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This module will enable you to further explore your professional values and personal commitment. You will deepen your knowledge and understanding and further develop skills and abilities in relation to the curriculum, pedagogy and assessment of your subject area within the secondary curriculum, with a specific focus on Broad General Education (S1-3). You will also start to develop extended knowledge of your particular curricular specialism from within the primary curriculum levels. This will enable the contextualising within specific curricular areas of some of the broader principles explored in the PGDE School Experience module.

Curriculum
The module will develop your knowledge of the S1-3 curriculum. This will include the stages of Broad General Education relating to upper Primary School as well as that normally studied in the first three years of Secondary. You will also examine the points of transition from Primary to Secondary education, and from the BGE to the Senior Phase of Secondary education.

You will cover three main areas whilst studying this module

Pedagogy
You will further develop your understanding of the methods and underlying theories for effective teaching and learning and learn how to plan appropriately in order to meet the needs of all learners, across different contexts and experiences. There will also be a focus on differentiated learning and inclusion.

Assessment
You will further develop your knowledge and understanding of the principles of assessment and how to use a range of approaches for formative and summative assessment purposes. Practical activities will help model these principles and give relevant experience that will work towards the interdisciplinary related tasks that are required as part of the module assessment. These will be appropriate to the needs of all learners and the requirements of the curriculum and awarding and accrediting bodies such as the Scottish Qualifications Agency (SQA).

As well as developing assessment materials you will explore and analyse the outcomes to help determine positive learning opportunities for all pupils. Again, developing your own assessments will enhance your practice as it is based upon real experiences, not just theoretical approaches.

Professional qualities and capabilities
After studying this module you have the confidence to engage in professional dialogue with peers and university staff and work collaboratively in a variety of settings that will include primary and secondary transition.

Throughout the module, you will be expected to model appropriate levels of literacy and numeracy in learning activities and to reflect on the impact of your personal communication on others. With increasing confidence, you will be able to explore more fully your own personal development in professional qualities and skills by exploring further opportunities when out on school placement.

Indicative Content
This module will develop your knowledge and understanding of the Broad General Education (BGE) phase of the Secondary school for this module. It must also be remembered that some of your pupils will be working at levels normally expected in this lower age range and it important in terms of GIRFEC and inclusion that all learner needs are met.

As part of this module, you will develop your understanding of Learning for Sustainability. This complements the assessment task for the module.

The Learning Outcomes of this module are aligned with the General Teaching Council for Scotland’s Standard for Provisional Registration https://www.gtcs.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/standard-for-provisional-registration.pdf).
Upon completion of this module you will be able to:

LO1: Further demonstrate the attributes of Being a Teacher in Scotland aligned to the Standards for Provisional Registration of the General Teaching Council for Scotland.

LO2: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the curriculum in your subject across the Broad General Education phase of the secondary curriculum (including primary transition).

LO3: Demonstrate a critical understanding of interdisciplinary learning in the Broad General Education phase of the secondary school curriculum.

LO4: Demonstrate a critical understanding of assessment strategies and resources, for your curricular area in the Broad General Education Phase of the secondary curriculum.

LO5: Demonstrate the development of an interdisciplinary learning activity that integrates curricular learning, and enables the transfer and application of knowledge to new problems and to other areas of learning.

LO6: Plan a coherent, progressive and stimulating teaching programme which matches learners’ needs and abilities.