Secondary Education: Physics with Science PGDE

Why this course?

Physics is the fundamental science. As a teacher of physics, you’ll inspire learners with knowledge of the laws governing our natural world and its place in the universe. From how we can harness and use energy, to the discovery and exploration of planets and stars, physics covers a range of applications of the relationships that have been discovered through experiment and calculation.

Teaching is undoubtedly one of the most rewarding careers you can pursue – providing the opportunity to shape the minds of tomorrow.

The course provides the theoretical and practical starting point to your teaching career. You'll acquire the skills, attitudes and competencies to communicate in the classroom.

One of the highlights of the course for many student teachers is attending the residential Scottish Universities’ Science School (SUSS) where you will meet the student teachers of science from the other Scottish Universities. SUSS offers an excellent opportunity to begin networking with other future science teachers.

Worldwide qualification

This course is a professional training course which qualifies you to teach secondary education. The qualification is recognised throughout the world and is regulated by:

• the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS)
• the Scottish Government.

What you'll study

While on campus you'll attend two general teaching modules:

• Educational Perspectives & Policies (EPP)
• Principles, Policies & Practice (PPP)

Educational Perspectives and Policies will develop your understanding of educational issues in a broader intellectual context while Principles and Policy in Practice is the companion module to Educational Perspective and Policies. It shares a focus on critical professional engagement informed by educational research and theory. Tutorials for both classes provide the opportunity to work with students from different subjects and from within the primary sector.

The course builds confidence in students to allow them to perform to their full potential by equipping them with the theoretical knowledge and practical skills they require.

Subject specific classes are known as Creative Contexts for Learning (CCL). Here, you’ll learn about pedagogical approaches specific to physics with a highly experienced tutor.

The course also has links with several leading professionals in the world of physics teaching, who deliver school related aspects for the course. This time is used to familiarise you with the curriculum, allow you to collaborate with students and begin to plan lessons, develop materials, teach mini-lessons and to learn innovative and motivating ways to deliver the curriculum effectively.

The physics component of the PGDE course builds on your existing knowledge of physics to transform it into a form which school pupils can understand. You will work in groups with other student teachers to explore the practicalities of teaching a physics class before, during and after the lesson:

• what prior knowledge do the pupils have about the topic?
• what misconceptions are they likely to have and how can you address them?
• what about behaviour management?
• how can you plan practical work so that it engages pupils’ thinking?
• how can you develop pupils’ knowledge and understanding of physics?
• how can you help pupils to learn to love physics?
• once you have the taught the lesson, how you will reflect on what you could do better the next time?.