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University of Bedfordshire
Park Square
Luton
Bedfordshire
UK, LU1 3JU
This course is for those who wish to pursue a career in teaching, and who currently work or volunteer in schools in support roles (such as nursery nurses, classroom assistants, instructors, classroom volunteers), or who can undertake regular work placements in schools.
Attendance will include twilight sessions (4pm-8.30pm) one day per week and occasional Saturdays. An alternative day-release mode of attendance is also available one day per week between 9.30am and 3.30pm.
Key features:
Areas of study include:
The purpose of the assessment programme is to assist learning, to monitor the performance of students and to measure their attainment at the end of the course. In addition, it aims to enable students to demonstrate that they have fulfilled the objectives of each unit as well as the Field as a whole. The assessment strategies are designed to give students the opportunity to demonstrate the range of knowledge, understanding and skills required by intending teachers.
Assessment opportunities therefore range from written reports to the production of teaching materials and lesson plans, from in-class tests to assessed presentations, from very specific structured assessments to open, negotiable topics for personal research. The team believe that the combination of these approaches will enable students to demonstrate the full range of their competences and will ensure high academic standards. Some units involve assessed school-based observations and reflection upon these, as well as self-assessment in a range of ways.
Development of oral presentational skills:
The key importance of the development of oral presentational skills to intending teachers is recognised by the course team and every opportunity is taken to encourage students to enhance their skills in this area.
A number of units include formal assessment of oral presentational skills and the feedback given to students is intended to be formative in order to aid development. All such presentations are video-recorded and the tapes are made available to students so that they may self-assess their own performance. In-school observed teaching also gives students feedback and self-assessment of presentational skills. Many units involve small-scale group and individual oral feedback opportunities and requirements.
Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
1. Plan creative teaching and assess pupils learning.
2. Use their own subject knowledge and understanding in both the core and Foundation curriculum subjects in order to teach these subjects creatively and effectively at an appropriate key Stage.
3. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of educational processes and the ability critically to apply that knowledge and understanding.
4. Critically evaluate their own skills as an intending teacher.
5. Demonstrate the acquisition of a range of transferable skills in information handling, Information literacy, communication, planning and team work.
6. Undertake classroom-based research and demonstrate information management skills in researching and analysing data and drawing informed conclusions.
7. Demonstrate their own awareness of professional values in teaching and creatively apply their theoretical understandings to classroom practice.
Education Studies 2007
Http://www.qaa.ac.uk/academicinfrastructure/benchmark/honours/Education07.pdf
Early Childhood Studies
ESCALATE -
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/resources/detail/ourwork/tla/employability_profile_ESCalate_Education_Subject_Centre
The BA (Hons) Education Studies course is targeted at entrants to a teaching career who are currently working or volunteering in schools and who thus bring with them skills and experience based on a classroom role, such as Nursery Nurse or Teaching Assistant.
Taught sessions on the course can be delivered outside school hours with regular attendance one evening per week from 4.00-8.30pm. and some Saturdays, or alternatively the course is available on a day release basis. The focus of the course is on classroom application so all students must be working in schools on either a paid or voluntary basis and this concurrent experience is a key feature of learning on the course.
This mode of study, combined with practical application in the classroom, allows people with experience and skills in working with pupils to build upon their existing competences and to further their knowledge in appropriate academic study in order to gain a high level qualification which is necessary to progress to a career as a teacher. The design of the course, incorporating subject knowledge in the National Curriculum and core curriculum, ensuring that relevant Standards for QTS are addressed in all units, is clearly linked to TDA requirements and will enable graduates more easily to progress to teaching via the most appropriate route for them. The course has been running since 1993 with an excellent record of success for its students.
The primary aim of the course is that all students will achieve the levels of knowledge and standards of professional competence necessary to progress to a career in teaching. The course will lay the foundations for students to develop and sustain throughout their careers a fully professional approach and attitude in their teaching. Such a professional attitude assumes:
Objectives
This course will:
The nature of the groups (mostly mature students with work and, often, family commitments, attending part-time), necessitates a particular approach to student support.
Student groups are usually 30-35 students who remain in a stable grouping throughout the course with the majority studying the same units. In the main, students share similar work based experiences and similar demands on their time from work, family and study commitments. The ethos of the course is a caring one and students are encouraged to form strong networks, fostered by regular groupwork, including shared assessments, during the course.
Staff support includes:
An additional source of support for students is the team of professional colleagues in the schools in which they are based, in some cases including previous graduates of the course. These colleagues will, on occasion, be asked to allow students to observe their teaching in order to learn from good practice, to explain the basis for decisions made in class and to provide professional feedback on the practice of students. Schools are specifically asked not to assist in the production of assessed work, but a general interest in the course and a willingness to discuss professional issues can be very valuable for students.
See Students with disabilities for specific disability support.
Students will spend part of most teaching sessions working in a range of varying small groups or pairs, sharing ideas, researching information and creating resources or strategies. Some units will require groupwork as preparation for subsequent individually assessed components (eg EDS / D005-2 Current Issues in Education) and others, such as EDS / D008-1, will require informal feedback by small groups within the teaching session. Some units will have BREO discussion sites where students may communicate with the unit tutor and other students to discuss unit issues. Many assignments require awareness of and in some cases experience of, the team element of working in schools, within individual classrooms, across the school and with the local community.
Advice is posted on Breo about how to apply for the various QTS training routes available after the degree or in some cases during it. The Manager of the local SCITT visits all year 2 teaching sessions, in June of year 2, to advise on the process of applying for PGCE, GT and RT places. All units are work-based and require evidence of increasing understanding of both subject knowledge and the qualities required to be a successful teacher. All units are referenced to the HLTA and QTS Standards. Unit EDS/D001-1 requires students to respond to professional feedback on their practice, within their school settings. The revised Unit EDS / D006-2, Reflecting on Practice, requires students to prepare a personal statement for their future QTS application, identifying and reflecting on their experience and skills to date. Subject units prepare students for the Skills tests and ensure necessary subject knowledge in maths, science, English and ICT is in place. National Curriculum based units prepare students for the range of subjects taught and other units, such as Inclusion and Diversity and Managing the Learning Environment, etc, prepare students for their wider role as a teacher. The dissertation unit allows for in-depth action research into an area of current importance within students own schools.
The University is a partner with the Shire Foundation and therefore part of the Designated Recommending Body for Graduate Trainees and PGCE students, as well as, in some years supporting many local schools who wish to apply for Registered Training places for students with 240 credits. We offer workshops for students applying for places on the above courses, provide references and support applications for Registered and Graduate Teaching places with Shire.
You can apply for an employment-based route to Qualified Teacher Status, or for a PGCE course.
Career:
The majority of students go straight onto QTS training courses to become Primary (or occasionally Secondary or Special School) teachers. Some become Senior Teaching Assistants or Higher Level Teaching assistants with teaching responsibilities. Can also lead to careers as family worker, social worker, civil service, FE and HE, LEAs, museum and linked education departments, or as CPD within their current school roles, etc.
Interview advice can be accessed on Breo.
Further study:
QTS training routes: PGCE; RT and GT.
Masters units are available and the University-validated SCITT which many students use to gain QTS is about to create validated Masters units within the QTS training.
Standard:
NEAB; NVQ 3, Cache, etc, in child / education related subjects recognised
Experience within school credited.
Additional:
Concurrent work or placement in a school throughout period of course
Headteachers reference.
A foundation degree will be of particular interest if you have completed a Modern Apprenticeship, vocational A levels, BTEC National or equivalent.
Foundation degrees are also particularly suitable if you want to qualify while working.
Many students studying for foundation degrees come to us through work-based routes so you can apply for a foundation degree even if you don’t have traditional academic qualifications.
We welcome applicants with relevant work experience.
We will consider you as an individual and take into account all elements of your application, not just your qualifications. We are looking for both breadth and depth in your current studies as well as enthusiasm for the subject you wish to study.
The general requirement is one of the following:
Postgraduate applications (MA/MSc) should be made direct to the University using the standard University application form. There are some exceptions, please see individual course descriptions for details.
As a general guide, to apply for a place on an undergraduate course (BA/BSc) at the University you need to have completed your high school education and have the required English qualification.
We have students from all the European Union member countries so we are quick to make decisions on most qualifications.
(Please note that applicants on a full student visa are not eligible for part-time study)
We recommend that you apply directly to the University where possible, as this allows us to offer the quickest turnaround time for your application.
Please read the Direct application instructions before completing the course application form.
Application forms for accommodation in the student halls at Bedford campus and Luton campus are available in the Student life section
APL is available for international students applying for undergraduate (Bachelor degree) study. Please do not use this APL form to apply for postgraduate courses.
Use the APL form to tell us about any non-standard qualifications and/or work experience you have that you think should be taken into consideration with your application. `
The APL form should be submitted at the same time as the course application form.
We regret we are unable to process APL forms from students who have not submitted a formal course application form.
Return your completed application to:
University of Bedfordshire
International Admissions
Park Square
Luton
Bedfordshire
LU1 3JU
United Kingdom
T: +44 (0)1582 489326 (non-EU Students)
F: +44 (0)1582 743469
E: international-admissions@beds.ac.uk
The main strategy adopted for delivering the course will be student-centred, experiential learning with ample opportunities for reflection, self assessment, negotiation and sharing. This approach is particularly appropriate since the course will constitute a resource for students future professional development as teachers by providing practical examples of strategies for emulation in their own teaching. Because of the timing of many sessions at the end of the working day it is important that formal teaching inputs are kept to a minimum and all taught sessions are therefore interactive in nature. A wide variety of other learning and teaching methods will be employed including: Interactive whiteboard work; internet resources; case study, role play, videoed work, guided reading, small scale school based research, pupil observations, production and evaluation of learning materials, self selected project work, group tasks and assessed presentations; use of DCSF and TDA materials, on CD, Internet and DVD.
School based experience is a key factor in students development and they are encouraged to gain maximum benefit from the opportunity of learning from good practice observed in their schools by discussion, case study work and presentation to and by peers and through assessed course work.
Applications from students with disabilities are welcome on this course.
Support provided for students with identified disabilities eg:
Communication
To help with the development of this students will:
Self-audit and be externally audited at the start of the course, identifying areas where they may require support or self-study, and consider strategies to address those. They will be explicitly taught written skills appropriate to formal essays, and language and presentational skills relevant to spoken communication, both formal and informal. They will have unit input on English grammar, spelling and punctuation, and this will be assessed in all written assignments, with feedback and tutorials as required, provided. Some unit assessments will be through presentations, for which marking grids and assignment feedback will again be provided. Students may also borrow videos of their presentation for self-evaluation. Paired and group work will be practised in all teaching sessions, with feedback to the whole group required on occasion. All teachers are teachers of English. Therefore this is a key focus in all assignments.
Information Literacy
To help with the development of this students will:
Self-audit at the start of the course, identifying areas where they may require support or self-study, and identify strategies to address those. They will be trained in the use of BREO and given early opportunities to use the main BREO functions, including a unit chatroom and unit discussion boards. They will be trained in the use of the digital library functions both from home and at college. They will have an early unit teaching and assessing key ICT skills. Subsequent units will also focus on ICT use in schools. Assignments will be word-processed and some will require PowerPoint or other ICT methods of delivery, on which formative feedback will be given. The Research Project unit will include taught sessions on presenting data. All units will have BREO sites with support materials, and some will require interactive use of discussion boards, etc.
Research and Evaluation
To help with the development of this students will:
Have sessions within the first unit introducing the skills of research use and reference, and evaluation of their own and others writing. The Course Handbook will include extensive advice on referencing conventions and good use of research. Early units will involve small research projects within school placements and students will receive preparation and support with these. Most units will have an assessed reading requirement and feedback will be given on this. Many units will include evaluations of their own or others teaching materials, resources and strategies and their effectiveness against assessment objectives. One second year unit will require detailed self-evaluation of students progress so far, both in school, with reflection on the skills required for teaching, and in their assignments, using tutor feedback. You will also be required to produce a draft personal statement suitable for an application for QTS training. Some units will have specific literature reviews as part of the assessed work. Early units in each year will require submission of work through Turnitin, to clarify plagiarism and referencing issues and support given for any student with difficulties. Sessions will be run in preparation for Research Projects and personal support given via individual tutorials. Unit objectives and marking grids will increasingly refer to the need for evaluation as the course progresses, and advice and practice given in teaching sessions to prepare students for this. The department on occasions uses an interactive whiteboard and other ICT resources as appropriate.
Creativity and Critical Thinking
To help with the development of this students will:
Examine, discuss and evaluate their own and others teaching materials and resources and research suggestions, both within the teaching sessions, in their research and in their school placements. Many units will require students to create and justify teaching approaches and strategies to meet a range of pupil needs and show creativity and critical thinking both in their creation of these and their evaluation of their outcome. Work will be done in teaching sessions to prepare students for this. Marking grids will make explicit the importance of these qualities in high-achieving work.
Extensive written feedback is given on all assignments and appointments can be made to discuss these further with the tutor if required. Some units have individual or group tutorials as integral parts of the unit. Appointments can be made to discuss more general concerns with the Course Leader, and students may be invited to such a meeting if the team is concerned about their progress, so issues can be identified and support offered.
On occasion students may choose or be advised to contact the caas team to discuss further support for their studies, or they may choose to do so independently. Unit EDS / D008-1, Skills For Teaching, the opening unit, includes a range of self and externally-audited skills, and requires students to create an action plan to address identified needs both in the short term and during the duration of the course. EDD / S001-1, Developing Teaching, requires them to reflect critically on their own performance and to respond to feedback following observations of their practice in their school settings. The revised Unit EDS / D006-2, Reflecting on Practice explicitly requires them to reflect back on their progress both in school and over first and second year units, and identify both areas of improvement and matters still to be resolved. The Research Methods unit, EDD / S009-3 and the Research Project unit EDD / S001-3 involve taught sessions and, for the Project, individual tutorials to guide students in the preparation of their projects, and focus on areas for development in skills and subject knowledge. Students may receive letters advising them of areas of concern for the teaching team, in their work, and advice on how to resolve these, if they receive several marks in the lower grades or fail to make progress during their time with us. The team records students individual progress across units in order to spot any areas of concern as early as possible.
Students take subject audits and this allows them to identify actions, both short and long-term, to address areas for development in English, Mathematics, Science and ICT at the end of unit 1, and targeted students are offered tutorials on areas of weakness and recommended text books to support self-study. The audits also inform the planning of teaching of subsequent subject units. A CETL funded research project is also underway to review the student experience in returning to study, and will continue to inform on-going curriculum development and provide students with more targeted academic support.
The Unit EDS / EDD006-2, as mentioned above, requires a detailed reflection on progress so far, both of issues within students own school practice, and in terms of assignment grades and tutor feedback. An action plan to address the areas for development identified is required. Students also produce an exemplar personal statement for future QTS applications. The Research Methods unit, EDD / S009-3 followed by the Research Project unit, EDS / D001-3, gives students the chance to synthesise learning and demonstrate a high level of academic knowledge and understanding. Students are supported in this through taught sessions on research methods and in co-ordination with tutors who work closely on areas of individual strength and weakness to support students. Several units require students to evaluate and comment on their work in schools and identify both progress and areas for development.
All units have significant PDP aspects as the course is vocationally and school-orientated and opportunities are built into every unit for review of school issues and experiences.
All units are cross-referenced to HLTA standards and to the QTS standards, identifying which of those are likely to be reflected in the work of that unit. Students self assess with reference to the Standards in EDS / D006-2, before producing their personal statements. References from Headteachers are required for admittance to the course and several units require students to be assessed by colleagues in the workplace. Professional Standards, whether relating to the curriculum, ethical issues, classroom management or relationships with parents and the community are covered in almost every unit.
The course has a very high level of inclusion and embedding already, but units are frequently revised to reflect changes in the curriculum. Tutors attend ITT meetings and are all working as support tutors for GT trainees, thus working with the Standards, within school environments, including detailed lesson observations, all the time. Individual tutors meet with colleagues in schools, are involved in the development of Early Years training locally, train and assess HLTAs, act as external markers for parallel courses, review textbooks and carry out research. It is intended that these activities continue and any new opportunity to extend our knowledge is taken (eg school visits, meeting with subject co-ordinators, etc).
