Secondary Science with Physics PGCE

University of Bedfordshire

About the course

Develop as a highly qualified, effective and confident teacher of science, able to teach scientific concepts in a variety of inspiring ways.

Build your knowledge and skills in teaching science in secondary schools through subject-specific sessions, lectures and seminars, working independently and collaboratively; and achieve Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

How will I be assessed?

The assessment strategy is based upon the premise that critical evaluation of theoretical perspectives as they apply to your own teaching is an intrinsic element of best teaching practice. Throughout the course, therefore, you will continually be encouraged to explore what is known about teaching and learning, and to demonstrate independence and creativity in evaluating the relevance of that knowledge in your own context. Sound subject knowledge is a fundamental quality of an effective teacher and you will be expected to demonstrate a commitment to ongoing development of that knowledge throughout the course in preparation for the final assessment.

Also key to the course is a focus on the development of evidence informed teaching, culminating in an extended systematic study of your own practice. By embracing the professional requirements for Qualified Teacher Status within the course it supports you in developing the qualities which define the University of Bedfordshire graduate teacher: an independent, reflective, creative, innovative, collaborative and resilient professional who is committed to ongoing personal and professional development.

The assessment for this course seeks to support you in developing your understanding of the interplay between theoretical perspectives and practice based experience. You will be developing your skills of reviewing and evaluation of evidence, critical thinking, creativity and independence. The themes for your evidence informed writing are developed from local and national subject priorities and, therefore, allow you to develop the evidence of your understanding of values and principles underpinning the Teachers Standards as they apply to your working context. By building your work around these themes, you will generate rich evidence which can contribute to the assessment of your professional performance: the Profile Review Points. Hence, the assessment items are intrinsically connected and, in combination, allow you to demonstrate your achievement of all learning outcomes.

The Profile Review Point is the process by which the mentor reviews your progress in your teaching practice and offers this evidence to your university tutor to review against all the other evidence that they see of you on the course. The Teachers Standards 2012 provide the framework by which this progress is judged and are supplemented with descriptors which support you in understanding the qualities which define the level at which you meet the standards.

The Teacher Standard descriptors are included in the School Experience unit assessment information. Formative use of assessment is embedded throughout the course and is a principle which we would expect you to adopt in your own teaching. You will be supported to become familiar with self- and peer-assessment approaches and to make effective use of feedback on both academic and practice-based aspects of the course, to identify targets for your ongoing development and plan actions to address them.