Secondary Science with Biology | University of Bedfordshire

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Summary:

Course Code: L227

Course Code: 2G9N

Course Code: 2SKC

Course Code: 2ZC3

Course Code: 2XC9

Course Code: 2ZHB

Course Code: L227

Course Code: 2G9N

Course Code: 2SKC

Course Code: 2ZC3

Course Code: 2XC9

Course Code: CX11

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Why choose the School of Education

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Ofsted – we are a ‘Good’ provider with Outstanding in Quality of leadership and management across our partnerships.

95% of our Education and Teaching graduates are in employment or further studies 15 months after graduating (HESA Graduate Outcomes, 2023)

Over 90% of students across all courses are employed within the first six months of graduation

100% of our undergraduate Primary Education graduates have secured jobs by the end of their course

Our Early Childhood Education course ranks 8th in its subject table for graduate prospects on track (Complete University Guide, 2024)

All teaching-training staff have QTS and were previously employed as teachers and/or head teachers; we also have teaching staff who are school governors or active members of their national subject associations

About the course

Develop as a highly qualified effective and confident teacher of science with a specialism in biology. Throughout your PGCE course you study with an experienced specialist team gaining the knowledge and skills you need to teach scientific concepts in a variety of inspiring ways.

Science is an exciting rapidly progressing subject that is challenging to teach. This largely school-based course is designed to give you the subject-specific knowledge secure understanding of educational theory and practical teaching skills to lead learning; initiate change; and thrive as a teacher.

You attend subject-specific sessions lectures and seminars designed to develop your awareness and understanding of the nature and content of the science curriculum; professional issues; and practical aspects of teaching such as planning and assessment.

During the course you spend around 70% of your time in placement schools where you develop the skills and experience necessary to teach scientific concepts. You work independently and collaboratively using a variety of teaching and learning approaches.

When you successfully complete the course you achieve Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) enabling you to work in a school as a teacher.

Intermediate qualifications available:

Professional Graduate Certificate in Education

Why choose this course?

Study at our Bedford campus home to one of the largest education providers in the region with a long and established history of teacher education
Benefit from our well-established links to more than 500 schools across the eastern region a network that puts us at the forefront of educational developments
Learn to apply your subject and theoretical knowledge to practical areas of teaching including different teaching approaches; planning and preparation; and managing the science classroom
Be able to evaluate the impact of applying theory to your teaching practice and use your evaluations to inform your future actions
Hone your skills of critical self-evaluation and gain confidence in analysing your own practical experience during your school placements
Engage with relevant research literature and develop the skills of a reflective and research-informed practitioner
Develop your creativity and team-working skills preparing you to influence and lead in educational settings while enhancing your own sense of independence

What will you study?

The Curriculum Specialist (Secondary Biology)

This unit aims to develop your knowledge of learning and teaching in the specific context of Secondary Biology. You will explore the development of Biology specific pedagogy by considering recent research about the teaching and learning of Biology and evaluating the impact, in your own teaching practice, of the ideas and theories presented. You will be supported to evaluate and improve your knowledge of the school Biology curriculum content and to apply your pedagogic and subject knowledge creatively in the planning and evaluating of your own teaching. By selecting, applying and evaluating a range of theories about the teaching and learning of Biology, you will develop a personal pedagogic stance which will prepare you to assume the role of a leader of Biology learning.

The Evidence Informed Curriculum Specialist

This unit aims to encourage you to build on your knowledge about learning and teaching and the application of that knowledge in practice. Key to the unit is a focus on the development of evidence informed teaching, through an extended systematic study of your own practice.

The unit is underpinned by a belief that evaluation of theoretical perspectives as they apply to your own teaching is an intrinsic element of best teaching practice. Within the unit, therefore, you will continually be encouraged to explore what is known about the learning in your subject and to demonstrate independence and creativity in evaluating the relevance of that knowledge in your own context.

School Experience 1

As part of this unit, you will undertake a school placement designed to enable you to observe and practise the procedures which support effective preparation for beginning to demonstrate the teaching and learning in respect to achieving the Teachers’ Standards (DfE, 2012). This placement’s teaching pattern is designed to ensure that you successfully make the transition from observing and supporting lessons to independently planning and delivering lessons during the placement. It also aims to help you to develop a range of school contextualised behaviour management strategies, which you are increasingly able to apply effectively and appropriately in keeping with the placement school’s behaviour management policy.

School Experience 2

As part of this unit, you will undertake a school placement designed to enable you to demonstrate the teaching and learning in respect to achieving the Teachers’ Standards (DfE, 2012) by the end of the course. The unit ensures you continue to develop and apply your experience from School Experience 1 and develop the integrated additional elements of promoting good progress, effective use of assessment, adapting teaching to suit groups of pupils and fulfilling wider professional expectations.

How will you 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. The passing of all four units will mean the course will recommend you to the TRA for QTS. In exceptional circumstances approved by the head of school it may be possible for recommendation for QTS to be made without completion of all four units. This option is not an automatic entitlement. Engagement with published research is a fundamental aspect of the course and you will be supported in developing skills of critical analysis of the literature. Rigorous attention to referencing conventions is therefore essential and you will be required to adopt the Harvard system. You will be supported in developing your understanding of plagiarism and in the use of Turnitin as a means of ensuring that referencing requirements are satisfied. The Teachers Standards 2012 publication is available at https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/standard/publicationDetail/Page1/DFE-00066-2011 (accessed 05/08/18)

Careers

On graduating you can apply for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) enabling you to work as a science teacher with a biology specialism in a secondary education setting. Many of our graduates go on to rewarding employment in local schools.

As well as Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) completing the course also offers you up to 60 Master's-level credits with opportunities for further study at MA/MSc MPhil PhD and EdD levels.

Entry Requirements

2.2 honours degree or equivalent in a related subject areaGCSE grade 4 English (or a C)GCSE grade 4 Maths