Module Catalogue 2024/25

Pre Requisite Comment

N/A

Co Requisite Comment

N/A

Aims

•       To enable students to develop as critical and analytical teachers through their reflective practice and engagement with theory and research.
•       To enable students to enter the teaching profession with the capacity to explore educational issues and their societal, cultural, historical and political contexts.
•       To provide an academic context in which to situate, and reflect on, taught content from the Professional Studies course taught within the same programme*
•       To enable students to engage critically with issues and themes relevant to QTS standards: Teaching 1;3;5;6;7;8 and Personal & Professional Conduct and the Core Content Framework.

Outline Of Syllabus

1.       Introduction to The Reflective Practitioner: key themes and understanding the assessment.
2.       Our education system: a historical overview.
3.       Reflecting for what?
4.       Playtimes and Time for Play: fostering social development in children.
5.       Creativity and Education.
6.       Critical perspectives on diversity, equality and education.
7.       Language and social disadvantage.
8.       Income and Outcomes: challenging inequality.

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

To gain a knowledge and understanding of:
•       theoretical approaches to teaching and learning and have a critical grasp of relevant research and theory in the field.
•       debates concerning the nature and purpose of education from a variety of disciplinary perspectives.

•       the wider governmental context with regard to statutory legislation and policies.
•       how teachers and teaching are represented in popular culture.
•       the contested nature of education and teaching and the significance of this for their professional role.

Be able to:
•       reflect on aspects of their situation and practice in relation to different theoretical, historical and cultural contexts relevant to education, especially in relation to meeting specific TS standards.

Intended Skill Outcomes

On completion of this module, students will be able to:
•       critically analyse and evaluate their own views in relation to the range of issues and ideas encountered in the module.
•       engage in an informed and critical fashion with policy and /or literature in order to discuss the main themes and interpretive approaches referenced during the module.
•       work alongside other colleagues in an inter-professional context; here with others in group situations and in assessed paired work in articulation of ideas and arguments to an audience.
•       demonstrate the requisite Professional Attitudes required to meet the Teachers' Standards (TS 1;3;5;6;7;8 and Personal & Professional Conduct).
•       communicate effectively with colleagues in a variety of settings.

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

As reflective practitioners it is important that students develop a knowledge and understanding of, as well as locate themselves as teachers in, the wider historical, social, political and cultural contexts of schooling. This requires not only an awareness and capacity to engage with various theoretical ideas and concepts, but importantly the opportunity to debate and reflect on the meaning and implications of such ideas for their own situation and practice. Pre-session readings introduce key issues and contexts from research, theory and practice which form the basis for taught sessions where students are able to discuss and reflect upon these questions in an informed way. Students complete a Reflective Diary during the module to record the key ideas and their views in relation to the issues explored. Through this process students are better able to address particular QTS standards in a more informed and reflexive way.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

Presentation: Work in pairs to write a new curriculum which represents an understanding of the best education for primary aged pupils. Do a presentation in pairs which provides a scholarly rationale for the curriculum design and which includes academic references to theory and research.

Reflective Log: Write a 1000 word summary of what you have learnt from the practice of developing a curriculum, commenting both on the curriculum itself and working together, and from the module sessions and how it has impacted on your professional development.

This assessment will enable students to address particular QTS standards through critical engagement with, and evaluation of, relevant research and theory in relation to the ideas discussed during the module and to identify the implications for their own understanding, situation and practice. At the same time this form of assessment permits evaluation of the student’s ability to work constructively with colleagues and to construct and communicate a coherent argument using the standard conventions of academic writing in relation to issues raised in the module.

General Notes

N/A