D, Jones S, Watson, A., & Lines, H. (2016). Essential primary grammar. Open University Press.
Web based and electronic resources: see PGCE English course on ELE (http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/).
| Credit value | 30 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 15 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | EDUM036 Education and Professional Studies EDUM052 Professional Learning |
| NQF level (module) | 7 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 13/04/2013 |
| Last revision date | 04/05/2022 |
