Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) in Wales - Learning Outcomes

Educational aims

The award provides opportunities for you to bring together your personal understanding of issues relating to education with your professional practice and the enduring and current body of research publications relevant to teaching. You will develop the skills and other attributes necessary to progress as a newly qualified teacher and to further your professional development and research-informed practice.

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding

When you complete your studies for this qualification, you will have knowledge and understanding of:

  • The requirements to meet the Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) descriptors of the Professional Standards for Teaching and Leadership.
  • Current debates, concepts and issues in education.
  • Research that underpins practice.
  • Relevant education strategies, policies and guidelines and their implications for teachers in relation to improving learning.
  • How teaching and learning occur in complex and contextualised settings that impact on practice.
  • How to identify issues and questions in relation to areas of educational interest and design study plans to investigate them.
  • How to critically evaluate advanced literature and other evidence.
  • How to reflect critically on own practices in the light of evidence from research.

Cognitive skills

  • The ability to use key terms, concepts and theories to inform and evaluate practice.
  • The ability to apply critical thinking skills in relation to reviewing literature.
  • The ability to apply critical thinking skills in relation to practice.
  • The ability to support personal and professional development through analysis and reflection.
  • The ability to extend and adapt current conceptual understanding in relation to specific
  • literature and practice.
  • The ability to critically analyse and evaluate literature and practice in relation to a specific area
  • of investigation.
  • The ability to reflect on practice and the contribution of your PGCE studies to your continuing professional development.
  • The ability to reflect on and regulate your own learning.

Practical and/or professional skills

  • Demonstrate the skills and attributes required to meet the Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) descriptors of the Professional Standards for Teaching and Leadership.
  • Critically evaluate your own practice in order to improve practice.
  • Demonstrate a reflective approach to research and other literature in order to inform and improve your practice.
  • Demonstrate the skills to identify and select relevant research and other educational publications.
  • Monitor your own learning.
  • Structure a report.
  • Produce a professional standard of presentation of a report.

Key skills

  • Use ICT applications for information retrieval and communication purposes.
  • Communicate ideas concisely and effectively orally and in written work which shows clear expression and coherent structure.
  • Take personal responsibility for completing an extended and varied programme of learning which requires sustained independent application.
  • Produce assignments involving the analysis and presentation of materials and issues.
  • Develop and use the key skills necessary to effectively research an area to gain knowledge and understanding of an aspect of education.
  • Develop and use the key skills necessary to effectively present a project within the conventions of academic writing for masters’ degrees.

Teaching, learning and assessment methods

Teaching will be through a series of practice-focused strands making up the modules PGCE 1, 2 and 3. Each module will consist of strands focusing on curriculum, children’s learning, planning, teaching, assessment and professional role. The strands will be web-based and will consistently require the student to reflect on the inter-relationship between theory and practice.

The course is progressive, the same strands are returned to in each module and developed progressively. You’ll learn theories and concepts appropriate to your level of study. Your successful practice and assessment will let you progress to the next module.

Each module will be assessed through reflective essay responses to tasks and an eportfolio of evidence of progress in practice against the professional standards, lesson observations, mentor discussion records and formal assessment of teaching by a practice tutor.

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