Module EDUC31340: Understanding the Primary School

Department: Education

EDUC31340: Understanding the Primary School

Prerequisites

• None.

Corequisites

• All six year 1 modules for the primary pathway, as outlined in the Programme Specification are co-requisites.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• All modules identified in the Programme Specification are compulsory.

Aims

• The module aims to meet two distinct but closely linked student needs: firstly, the need to develop a critical understanding of a full range of educational philosophies and theories, relating these to research and to the possibilities and realities of practice; secondly, to acquire the practical skills, knowledge and understanding to become effective, reflective and fully qualified teachers.

Content

• The course will be structured around intensive study of the following topics:
• The National Curriculum versus the whole curriculum;
• Pastoral care and PSHE in primary schools;
• Inclusion and individual needs and differences;
• Teaching across the ability range; including gifted and talented pupils;
• The moral and spiritual dimensions of primary education;
• Citizenship and primary education;
• The needs of children for whom English is an additional language;
• Working with other educational professionals.

Learning Outcomes

• On completion, students will be able to:
• Understand the wider general context of primary education in England and Wales;
• Demonstrate a critical understanding of contemporary curriculum and generic educational issues and their relationships to the primary school.

• On completion, students will be able to:
• Apply curricular and pedagogical studies to the school and wider community context;
• Address specific curricular and pedagogical needs as appropriate.

• On completion students will be able to:
• communicate ideas, principles and theories effectively in a variety of ways;
• work effectively, on given tasks and activities;
• manage time and work to deadlines.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• 125 hours contact time distributed across:
• the core areas of English, mathematics and science (20 hours each = 60 hours);
• the foundation curriculum (8 areas: 55 hours total);
• pedagogical issues (10 hours total);
• lectures and seminars.
• Summative Assessment: essay 2000 words.
• Formative Assessment: Directed tasks carried out during seminar/workshop sessions or while in schools to support the compilation of evidence for meeting the TDA standards for the award of QTS; verbal or written feedback, as appropriate.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Directed tasks carried out during seminar/workshop sessions or while in schools to support the compilation of evidence for meeting the TDA standards for the award of QTS; verbal or written feedback, as appropriate.

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University