module specification

This module provides a flexible framework within which student teachers learn about the school curriculum relevant to their age / subject specialism. In addition student teachers also learn about the relevant assessment frameworks and the pedagogic traditions associated with their route. The content covered in teaching sessions will be tailored to reflect the school curriculum and planned developments, external assessment frameworks (including relevant examinations) and the route students are following.

Graduate (and must be enrolled on PGCE)

To support the trainee to:

• Develop a deep understanding of the curriculum they will be required to teach on school experience, and an ability to interpret this to plan engaging lessons which promote pupil progression.

• Develop their own subject knowledge to ensure they are confident to teach on school experience, through a combination of personal evaluation, target setting, personal study and engagement with university teaching and learning sessions.

• Develop a critical appreciation of the relevant traditions in pedagogy, assessment and children’s rights related to the areas they will be required to teach, and to use this knowledge to make decisions about planning, teaching and assessment which promote pupil progression.

• The curriculum – the national curriculum and the taught curriculum
• Planning learning – lesson planning; medium term planning; constructive alignment
• Assessment – formative and summative; formal and informal; examinations
• Pedagogy – teaching approaches, health and safety, children’s rights, pedagogic research

• Student teachers will complete subject knowledge audits throughout the training programme and devise individual action plans to plan to make progress in areas where this is required.
• Individual and group tutorials will be provided to help guide students through this process.
• Optional peer teaching may be arranged to help share areas of subject knowledge strength.
• Compulsory university based workshops will address the curriculum, assessment and subject related pedagogy in the following areas:

• Primary and Early Years (i) English and language development; (ii) Maths and numeracy; (iii) Science; (iv) the foundation subjects
• Secondary subject specialism

• Optional university based workshops will provide students with top-up workshops to help address areas of subject knowledge

On successful completion of the module, trainees will be able to:

• Demonstrate that they are able to critically review their own professional development needs and plan a training programme that will enable them to make progress in their own subject knowledge.
• Interpret the curriculum / assessment frameworks for their specialism to enable them to plan engaging and effective lessons and sequences of lessons.
• Understand how to use formative and summative assessment methods to support their judgements in relation to children’s attainment in key areas of the curriculum.
• Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the curriculum they are expected to teach, for example
  o English, maths, science and the foundation subjects for Primary and Early Years student teachers;
  o Secondary student teachers will specialise in the secondary subject(s) specified for their route.
• Identify and justify appropriate pedagogical strategies to address specific learning intentions, using experience, research and the wider literature where appropriate.
• Explain how their teaching has an impact on pupils’ learning, demonstrating the critical application of their skills of reflection and evaluation.

Assessment will be mediated through a portfolio constructed around the model of a ‘patchwork’ text. The whole Portfolio will be equivelent to 8000 words.The tasks for the portfolio (patches) will be designed to reflect the nature of the route being followed and the curriculum in schools. Tasks will be set throughout the year addressing specific aspects of the module learning outcomes, but all will be related to some extent to the overall issue of teaching and learning. Towards the end of the year students will complete a final synoptic task which will reflect on the individual tasks and address a key overarching question such as, “what are the principles of effective inclusive pedagogy in your specialism?”
Additional assessment issues:
• Because full attendance is required on the course, absence or lateness on this module may trigger a ‘cause for concern’ procedure and subsequent failure to meet attendance / punctuality targets may lead to students being failed in this module and on the course as a whole.
• Students identified as being particularly weak or of concern in this module may be required to participate in a viva voce examination with a relevant course leader before embarking on a school experience module. The objective of any such examination will be to reassure tutors that the student has an adequate grasp of subject knowledge to undertake teaching on their placement. Failure to achieve the required professional standard may result in a postponement of the school experience module or a fail in this module and on the course as a whole.

Reading will reflect the route and will be detailed in course handbooks and in the VLE. An indicative list includes the following key texts:

General reading
• Bryan, H., Carpenter, C., & Hoult, S. (2010) Learning and Teaching at M level: A Guide for Student Teachers, Sage Publications Ltd.
• Pritchard, Alan (2005) Ways of Learning: Learning Theories and Learning Styles in the Classroom, London: David Fulton
• Stobbart, Gordon (2008) Testing Times: The uses and abuses of assessment, London: Routledge

Primary and Early Years Maths
• Haylock, D. (2010) Mathematics Explained to Primary Teachers. Sage
• Nickson, M. (2004) Teaching and Learning Mathematics: A teachers Guide to Recent Research and its application (2nd Ed.). Continuum
• Rowland, T., Turner, F.,Thwaites, E. A., & Huckstep, P. (2009) Developing Primary Mathematics Teaching: Reflecting on Practice with the Knowledge Quartet. Sage
• Ryan, J. & Williams, J. (2007) Children’s Mathematics 4-15: Learning from Errors and Misconceptions. Open University Press

Primary and Early Years English
• Browne, A. (2009) Developing Language and Literacy 3-8 (3rd ed.) Sage
• Goouch, K. & Lambirth, A. (2010) Teaching Early Reading and Phonics: Creative Approaches to         Early Literacy. Sage
• Johnston, R.& Watson, J. (2007) Teaching Synthetic Phonics. Learning  Matters
• Wyse, D. & Jones, R. (2008) Teaching English, Language and Literacy (2nd Ed.). Routledge

Primary and Early Years Science
• Howe,A.,Davies,D.,McMahon, & Towler,L. (2009) Science 5-11  A Guide for Teachers. David Fulton. 
• Peacock,G.,Sharp,J., Johnsey,R., & Wright,D. (2012) Primary Science-Knowledge and Understanding. Sage - Learning Matters.
• Wenham, M., & Ovens,P. (2009) Understanding Primary Science. Sage

Secondary
• Capel S (2004) Learning to Teach Physical Education in Secondary Schools: A Student Teacher’s Guide to Professional Issues in Secondary Education,    Maidenhead: Open University Press
• Gearon, Liam (Ed) (2007) A Practical Guide to Teaching Citizenship in the Secondary School, London: Routledge
• Tanner, H. & Jones, S. (2000) Becoming a Successful Teacher of Mathematics London: Routledge Falmer
• Pachler N & Field K (2001) Learning to Teach Modern Foreign Languages in the Secondary School   (2nded.) Routledge Falmer
• Wood-Robinson (Ed) (2006) ASE Guide to Secondary Science Education, Hatfield ASE