Module Descriptors

This module is a core element of level 9 of the B.A. Education Programme.  It is designed to extend the knowledge and experience gained from the ‘Professional English and Mathematics’ module and the ‘Leading Learning at the Early Level’ module.  Students will undertake a block placement in school.

This module will help to further prepare students for their school experience placement by exploring generic aspects of curriculum, pedagogy and assessment within the early stages, as well as facilitating understanding of the schools and learning communities in which students will teach and their professional responsibilities within them.

Students will know and understand the content of the curriculum and the methods and underlying theories for effective teaching across all areas.  Revision of early reading, writing, numeracy and mathematics will be evident.  

A variety of strategies to support pupil assessment, learner engagement, differentiation, partnership working, play pedagogy, pupil participation and resource management will be explored.  The importance of applying the school’s specific policies will be emphasised.

Students will be directed to read and analyse a range of appropriate educational and research literature, and be encouraged to engage with wider reading independently. Students will be supported to use what they have learned to critically examine their personal and professional attitudes and beliefs and challenge, justify, and evaluate practice.

• • The module will support students towards meeting the GTCS Standard for Provisional Registration. Module inputs will link on-campus learning to specific professional actions. During placement, students will be expected to evidence impact of their professional knowledge, skills and attributes through focused observation and in-depth self-reflection. They will maintain a record of their professional learning and development within the Placement Observation of the Standards (POTS) and Reflection and Evaluation of the Standards (RETS) documentation. The module will support students towards meeting the GTCS Standard for Provisional Registration by working towards the following standards: Being a Teacher in Scotland (1); Curriculum and Pedagogy (2.1); Professional Responsibilities (2.2); Curriculum and Pedagogy (3.1); The Learning Context (3.2); Professional Learning (3.3).


• • In relation to learning for sustainability, students will engage in critical reflection and use enquiring/critical approaches. They will also explore inter-disciplinary learning. They will be faced with uncertainty and incomplete information.


• • Through participating in this placement module, students will develop UWS Graduate Attributes and will demonstrate, in particular, that they are critical thinkers, emotionally intelligent, incisive, ambitious and research-minded. At level 9, students should also demonstrate that they are driven.

On successful completion of this module the student will be able to:

L1. Apply knowledge, skills and understanding in the main concepts and pedagogies underpinning effective teaching in an early primary setting.

L2. Exercise increased autonomy and initiative by planning, implementing and assessing sequences of lessons within early and first level, across all areas of the curriculum.

L3. Demonstrate increased awareness of own role, responsibilities and effectiveness when critically reflecting (through the 4 lenses) on teaching and learning.

L4. Work with a variety of professionals to further progress understanding of current professional practice in teaching and learning.

Demonstrating knowledge of the defining features underpinning effective teaching across the primary curriculum.
Understanding a range of core theories, concepts and principles.

Using professional skills, techniques, practices and materials associated with effective teaching and learning across the primary curriculum.
Adapting routine practices within accepted standards.

Undertaking critical analysis, evaluation and synthesis of ideas, concepts, information and issues within the primary curriculum.
Identifying and analysing routine professional issues, drawing on a range of sources to make judgements.

Using a wide range of skills associated with effective teaching and learning across the primary curriculum.
Presenting or conveying information to a range of audiences.
Using a range of ICT applications to support and enhance teaching and learning.

Exercising autonomy and initiative in a wide range of professional activities.
Demonstrating managerial responsibilities in relation to staff and resources.
Working effectively under guidance of qualified practitioners to understand current professional practice.
Demonstrating an awareness of own and others’ roles, responsibilities and contributions.
Dealing with complex ethical and professional issues in accordance with current professional and/or ethical codes of practice and in accordance with the needs of schools and wider communities.

The following materials form essential underpinning for the module content and ultimately for the learning outcomes:

In line with the Academic Engagement Procedure, Students are defined as academically engaged if they are regularly engaged with timetabled teaching sessions, course-related learning resources including those in the Library and on the relevant learning platform, and complete assessments and submit these on time. Please refer to the Academic Engagement Procedure at the following link: Academic engagement procedure

Where a module has Professional, Statutory or Regulatory Body requirements these will be listed here:
Given the professional nature of the programme, 100% attendance and engagement is expected. The module co-ordinator maintains an overview of attendance and engagement. Should there be concerns, there will be liaison between module co-ordinator, personal tutor and the student to identify steps to support engagement and success.



For the purposes of this module, academic engagement equates to the following:
All students should attend all scheduled classes and participate with all delivered elements of the module as part of their engagement with their programme of study. Consideration will be given to students who have protection under the appropriate equality law. Please refer to UWS Regulations, Chapter 1, 1.64 – 1.67, available at the following link: http://www.uws.ac.uk/current-students/rights-and-regulations/regulatory-framework/

In accordance with module and programme handbooks, any student whose attendance has fallen below the 75% minimum requirement for a module could be withdrawn from and given a re-attend decision for that module. To assure placement partners that students are appropriately prepared to undertake periods of school experience, unsatisfactory attendance across academic modules may prevent progress to placement, or result in withdrawal from the programme, as a student would be deemed not to have met the professional requirements of the programme as accredited by the GTCS.

UWS Regulations, Chapter 1, 1.64 – 1.67 also applies to periods of school experience and it should be noted that any student whose attendance has fallen below the 80% minimum requirement may be deemed not to have met the professional requirements of the programme as accredited by the GTCS and, therefore, may not be eligible for assessment on that placement. The required school experience placement would normally be completed in term 3 of the academic session. During the pandemic, the professional body (GTCS) offered flexibility in terms of placement experiences and attendance, enabling the attendance requirements for placements to be met through direct teaching experience in school, remote learning, or individual professional learning opportunities; we will follow guidance issued by the GTCS, as required.

3

1. More than one assessment method can be used to assess individual learning outcomes.
2. Schools are responsible for determining student contact hours. Please refer to University Policy on contact hours (extract contained within section 10 of the Module Descriptor guidance note).
   This will normally be variable across Schools, dependent on Programmes &/or Professional requirements.