Postgraduate Certificate In Education Research Articles

From theory to practice: Beginner teachers’ experiences of the rigour of the Postgraduate Certificate in Education programme

This article focuses on how recent graduates perceive the rigour of the Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) initial teacher education (ITE) programme. The article is based on qualitative data collected from a purposely selected sample of 19 beginner teachers who graduated from two higher education institutions that offer PGCE programmes in the Western Cape. Data were primarily collected by means of open-ended semi-structured interviews and triangulated through document analysis. Results revealed how beginner teachers' conceptions of rigour of the ITE programme differ considerably from those advocated by experts on teacher education. The authors of this paper recommend that if rigour in teacher education programmes is to be understood, voices of student teachers and other stakeholders (e.g. teachers, school principals, communities, policy makers) should be included in the design and development of teacher-education curricula. Inclusion of these voices might constructively complement existing conceptions of rigour and influence ITE curriculum policy for the benefit of all stakeholders. Nonetheless, it should be borne in mind that some of these conceptions of rigour might not be informed by theoretical underpinnings and can therefore not supersede those of the experts.

Towards a theoretical framework for understanding PGCE student teacher learning in the Wild Coast Rural Schools’ Partnership project

This article focuses on a theoretical model that I am developing in order to understand student teacher learning in a rural context and the enabling conditions that can support this learning. The question of whether a supervised teaching practice in a rural context can contribute to the development of student teacher professional learning and their preparation to teach in a range of contexts needs to be researched in an academically rigorous way in order to understand student teacher learning in the Wild Coast Rural Schools' Partnership Project and the implications for teacher education. The article aims to go beyond the story of the project and a description of student teacher experiences, to focus on a theoretical framework for understanding student teacher learning. Previous work with Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) students has indicated that immersion in rural contexts in a supported way can provide opportunities for the interruption of the knowledge of many of the students (such as their existing schemata of rurality and of teaching in rural areas). Furthermore, it can facilitate the creation of new knowledge and altered mindsets through social participation in rural communities and with each other in communal living and teaching. The article explains the construction of a theoretical model, which addresses situational and contextual elements needed to understand student teacher learning.

STUDENT-TEACHERS’ PEDAGOGICAL BELIEFS: LEARNER-CENTRED OR TEACHER-CENTRED WHEN USING ICT IN THE SCIENCE CLASSROOM?

This exploratory qualitative case study explored the pedagogical beliefs and classroom practice of four Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) students when they implement Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for teaching and learning, including what influences their beliefs. Data were gathered by means of a teacher belief system (TBS) tool, drawing prompts that led to individual interviews, an open-ended questionnaire, lesson plans and assessment feedback forms, short summaries of how they used the ICT resources and feedback from the method lecturer and an appointed mentor teacher. The findings suggest that there appears to be a mismatch between the participants’ espoused beliefs and enacted beliefs when using ICT at this point in time. The participating student-teachers used ICT tools predominately in teacher-centred ways, yet they indicated that they held learner-centred beliefs. At the same time, this does not imply that there were no learner-centred activities during their lessons. The data seems to suggest that their exposure to teacher-centred pedagogy while being learners at school, as well as their tertiary experience could have played a role in how they taught Science. It is therefore important that lecturers model constructivist learner-centred pedagogy to students and provide opportunities for students to plan and model such practice. Key words: habitus, ICT beliefs, learner-centred pedagogy, student-teacher beliefs, teacher-centred pedagogy.

‘The Dramas Themselves’: Teaching English in London in the 1970s

My starting point is Staying Power, an exhibition that aimed to increase the number of photographs representing Black British experience in the UK. The exhibition was recommended by a former pre-service/PGCE (Postgraduate Certificate in Education) student who had grown curious about the language and culture of her students. One photograph of London’s Black music scene evoked powerful memories of the year I started teaching. I recall Harold Rosen’s insistence on making the students’ social realities – ‘the dramas themselves’ – the starting point for work in English, broadening out into systematic ‘school’ knowledge from there. I bring out something of what the photograph can tell us about the place of reggae, sound systems and sound contests in the life of the Black community, and I give an instance of writing in the vernacular by a Black student that arose from classroom talk about ‘sound contests’. Implicitly, I raise questions about how much a new teacher might be expected to know about their students’ languages and cultures. I also try to show what you can learn from students themselves when you listen attentively to what they have to say and I record my indebtedness to three students in particular: Michael, Lennox and Derrick, each of whom helped me to appreciate ‘the dramas themselves’.

The Nature of Professional Learning Needs of Rural Secondary School Teachers

Recruitment of professionally unqualified teachers into teaching appears to be internationally acclaimed to address shortages in rural schools. Nevertheless, teachers with limited knowledge are linked to lower quality education and student achievements. Relatively little attention has been given to professional needs of unqualified teachers in rural schools. Qualitative interview data were analyzed to explore professional needs of six teachers completing postgraduate certificate in education, to identify their needs as they traversed rural school contexts in becoming professionals. Data revealed needs around general pedagogy and pedagogic content knowledge, resourcing, and recognition and identity. The article illustrates that teacher learning and curriculum delivery among unqualified teachers may be enhanced if their needs are given attention.

A longitudinal comparative study of the use of target language in the MFL classroom by native and non-native student teachers

ABSTRACTOne of the key topics on any Modern Languages Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) course in the United Kingdom is the hotly debated issue of target language (TL) use. When and why do teachers use the TL in delivering lessons and when and why do they code switch into the learners' language? Does their practice change over time? Does it vary according to their learner experience? These are just some of the questions to have been explored in what is a much rehearsed debate. The issue is a challenging one for modern foreign language (MFL) course tutors, particularly in cases where practice in placement schools tends at times towards almost exclusive use of the first language. This paper begins with a closer look at the debate before presenting longitudinal research undertaken with four student teachers on a PGCE programme in 2012–2013. The research looked at attitudes and beliefs concerning participants' use of TL and also studied the functions for which they used TL most and least often. As the study was longitudinal, changes were noted. Differences between native speaker teachers and non-native speaker teachers were also observed throughout. The study, while not conclusive, yielded a number of interesting hypotheses which could form a valid basis for further larger scale research. They also have possible implications for the practice of teacher educators and for the delivery of MFL Initial Teacher Education programmes.

Becoming a language teacher: Constraints and negotiation in the emergence of new identities

Over the past three decades, identity has become a key construct in applied linguistics and there has been a great deal of research focussing on language learner identities. Meanwhile, less research has been devoted to language teacher identities, although there has been an increase in recent years. This paper makes a modest contribution to this growing literature. It examines how two Spanish nationals developed Spanish language teacher identities while attending a Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) course at a London university.

Value orientations of student physical education teachers learning to teach on school-based initial teacher education courses in England

There has been considerable interest in the socialisation of (student) physical education (PE) teachers, the beliefs and values developed as a result of this socialisation and the impact of these on teachers’ learning, behaviours and practices and the curriculum. Many studies looking at the beliefs and values of PE teachers have used the values orientation instrument (VOI). However, as far as we know, in England there has only been one study using the VOI to study the value orientations of PE teachers and none which has studied the value orientations of student PE teachers. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to look at the value orientations of secondary student PE teachers learning to teach in England. Two hundred and seventy two student PE teachers studying on both one year postgraduate certificate of education and four year undergraduate PE initial teacher education (ITE) courses at four universities in England completed the revised VOI (VOI-2) once during the academic year. Means and standard deviations were used to calculate the score for each value orientation across the whole sample, Pearson product–moment correlation coefficients were computed to determine the relationships between value orientations and one way analysis of variance tests were used to test for any differences between the groups according to gender and course/year on course for undergraduate student PE teachers. Results showed some variability in the value orientations given highest and lowest priority by different groups of student PE teachers in this study. However, with a few exceptions, learning process, ecological integration and self-actualisation were consistently given highest priority, whilst social responsibility and disciplinary mastery were consistently given lowest priority. There were some relationships between value orientations, but the only difference between groups was between male and female student PE teachers on learning process. Results are compared to the results of a similar study in England, and discussed in relation to possible reasons for the results, practical implications for meeting the aims and outcomes of the PE curriculum and for student PE teachers’ development on ITE courses and into their induction year.

Using a Community Engagement Project to Prepare Economics Education Students for Culturally Diverse Learning Environments

Critics of teacher education have suggested that initial teacher training institutions have not done an adequate job in preparing student teachers to teach culturally diverse learners. This research paper aimed to explore Post Graduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) economics teaching methodology and students’ views on how the Student Teams Achievement Division (STAD) project prepared them on how to teach culturally diverse learners in multicultural ecologies.

Using a Community Engagement Project to Prepare Economics Education Students for Culturally Diverse Learning Environments

Critics of teacher education have suggested that initial teacher training institutions have not done an adequate job in preparing student teachers to teach culturally diverse learners. This research paper aimed to explore Post Graduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) economics teaching methodology and students’ views on how the Student Teams Achievement Division (STAD) project prepared them on how to teach culturally diverse learners in multicultural ecologies.

English

The focus of this study was student teachers at a South African university enrolled in a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) programme and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE), respectively. The purpose of this study was to explore students’ understanding and acceptance of evolution and beliefs about the nature of science (NOS), and to discover if these understandings and acceptances changed with the level of their studies. In so doing, we wished to determine if there is a relationship between their understanding of evolution and the NOS, and their level of acceptance of evolution. The study is located within a quantitative framework. Questionnaires were administered to pre-service teachers, who were enrolled in the School of Education. All participants had chosen Biology as their teaching specialisation. Three instruments were included in the questionnaires. The findings revealed that students in the B.Ed. programme have a poorer understanding of evolution and NOS than the graduate group (PGCE), and that there is no significant difference in understanding between different levels within the B.Ed. group. A further significant finding was that acceptance of evolution is independent of changes in conceptual understanding of evolution and independent of changes in beliefs about the NOS.

Impact of teachers’ beliefs on mathematics education

ABSTRACTThe objective of the current study was to analyse the impact of teachers’ personal theory and beliefs (PTB) towards Mathematics teaching. A total of 183 respondents were involved in this study, using the stratified random sampling method with Cronbach's alpha of 0.87. Due to the objective of the research and the hypothesis, it was positioned within the positivist paradigm following a survey design, concentrating on Bachelor of Education and Postgraduate Certificate Education students, with a quantitative approach. The instrument of data collection was a structured questionnaire schedule. All selected respondents (using a questionnaire) were students of University of Fort Hare, enrolled in either the Bachelor of Education (BEd) or Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) programme. Using analysis of variance (ANOVA), the results revealed that there was no significant effect of age and race on learning of Mathematics amongst BEds and PGCEs candidates.

Reliability of Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) Assessments for Teaching Practice Courses in Open Distance Electronic Learning (ODeL)

If students acquire experience of teaching without a teaching qualification they are usually allowed to apply for recognition of prior learning (RPL) for up to 50% of a formal teacher education qualification. Amongst others they may apply for RPL for the practical teaching aspects of such a qualification, in this study the Post- graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) at the University of South Africa (UNISA). In the quest for quality assurance of RPL assessments, the objective of the research for this paper was to try and determine how reliable the RPL assessments are for the practical teaching courses. Documentary evidence in the form of RPL applications, mentor assessments and lecturer assessments were studied and compared to see if an accurate assessment is possible and which of these assessment methods (or a combination of these) is most reliable or accurate. Findings indicated that assessment of portfolios and lecturer assessments are well aligned while mentor assessments are quite often unrealistically high. It was further found that in ODeL, where the types of RPL assessments are often limited by cost and distance, portfolios do offer a reliable source of assessment evidence for teaching practice modules.

Critical reflections on the PGCE (Foundation Phase) qualification in South Africa

There is a crisis in provision of quality teaching in the foundation phase of schooling in South Africa. This article argues that the Postgraduate Certificate in Education (Foundation Phase) (PGCE(FP)) has potential to help address this crisis. The article draws on data from university admission policies, focused discussion between teacher educators from six universities, and a survey of registered PGCE(FP) students at one of these institutions. Through an examination of criteria for admission to the qualification, the article considers which students could potentially be recruited into teaching via the PGCE(FP). The value of students’ academic maturity is highlighted in relation to the duration and content of the curriculum, and in terms of knowledge and motivational effects on children taught by these teachers. It is recommended that admission criteria for the PGCE(FP) should allow recruitment of graduates from a wider variety of academic backgrounds, and it is argued that this qualification should be seen as part of a continuum of professional learning and that teachers with a baccalaureate are well skilled to be active lifelong professional learners. Specific suggestions are made for further research to develop a full analysis of the distinct contribution the PGCE(FP) can make to the early years teaching profession.

Blogs as an E Learning Strategy in Supporting Economics Education Students during Teaching Practice

Advances in technology, changing funding regimes and student profiles, and developments in learning theories, among other things, result in more and more higher education institutions embracing blended approaches to teaching and learning. In this changing landscape, many traditional assumptions and beliefs regarding teaching and learning are being questioned. Conducting and sharing research assists in redefining and re-imagining open distance learning (ODL) teaching and learning in the 21 st century. Over the past few years, greater attention has been paid to the new generation of social media, especially Web 2.0 technologies. Recently, blogs have facilitated the formation of online communities and have thus come to fulfil more extensive functions in education. This paper explores the use of blogs as a Web 2.0 e-learning strategy in supporting postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE) students who were learning to teach economics and management science education in ODL teaching practice ecologies. Data was collected through student teachers' (n=474) completion of five surveys on ODL teaching practice experiences. The findings revealed that blogs assisted students with reflective practice and reasoning, and added value to their learning experiences. Strategies were formulated for strengthening ODL teaching practice education.

Diversity among Post Graduate Certificate in Education Students during a Yearly Educational Excursion in a University in Gauteng Province, South Africa

This article focuses on describing diversity among Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) University students from different backgrounds, using educational activities such as egg, shoe string and solar heating as activities. The aim of this study is to describe diversity among PGCE University students during an educational excursion in 2014. Qualitative research method was used and also data was collected through informal observation. One hundred and fourty PGCE students were informally observed by the researcher during their stay at Achterbergh. The findings of this study indicated that the educational activities done by these students were of value. The reason being that they became aware of the importance of friendship, respect, self-awareness, improved social interaction, improved relationships, cultural and language barriers. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n20p1434

An analysis of the language of attribution in university students' academic essays

The study reports on challenges related to the use of the language of attribution in academic essay writing by Post-Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) students at Rhodes University, as a microcosm of similar challenges faced by university students elsewhere. The study content-analysed 150 essays written by 50 PGCE students taking the course ‘Language, Learning and Cognition’ which the researcher taught. Key categories analysed were: student preferences for the type and style of incorporating authors’ ideas in own academic essays, appropriateness of attributive words used, punctuation within the language of attribution, tense consistencies, appropriateness of attendant lexico-grammatical collocations, attributive words’ fit with the syntax and grammar of the writer’s ideas, as well as their consonance with the spirit and intent of the citations. Although findings point to gross challenges across all categories of analysis, they were most glaring in the matching of attributive words with the intent of citations and in the use of proper punctuation. Chief among the study’s recommendations is the need for explicit instruction in, and attention to, the language of attribution in university students’ essays by all lecturers and not just those in academic literacy development. Keywords : academic writing, attributive tags, attributive verbs, author’s voice, citing, direct quotes, essay, essay quality, language of attribution, paraphrases, referencing, tense consistencies.

Commercial English Language Proficiency: A Case of Exit Level Commercial Major Subject Students in the School of Education at the University of Limpopo, South Africa

This article presents the findings of a study that was conducted to assess the commercial English language proficiency of Bachelor of Education (BED) 4th and Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) students majoring in Accounting, Business Management and Economics (commercial subjects) at Limpopo University. A proficiency test consisting of items testing commercial language expression, comprehension, and vocabulary and error correction in both written and oral conversations was administered to a sample of 106 students consisting of BED fourth (4th) year and PGCE students majoring in commercial subjects. The test was developed by acclimatising existing English Language proficiency test as well as by using items identified from existing literature. The reliability of the proficiency test was tested using the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. The results of the study revealed that although PGCE students on average scored higher in the proficiency test, their level of commercial language proficiency was below acceptable minimum. Furthermore, statistically significant correlations were found between general commercial English expression and Comprehension, between comprehension and Vocabulary as well as between Error correction and Vocabulary. These findings suggest that both PGCE and BED students require intensive commercial language teaching. Furthermore, actions to improve the level of commercial language proficiency of both groups are recommended. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n14p386

Challenges Faced by Students in Mother Tongue Administered Assessments in Higher Education

Assessment is a central element in the overall quality of teaching and learning in all spheres of education and higher education is no exception. It determines whether or not the outcomes set for a particular module are achieved. Therefore, the accessibility and inclusivity of assessment to enable all students to fully demonstrate the quality of their learning is important. This paper focuses on assessments administered in mother tongue - isiZulu in one South African university. This follows the initiative of teaching in a medium of instruction of an African language as the constitution of South Africa encourages the promotion of these languages. A Foundation Phase programme within the Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) qualification is delivered in a dual medium of instruction of English and isiZulu. IsiZulu speaking students were taught and assessed in isiZulu and some materials given to them were written in both languages. It was therefore vital to investigate the feelings and the challenges of these students as they were lacking in isiZulu since they received their basic education in English medium schools and hence could only converse in isiZulu. Challenges encountered by these students during the assessment period and the impact it had on their performance were investigated. The study is qualitative in nature and is located within the interpretive paradigm. Using purposive sampling, two of these students who were in isiZulu class were identified. Data was generated through interviews, observations during class presentations and an analysis of students' work. Data revealed complex feelings such as uncertainty, anxiety and frustration that students encountered during assessments. It further shows that students battled to understand instructions and could not spell words correctly when expressing their views in a test and examination. The paper argues that those involved in the modules offered in mother tongue should give students instructions that are written in mother tongue as well as in English to enhance their understanding.

An Analysis of A Sample of South African University Students’ Reflections on Nelson Mandela as a Motivator of Learning

The purpose of the research on which this paper rests was to elicit university student’s reflections on a then living international icon and examines the extent to which the person and role of Nelson Mandela positively influenced students’ motivation. The sample consisted of a group of students in the Post-Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) programme. The contents of answers to an assignment in the language module in a narrative writing exercise were found to be worthy of analysis and that is why this is a retrospective study and the students’ answers constitute the data. The theoretical framework rests on motivation and the effect of an icon based on modelling theory. The findings led the authors to conclude that the subjects appreciated and valued Mandela’s life sacrifices and guidance as an iconic leader of the nation. This in turn has impacted on motivating university students to develop a culture of learning as told and narrated by them. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n14p304