Postgraduate Certificate In Education Research Articles

Teach Beyond Boundaries: The Conceptual Framework and Learning Philosophy of an Innovative Initial Teacher Education Programme in Wales

This paper outlines the development of one integrated ITE programme that leads to two QTS pathways: Primary Post-Graduate Certificate in Education with Secondary Enrichment; and Secondary Post-Graduate Certificate in Education with Primary Enrichment. The integrated ITE programme AberTeach + enables student teachers to 'Teach beyond boundaries for an all-through experience'. This paper reviews the programme's conceptual framework and learning philosophy and in so doing, considers the core principles that influenced the design of the programme, as follows: Inclusive Partnership; Effective Pedagogy; Integrated Pedagogy; Specialised and Enriched Pedagogy; Shared and Reflective Pedagogy; Truly Collaborative Research Culture, Democratic Accountability and the eight principles of the Learning Philosophy. The paper proceeds to explain how the integrated programme is delivered via a cluster hub approach across 5 hub regions in Mid-Wales. In doing so, it outlines the role of the University staff and Lead and Partner school mentors as well as the minimum expectations for student teachers whilst on school experience. Consideration is also given to Welsh-medium provision and support as well as the centrality of research within the ITE Partnership as a whole. The paper closes by considering what is innovative about the programme and the benefits that student teachers gain from undertaking the programme.

Students’ emerging pedagogical reflexivities in respect of their "student teacherly becoming" on a PGCE Diversity and Inclusivity module

Situated in the context of teaching in higher education, the article provides a discussion on how student teachers in a Post Graduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) module mediate their ‘teacherly becoming’ (Author 2012) as pre-service teachers. The article presents the argument that learning to become a professional teacher involves not only what the students are learning, but also who they are becoming. The data for the article is drawn from student assignments which invited students to draw on the module readings and class discussions to consider their positioning as intentional/unintentional bearers of the past. The assignment required of them to consider how their emerging reflexivities as student teachers are influenced by their personal and educational backgrounds, and how these affected their ‘becoming’ as student teachers in the PGCE programme. The data is presented and discussed on the basis of four themes that emerged from the student essays. The article concludes by suggesting that modules that prepare student teachers for the complexity of the teaching profession and interaction with their students will be more productive if opportunities are provided in the module’s assessment modalities, for the students to reflexively engage with aspects of their ‘being and becoming’ as pre-service teachers.

The value of teaching practice as perceived by Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) students

The pursuit of excellence in preparing student teachers for the teaching profession is a never-ending endeavour. This study aimed at investigating the value of teaching practice as perceived by the participants, how they determined such value using human judgement and whether value judgement can be used as a form of reflection during teaching practice by PGCE students. Human judgement can be used as a tool to promote reflection and an evaluation strategy which promotes a culture of observation and critical thinking about one’s practice. The qualitative study involved 25 participants, all of whom were Postgraduate Certificate in Education students and had completed the practical teaching period. In this study we applied Kant’s theory to analyse the data gathered by means of narratives. The results, which were based on self-reported values on teaching practice, revealed that the participants viewed teaching practice as valuable and pointed out that it benefitted them and others by enabling them to gain valuable experience in the classroom and in general school management. The participants based their judgement on three components of value judgement, both negative and positive: emotions, attitudes and experiences. Keywords: Postgraduate Certificate in Education; student teachers; teaching practice; value judgement on teaching practice; value of teaching practice

Global teachers as global learners: Intercultural teacher training in international settings

The globally mobile teacher is a relatively new concept. This article draws on the experiences of seven teachers teaching in international contexts, who are currently undertaking an iPGCE (International Postgraduate Certificate in Education) – four of whom are co-authors of this article. Drawing on original data from written narratives and online discussions, as well as using collaborative writing as a form of inquiry, we locate these experiences within the field of intercultural education, problematize the notion of global mobility and identify the unique training needs of an emerging breed of teachers.

Becoming a teacher of early reading: charting the knowledge and practices of pre‐service and newly qualified teachers

AbstractEducation policy in England requires student teachers to demonstrate effective teaching of early reading, including systematic synthetic phonics, in order to qualify to teach. Although there is a range of literature about initial teacher education, little is documented about how pre‐service or ‘student' teachers develop specific knowledge and practices for teaching early reading and how they apply these in their first term as newly qualified teachers (NQTs). This research used a primarily qualitative longitudinal, collective case study design involving seven lower primary (3–7 years) postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE) students enrolled at one university in the East Midlands of England. Semi‐structured interviews, classroom observations and documentary analysis with the students and their teacher mentors were used to gather data from entry onto the course to the participants' first term as qualified teachers. A thematic analysis was applied in conjunction with deductive observation codes developed from a previous study. Findings indicate a broad continuum of progression in student and newly qualified teacher knowledge and practice for teaching early reading which could be used to inform university organisation, mentoring and school participation. They highlight the influence of school cultures on the experiences of student and pre‐service teachers.

Can CPD enhance student-centred teaching and encourage explicit instruction of International Baccalaureate Approaches to Learning skills? A qualitative formative assessment and summative evaluation of an IB school’s in-house CPD programme

This study aimed to involve International Baccalaureate (IB) teachers in formative assessment and summative evaluation of a continuing professional development (CPD) programme designed to facilitate a student-centred, process-focused approach in which the ‘Approaches to Learning’ (ATL) element of the IB curriculum takes a central role. Given its emphasis on participants’ collective perspectives, focus groups were selected as the data collection method. Respondents were twelve teachers with diverse backgrounds and experience, from different school departments, with varying teaching styles, epistemological beliefs and views regarding ATL. This study includes a discussion of the literature with reference to teachers’ beliefs, attitudes, values and knowledge, the role these play in teaching practices, the extent to which CPD may be able to influence them, and the elements of CPD which make teachers’ development more likely. Findings indicate that formatively assessing teachers’ development from CPD, and development itself, are ‘messy’ processes, as is trying to distinguish between ‘student-centred’ and ‘teacher-centred’ teaching in relation to facilitating self-regulated learning. Differences were identified in how experienced teachers, particularly those with Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) certification and new teachers, particularly those without a PGCE, reacted to CPD and developed in relation to the aims of CPD. However, these issues were mitigated over time by the CPD programme’s emphasis on collegiality and its coherence with previous CPD and IB standards for teaching and learning. Students’ increasing competence with, and acceptance of, student-centred teaching also made it easier for teachers to develop their practice, illuminating the nature of enculturation as a driver of learning. Importantly, formative assessment helped the researcher to understand the complex and incremental nature of teachers’ development as well as gain insights into how CPD contributed to that development. This investigation demonstrates that brief experiences of top down, whole school, ‘training model’ CPD can, indeed, enhance teachers’ student-centredness and facilitate explicit instruction of ATL skills, and illustrates the utility of using focus groups to formatively assess, and summatively evaluate, teachers’ CPD.

Flipping the Economics Class in a Teacher Education Course

This investigation explores student teachers’ perceptions of and performance using flipped classroom pedagogy (FCP) as a teaching approach in a teacher education course at an Open Distance eLearning university. An explanatory mixed methods design was used, and a pre-test and post-test online survey and Economics blog postings were employed to collect data for the study. Only postgraduate certificate of education and bachelor of education (B.Ed.: senior and further education and training phase) student teachers (n = 371) were purposively selected. It is reported that the FCP group outperformed the direct instruction group in the final examination scores. The results confirmed earlier studies that the FCP method enhanced the performance and perceptions of Economics students in an online open distance-learning environment in comparison with the direct instruction method. Furthermore, FCP encouraged an engaging atmosphere and fostered a collaborative, interactive synergy among student teachers. Finally, the findings revealed that the role of the teacher in the FCP design is crucial for promoting optimal learning experiences for student teachers. Several implications for using the FCP approach as a driver for an alternative assessment strategy at institutions of higher education, and for teacher education programmes in particular, emerged.

Economics student teachers’ views on the usefulness of a flipped classroom pedagogical approach for an open distance eLearning environment

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore to what extent a flipped classroom pedagogy (FCP) design as a digital pedagogical tool enhances student teachers’ learning in economics education at an open distance e-Learning (ODeL) university.Design/methodology/approachThis exploratory study used a quantitative approach and online survey design. The sample consisted of 214 Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) and 157 Baccalaureus Educationis (BEd) (senior and further education and training phase) student teachers. A closed structured online questionnaire, Flipped Classroom Pedagogy Questionnaire, designed on a four-point Likert scale, was used to collect data. Descriptive and inferential data were computed to explore student teachers’ learning to teach an economics education in a teacher education course. Ethical clearance was granted and therefore adheres to the policy on research ethics of the university.FindingsEmpirically, the findings of this paper revealed that the FCP digital pedagogy enhanced economics students’ academic performance and perceptions in an online open distance learning environment. Furthermore, student teachers perceived that the functionality of the FCP experience as an online strategy was useful and effective for their learning. Therefore, these findings confirmed and extended what is revealed by earlier research studies regarding the debate on the usefulness of the FCP approach as a powerful technology-integrated teaching design in teacher education courses.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings of this investigation could not be generalised because a small sample was selected. Further investigation is needed regarding comparing other similar modules of the PGCE/BEd (senior and FET phase) programmes over a longer investigative period in the college. Further research should be explored, employing a mixed-methods approach on how student teachers perceived academic support in the FCP strategy towards self-directed learning.Practical implicationsUltimately, several implications for using the FCP approach emerged, in particular for rethinking teacher education programmes to support and accommodate the digital learner. To implement this approach successfully, faculties should formulate clear intended outcomes for implementing the FCP pedagogical approach. In addition, faculties at higher education institutions should seriously consider the merits of the FCP approach in order to avoid becoming redundant. Therefore, lecturers who intend to use this strategy either through a contact, blended or ODeL mode of delivery, are compelled to provide consistent, ongoing constructive feedback and monitoring required learning tasks.Social implicationsThe paper empowers PGCE/BEd (senior and FET phase) students to teach the subject in a diverse society.Originality/valueThis research study has shown that student teachers perceived an FCP approach in an online platform as an empowering tool that is both effective and useful and that positively impacts on their lived experience in an ODeL context. It extends the epistemology (subject of knowledge) of the effectiveness of the FCP strategy as an enhancer for student learning in an ODeL environment, teacher education in particular. Furthermore, a noteworthy contribution is made towards the application of the FCP as one of the digital pedagogies in teaching economics in an ODeL context. This exploratory study also makes a methodological contribution to the validation of an online data collection instrument for use in future studies.

The factors influencing Mathematics students to choose teaching as a career

Prompted by the poor state of mathematics education in South Africa and the shortage of competent mathematics teachers, this study sought to identify what factors influenced 40 Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) students at three universities in the Western Cape Province, with Mathematics as a major subject, to choose teaching as a career. The respondents were asked to articulate reasons for their career choice by answering an open-ended question and completing an internationally validated FIT-choice questionnaire. The motivations presented in the questionnaire are based on the concepts of Self-efficacy, Self-determination Theory (SDT) and Expectancy Value Theory (EVT). The research has shown that student responses regarding their motivations were remarkably consistent, regardless of the respondents’ home language or social class. Student rating choices were based mainly on intrinsic motivations. The study concludes, therefore, that understanding student choices with respect to Mathematics teaching as a career will assist in the planning and management of the recruitment and retention of quality Mathematics teachers. It is clear from this research that when student teachers with intrinsic motivation are identified and recruited, they will be more likely to perceive teaching as a lifelong career choice. Keywords : career choice; factors; mathematics teachers; motivation; recruitment; retention

Dissonance and Continuity in the Mathematical Education and Training Experiences of Pre-service Secondary Mathematics Teachers

The education and professional development of pre-service mathematics teachers occur across different contexts. Key contexts of mathematics learning and learning to teach are school, university undergraduate mathematics and mathematics teaching-related learning in teacher education courses. International literature suggests that each of these contexts legitimises different views of mathematics teaching and learning. For pre-service teachers traversing these contexts, moves between sites can be experienced in more continuous or more dissonant ways. The disjunctures associated with dissonant experiences lead to openings for value judgments related to the distinctions that are drawn, opening possibilities for a wider range of pedagogic decisions. In this paper, we explore, through interviews with four pre-service teachers in one post-graduate certificate of education (PGCE) course, perceptions of continuity and dissonance across sites related to mathematics and mathematics education, and teaching and learning. Our findings point largely to experiences of continuity between the high school and undergraduate contexts, with the PGCE course recognised as different from these contexts.

Enabling the development of student teacher professional identity through vicarious learning during an educational excursion

This paper explores the views of student teachers who were provided vicarious learning opportunities during an educational excursion, and how the learning enabled them to develop their teacher professional identity. This qualitative research study, using a social-constructivist lens highlights how vicarious learning influenced student teachers’ professional identity. Data were analysed from activity based reflection notes Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) students had written based on their learning and experiences during an excursion. Findings indicated that learning from other practising teachers’ experiences enabled them to develop a more positive teacher professional identity in terms of caring, motivation and being a beacon of hope. Keywords : educational excursion; initial teacher training; reflection; teacher professional identity; vicarious learning

The value of the academic award in initial teacher education: key stakeholder perceptions of the masters level Postgraduate Certificate in Education in two English universities

The Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) has been a successful and popular initial teacher education (ITE) programme since the 1950s, with the masters level PGCE being successfully embedded within universities in England since 2007 and having high levels of student satisfaction. Recent White Papers, policy and reviews have undermined the academic award in ITE, however, favouring school-led initial teacher training and the minimum, essential professional award. Located within the Secondary ITE phase in two English universities, this article presents the value of studying education and the academic award at pre-service level via key stakeholder perceptions from interviews with teacher–educators and student–teachers within a case study. Findings highlight improvements to student–teachers’ knowledge and practice; enjoyment in working at a higher academic level; improvements to the ITE programme overall, including student–teacher support and student–teachers’ articulation of knowledge and practice; and enhanced opportunities for employability, career advancement and gaining a Master’s degree.

Developing students' ideas of diversity in the ancient and modern worlds through the topic of Alexandria in the Cambridge Latin Course, Book II

My interest in undertaking a study relating to Classics and issues of diversity in the classroom is the result of several personal and circumstantial approaches to the subject, which have become more pronounced in my mind since the start of my Postgraduate Certificate of Education at the University of Cambridge.

영국 예비 과학교사의 교육실습 사례 분석을 통한 예비 교사교육에 대한 시사점

The purpose of this study was to analyze the teaching practice cases of pre-service science teachers in the United Kingdom, and to examine implications for pre-service teacher training. For this purpose, we analyzed the whole pre-service science teachers’ teaching practice in Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) course of the United Kingdom focusing on the lesson observation commentary (LOC), lesson observation summary (LOS) and the final profile of developmental phases, which were commented and evaluated by the mentor (science teacher) and the tutor (supervising professor) according to teacher qualification status (QTS). It implies that the improvement of the curriculum for the pre-service teacher training and the teacher training system to apply their pedagogical content knowledges to the actual field are needed, not just the type of education that fills the credits. In addition, it is necessary to increase the duration of pre-service teacher training, to elaborate teacher qualification standards, and to prepare ways for co-teaching by the mentor and the tutor. It is necessary to build up a teacher education system through the collaboration between schools and the college of education.

Exploring Student Teachers’ Views on ePortfolios as an Empowering Tool to Enhance Self-Directed Learning in an Online Teacher Education Course

This paper explores Economics student teachers’ views on ePortfolios as an empowering tool to enhance self-directed learning in an online teacher education course. An interpretive phenomenological research approach was employed for data collection and a purposive convenient sampling technique was selected to collect data. Only Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) and Batchelor of Education (BEd) Senior Phase/Further Education and Training Economics Subject Methodology (SDEC00N) student teachers registered on myUnisa for the modules were targeted. Multiple sections from the ePortfolios that had been considered for the purpose of this study were taken from their creative writing assignments, a research projects, lesson plans, reflective journal entries, podcasts, blog postings. Data were collected and analysed on a weekly basis to create a plethora of information. Student teachers felt that they were empowered with different subject content knowledge, technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPCK) and other technologies, student-centred methods and techniques through the ePortfolio project.

The Relevance of Social Sciences Teacher Education Programme in Preparing Effective Secondary School Educators

In Mauritius, the teaching of social studies presents educators with a unique set of challenges, as they are expected to have multi-disciplinary knowledge and multi-dimensional skills to be effective in classrooms. Many of these social studies educators have undertaken the PGCE (Post Graduate Certificate in Education) course offered by the Mauritius Institute of Education (MIE), which is the leading teacher training institute in the country. This paper explores the relevance of the social sciences teacher education programme offered by the MIE in preparing secondary school educators to meet the challenges in their practice in the wake of current curricular reforms. The study used focus group discussions as the main tool to gather in depth views of the participants. Preliminary findings tend to show that although educators may possess skills, lack of mastery in multi-disciplinary knowledge influences their proficiency in classrooms. An analysis of the different modules of the social sciences programme also shows a gap between the educators' needs and the modules offered.

Reflections of Practice Teaching Experience of Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) Students in Physical Science

Reflections of Practice Teaching Experience of Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) Students in Physical Science

Patrimonio, competencias históricas y metodologías activas de aprendizaje: Un análisis de las opiniones de los docentes en formación en España e Inglaterra

espanolEl objetivo de este trabajo es analizar las percepciones de los docentes de Educacion Secundaria en formacion sobre el patrimonio y su rol en la ensenanza y el aprendizaje de la historia. Se ha seleccionado la informacion de esta tematica del cuestionario titulado Opinion y percepcion del profesorado en formacion inicial sobre el aprendizaje de la historia y la evaluacion de competencias historicas. La muestra la componen 506 estudiantes del Master de Formacion del Profesorado de Educacion Secundaria en Espana (344) y del Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) y el Teach First en Inglaterra (162). Participaron 22 universidades: 13 espanolas y 9 inglesas. Los datos han sido codificados en el programa estadistico SPSS v21.0, y se ha realizado un analisis descriptivo, tablas de contingencia, pruebas estadisticas y correlaciones. Los resultados muestran una estrecha vinculacion entre la valoracion positiva del patrimonio, el uso de metodologias activas de aprendizaje y una concepcion epistemologica de la historia como saber critico. EnglishThe objective of this work is to analyze the perceptions of the teachers of Secondary Education in formation on the heritage and its role in the teaching and learning of History. The information on this subject has been selected of the questionnaire entitled Opinion and perception of teachers in initial formation on the learning of history and the evaluation of historical competences. The sample consists of 506 students of the Master's Training Teacher of Secondary Education in Spain (344) and the Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) and Teach First in England (162). 22 universities participated: 13 Spanish and 9 English. The data were coded in the statistical program SPSS v21.0, and descriptive analysis, contingency tables, statistical tests and correlations were carried out. The results show a close link between the positive valuation of heritage, the use of active learning methodologies and an epistemological conception of history as critical knowledge.

Becoming Poetry Teachers: Studying Poems Through Choral Reading

The poet, Seamus Heaney, argues that transformations for both teachers and students may be engendered through recognising the connections and distinctions between the language of poetry and the language of everyday life. This article explores some of the ways in which choral reading of poetry, using multiple voices like musical instruments, may change student teachers’ perceptions of poetry. Five small groups of Secondary English student teachers on an initial teacher education Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) course constructed choral readings, each group working with a different poem. During the session, they wrote journal entries about how creating the readings and listening to other people led them to think differently about studying poetry with students in the classroom as future secondary English teachers. Several months later, a small voluntary group met to recollect the session and consider more critically the potential of choral reading as one possible approach to teaching poetry.

Singing in the Music Theory Lesson: A model for how singing can be used as an effective teaching tool for a practical approach to the subject of music theory

Name: Ewan Gibson Subject: Music Theory Research Supervisor: Laszlo Némes Title of Research: Singing in the Music Theory Lesson - A model for how singing can be used as an effective teaching tool for a practical approach to the subject of music theory Abstract: In a typical music theory programme, the act of singing is often confined to the single skill of sight-reading prima vista. My background as a school teacher has taught me that singing can be used in a variety of ways to help children to learn skills such as reading and aural skills and so my wish is to investigate ways in which singing can be used in a music theory lesson at a conservatoire level. In the last few years at the Koninklijk Conservatorium (Royal Conservatoire of The Hague), the music theory department has been investigating ways in which skills can be transferred across disciplines. One change that has been made is that many music theory related subjects are now taught as a single subject. Teachers are now free to make connections where ever they are found. My own interest is on the use of singing as a tool to achieve these ends. My own investigation, as show in this research paper, will show models of lessons that can be created where singing is used as a core part of the lesson. A range of skills can be developed and theoretical concepts understood when singing activities are sequenced well and taught carefully. The result will be a model for other teachers to use and adapt for their own teaching. In addition, the result of the research has also produced a collection of vocal material for teachers to use in lesson in order to encourage singing with advise on how to use it within a lesson. Biography Ewan L. Gibson comes originally from Wales in the United Kingdom. His previous studies include Bachelor of Music (University of Exeter), Postgraduate Certificate of Education (Oxford Brookes University), and Master of Music (Royal Conservatoire of Scotland). He has worked in the field of music education as a teacher in schools and conservatoires. As a qualified school teacher, Ewan has taught in a variety of schools in the U.K. and in international schools in The Netherlands. These have included everything from pre-school to 18 years old. In addition, he has worked for the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, The National Youth Choir of Scotland and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra as a musicianship teacher, choral conductor and singing teacher. He has also given many workshop shops to music teachers on the use of singing in schools and teaching music literacy skills to children.