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Program rationale
The Independent P.G.C.E./M.Ed. is designed for teachers within the independent (non-government/private) sector who wish to gain academic recognition of their classroom practice through mentored, non-traditional learning. Because many teachers in the independent sector do not go through government training programs, they may lack tangible attestation as to their professional standing. The Independent P.G.C.E./M.Ed. offers a route towards establishing this standing in a way that may be useful both for teachers themselves and independent schools which employ them, but that is independent of government ideology and control. The program is designed to fit organically within the setting of a teachers' life and to be suitable for teachers with a wide variety of approaches. For example, as well as those teaching in the secondary/high school sector, Montessori, Steiner and Piaget-trained teachers may also be eligible to participate.
Entry requirements
Candidates must have completed either:
- a degree or equivalent
qualification of graduate standing
or:
- a teaching qualification specific to a particular pedagogical method (such as Montessori/Waldorf-Steiner, etc.)
or:
- a teaching qualification specific to a particular pedagogical method (such as Montessori/Waldorf-Steiner, etc.)
In addition, they must hold a full-time or part-time position as a teacher in a school for at least the duration of the practicum component of the program, and should have several years of teaching experience to draw upon. This program is not suitable for those seeking initial teacher training, or who are not teaching currently. The school will need to provide a senior member of staff to act as on-site mentor for the practicum component, which may incur additional fees payable from the student to the school or member of staff for this supervision. For the purposes of the program, "senior member of staff" is defined as a serving teacher who is employed in the capacity of Head of Department or a more senior position, or who has ten years of uninterrupted teaching experience or part-time equivalent.
How the program works
The student will be assigned a Mentor by EAU.
Part 1 - Portfolio of existing professional practice
The student will be required to prepare a portfolio of existing professional practice comprising a detailed survey of teaching experience and pedagogical issues arising from it. The portfolio should be fully annotated to focus on skills developed and learning experiences encountered, with an emphasis on professional development as a teacher within the practical classroom environment. It will be expected that colleagues/line managers/mentors will also contribute to the portfolio through supporting affidavits. The portfolio should function as a reflective element of the program in which the student's professional history is encapsulated. The portfolio is assessed by the University.
More guidance to preparing an APEL portfolio is given here.
Part 2 - Supervised practicum
Working under the supervision of a school-based mentor, the student will complete a teaching practicum of not less than six months, in which their professional practice will be assessed in a reflective setting. Essentially, this aspect of the program concerns the assimilation of a second portfolio, but with the difference that this portfolio is concerned with a specific period of assessment. The student should set out the aims of the practicum at the outset, focussing particularly on pedagogical techniques and likely challenges, and explain in detail the nature and aims of the teaching they are to undertake. These aims should in turn form the basis of discussion with the Mentor and the agreement of what amounts to a learning contract in a teaching setting. Outcomes should not focus narrowly on pupil achievement in public examinations, but should instead consider the social, interpersonal and spiritual contexts of the educational process, be this within a specific pedagogical method or otherwise. Where an outcome is not achieved, it may still provide a valuable learning experience. The focus of the practicum is on a holistic assessment of the teacher as a functioning professional and on the journey of education for both teacher and pupil, and it may quite properly include aspects of the extra-curricular life of the school and any pastoral activities undertaken outside the classroom itself.
The practicum is assessed by the school-based Mentor and ratified by the University.
Candidates who complete parts 1 and 2 successfully will qualify for the award of the P.G.C.E.
Part 3 - Dissertation
Candidates who wish to continue to earn the M.Ed. will need to complete a dissertation of 50,000 words. The dissertation must be on a subject of professional relevance to education, and should where possible be directly relevant to the candidate's own professional practice as a teacher. The dissertation is an opportunity to reflect in a wider pedagogical context upon the aspects of portfolio and practicum that have formed the earlier part of the program. It may be project-focussed or discursive; it need not contain original research, but should be firmly anchored in existing educational practice and show an awareness of pedagogical method. The dissertation is assessed by the University.
More guidance to preparing a dissertation is given here.
Candidates who complete part 3 successfully will qualify for the award of the M.Ed.
