Course Catalogue

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Professional Practice in Education 3 enhances students' knowledge of the curriculum, focusing on Science and Technology in the primary context. The course will develop students' ability to plan and implement sequenced learning experiences that support a range of learners' needs through differentiation and assessment.

One x 1.5 hour seminar per week x 16 weeks (S1 and S2)

6 week Professional Practice Placement in Semester 2

Entry to Year 3 of the MA Honours Primary Education with Teaching Qualification and a result of Pass in Professional Practice in Education 2 or School Experience 2.

Successful completion of the placement requires:

1) School and University Tutor / Associate Tutor / Teaching Fellow reports both graded "satisfactory"; and

2) e-portfolio including all documents highlighted in the placement remit.

The overall aim of this course is to enhance students' knowledge of Science and Technology within the primary curriculum and ensure that students can differentiate learning and use assessment to support a range of learners' needs.  

The specific aims are to:

1. Examine curriculum guidance, teaching approaches and assessment strategies that enable teachers to effectively meet a diverse range of learning needs in the primary classroom, with a focus on the Science and Technology curriculum areas.

2. Explore the role of values in professional practice and their connection to national, local, and school policy demands.

3. Consider a range of approaches to tracking learning and gathering assessment data systematically to enhance planned learning and meet learners needs in the primary classroom.

4. Develop students' ability to critically reflect on their practice by consider wider influences on their professional practice, benchmarked against the GTCS Standards for Provisional Registration.

5. Develop graduate attributes, aligned to the GTCS Standards for Provisional Registration, by focusing on supporting students to become resourceful, responsible and reflective learners who are ethically and socially aware and can communicate effectively with a wide range of audiences.

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

ILO 1: Apply an understanding of curriculum guidance, teaching approaches and assessment strategies to plan and implement sequenced learning experiences with elements of differentiation in the upper primary stages (P6-P7), focusing on Science and Technologies.

ILO 2: Demonstrate professional commitment and values by actively embedding key policy priorities and procedures across their professional practice in a fair, honest and equitable manner.

ILO 3: Evaluate a range of assessment evidence systematically to identify learners' next steps, adapt planned learning and direct their own professional learning.

ILO 4: Reflect on their own professional development using the GTCS Standards to critically examine their underlying values and the impact these have on their professional practice, analyse connections between the classroom, whole school, community, and national policy; and justify approaches to addressing areas for improvement.

ILO 5: Demonstrate professionalism through clear and timely communication, effective organisation and use of resources, professional conduct, and engagement with all members of the university and school community, and by upholding all aspects of the GTCS Student Code.

1. In order to be eligible for the award of credit for this course, students must achieve a minimum of 80% attendance (see programme handbook for further details).

2. Attendance of at least 90% for the School Experience field placement (GTCS Requirement).

3. Satisfactory completion of all school-based tasks including professional practice portfolio.

4. Overall grade of Satisfactory from school partners.

5. Overall grade of Satisfactory from visiting university tutor/Teaching Fellow.