Module EDUM065 for 2021/2
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Postgraduate Module Descriptor
EDUM065: Primary Education and Professional Studies (School Direct)
This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.
Module Aims
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 meet the standards for Qualified Teacher Status as required by the National College for Teaching and Learning.
| On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
|---|---|
| Module-Specific Skills | 1. identify and evaluate educational theories and policies and 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. |
| Discipline-Specific Skills | 3. critically evaluate the relevance of educational theories to practice; 4. synthesise relevant educational literature in support of an argument; 5. use appropriate technologies for data handling and writing in education; 6. present data and findings in a form appropriate for educational contexts; 7. use research data in support of an argument in education (including government reports). |
| Personal and Key Skills | 8. manage your own learning development and evaluation of your learning; 9. learn effectively both independently and co-operatively, and be aware of your own learning strategies; 10. 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 data; 11. work productively in different kinds of teams (formal, informal, project based, etc); and 12. think creatively about the main features of a given problem and develop strategies for its resolution. |
Module Content
Syllabus Plan
The module introduces you to current thinking in Education and Professional Studies in the context of teaching in a school in England. Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that key elements of the module will include:
- Online resources including recorded lectures that will introduce you to topics relevant to your professional development as a teacher, for example: theories of learning; introduction to research methods; the curriculum; and assessment for learning.
- Online resources including recorded lectures that will introduce you to the expectations of working at Masters level and to approaches suitable for carrying out a small-scale, classroom-based, research study.
- Online seminars which create opportunities for you to explore, consolidate and deepen your understanding of these topics.
- Professional Studies seminars in school that will follow up topics from the lecture programme in a specific educational context.
On the PGCE School Direct, 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 applied professional experience in schools.
Learning and Teaching
This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 88 | 212 | 0 |
...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning & Teaching activities | 48 | Interaction with online resources posted for the module in ELE that will include reading selected literature, accessing video clips and listening to recorded lectures |
| Scheduled Learning & Teaching activities | 30 | Seminars and follow up seminar activities |
| Scheduled Learning & Teaching activities | 20 | Professional Studies seminars in school |
| Guided Independent Study | 20 | Completion of directed tasks related to module content |
| Guided Independent Study | 182 | Independent reading and reflection, classroom observation and teaching experience while on placement in school |
Online Resources
This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).
School Direct Education and Professional Studies course in ELE (http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/)
How this Module is Assessed
In the tables below, you will see reference to 'ILO's. An ILO is an Intended Learning Outcome - see Aims and Learning Outcomes for details of the ILOs for this module.
Formative Assessment
A formative assessment is designed to give you feedback on your understanding of the module content but it will not count towards your mark for the module.
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Written directed tasks | 36 weeks | 1-4, 8-10, 12 | Verbal and online |
| Research study plan | 1,500 words | 4,5,8,10,12 | Written |
Summative Assessment
A summative assessment counts towards your mark for the module. The table below tells you what percentage of your mark will come from which type of assessment.
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
...and this table provides further details on the summative assessments for this module.
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report on research study | 100 | 6,000 words | 4-12 | Written |
Re-assessment
Re-assessment takes place when the summative assessment has not been completed by the original deadline, and the student has been allowed to refer or defer it to a later date (this only happens following certain criteria and is always subject to exam board approval). For obvious reasons, re-assessments cannot be the same as the original assessment and so these alternatives are set. In cases where the form of assessment is the same, the content will nevertheless be different.
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Report on research study | Report on research study (6,000 words) | 4-12 | See reassessment notes below |
Re-assessment notes
If an assignment is deemed to be a Fail by the Exam Board, the mark obtained on resubmission will be capped at 50%. 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 Examination Board in July) if there is sufficient time left to do this. The resubmission would normally be made 4 weeks after receiving feedback on the first submission. Alternatively, you may opt to go to the Examination 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 University Tutor.
Note: if you choose the second option, the award of PGCE will be delayed until the Examination Board following any successful resubmission (this is normally held in December).
Indicative Reading List
This reading list is indicative - i.e. it provides an idea of texts that may be useful to you on this module, but it is not considered to be a confirmed or compulsory reading list for this module.
Aubrey, K., & Riley, A. (2018). Understanding and using educational theories. SAGE.
Bryan H, Carpenter C and Hoult S. (2010) Learning and Teaching at M-Level: A guide for student teachers. London: Sage.
Fisher, R. (2005) Teaching Children to Learn. 2nd edition. Cheltenham. Nelson Thornes.
Fisher, R. (2005) Teaching Children to Think. Cheltenham. Nelson Thornes.
Grigg, R & Lewis, H (2019) Teaching Creative and Critical Thinking in Schools. London: Sage
Kyriacou C. (2018) Essential Teaching Skills. 5th edition Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes.
Pollard A. (2014) Reflective Teaching. 4th Revised edition. Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Pritchard A. (2017) Ways of Learning: Learning Theories for the Classroom, 4th edition. London: Routledge/David Fulton.
Sewell K (ed). (2012) Doing Your PGCE at M-Level: A Guide for Students. 2nd edition. London. Sage
Skinner, D. (2010) Effective Teaching and Learning in Practice. London. Continuum
Sotto, E. (2007) When Teaching becomes Learning. 2nd edition. London. Continuum.
Wilson E. (2017) School-based Research: A Guide for Education Students. 3rd edition. London, Sage.
