PGCE Secondary Geography (QTS)

Why study the PGCE Geography course?

Please note the course code has been updated on UCAS/DfE to 3D3B, and is the same course as is identified by course code 2CHW in our 2019 and 2020 prospectus.

The Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) is the most widely recognised UK post graduate award and is transferable. It is accepted, across the UK and internationally, as an assurance that the candidate has achieved the high standard expected for entry to the teaching profession.

If you are passionate about geography this course will equip you with the skills to provide secondary school students across the 11-16 age range plus post 16 enhancement, with an understanding of the complex geographical systems in the world around them. The course is designed to provoke thought, challenge assumptions and help develop you as a reflective practitioner of the subject, so that you can enter the teaching profession with clear educational priorities and the skills with which to achieve them.

Geography is the most dynamic subject in the curriculum and training to be a geography teacher is both rewarding and enjoyable. You will have the opportunity to inspire the next generation of geography students to enjoy learning about people and their societies, economies, cultures and the environment. You will also explore ways in which lessons can provide both geographical content and opportunities to develop a wide range of skills.

You will have the opportunity to explore and develop ideas on how to teach students:

Why human and physical environments and landscapes appear as they are, how they form and operate, and how they inter-relate at various scales
How and why patterns of human and physical features differ from place to place across the Earth
Differences and inequalities within the human world, especially the economic, social and political causes of inequality and economic development
The importance of different spatial scales – global to local – and time scales for physical and human processes, together with their interactions and interdependence.
How to observe, describe, analyse, represent, interpret and report information about the world
Changes in human and physical worlds
A variety of field and laboratory analytical approaches including techniques such as Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and the use of modern technology in promoting learning

In addition, the programme is designed to develop you as professional geographers confident to challenge misconceptions and teach with passion and authority. A thinking skills approach and enquiry based learning underpin the course as these have been shown to both motivate and interest young learners as well as enhance their understanding of the world in which we live.

The PGCE course has both a pedagogical and practical aspect. After a short period of time in University preparing you for school experience, much of the course is spent in schools in a programme that gives you an opportunity to gain an advanced understanding of secondary schools and skills in classroom management and lesson delivery. During the year you will gain experience of teaching in at least two secondary schools and will acquire high level skills in the application of new technologies in teaching and learning.

In addition to your main school placements, you will have the opportunity to experience post 16 education, primary school settings and fieldwork. Furthermore, you will develop the skills required to enhance your own professional understanding and develop your own areas of professional interest.

For applicants who are deemed not to have the requisite amount of subject knowledge there is a Subject Knowledge Enhancement course which you may be required to take.