PGCE Engineers Teach Physics

Key details

PGCE ENGINEERS TEACH PHYSICS

Start Year

2023

Attendance

Full Time

Award

Postgraduate Certificate in Education

UCAS course code

V473

Duration (years)

If you are looking for a career where you can inspire, motivate and make a difference to the lives of young people, teaching is for you.

At UEA, we don’t believe in a prescribed method of teaching. Instead, we will support you in exploring a range of pedagogical approaches and strategies, so that you can meet the needs of pupils and develop your own style of teaching.

As you will be learning from a variety of experts from our extensive partnership (more than 80 schools), you’ll need to be open minded, trying a range of different methods and finding out what works for you and your pupils.

With a gradual progression in solo teaching hours, our PGCE programme is carefully sequenced to allow you to succeed in the classroom and become a reflective practitioner, whilst supporting you in making learning physics an engaging, challenging yet fully inclusive experience for pupils.

About

Our one-year, full-time Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) Secondary Physics for Engineers programme will equip you with the skills, experience and knowledge you need to teach science to pupils aged 11 to 16 – with Sixth Form enhancement. This gives you the opportunity to develop post-16 teaching skills if this is something you are interested in.

Upon successful completion of your PGCE, you will graduate with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and 90 Master’s credits. QTS will qualify you to teach children up to 18 years old.

Our PGCE Master’s programme closely interweaves school (minimum 120 days) and university-based training to provide a solid foundation for the rest of your career. As well as providing a structured introduction to the core body of knowledge, skills and behaviours that define great teaching, our course will provide you with the opportunity to research and evaluate the latest thinking in good teaching practice, helping you understand the optimum ways pupils learn.

By the end of the course, you will evolve your own style of teaching, not only to meet the differing needs of pupils but so that it matches your personality. You will be supported by your tutor in starting your career in a school that works for you.

You’ll be taught in our purpose-built laboratories, that model secondary school science labs. You’ll learn how to use practical work and demonstrations to inspire your pupils.

Science-specific workshops will focus on subject knowledge, practical skills and effective teaching strategies across all Secondary Key Stages. You’ll be equipped with the skills for excellent teaching and learning. A key part of the course will be drawing on your expertise in engineering to engage and inspire pupils. We’ll also focus on addressing key misconceptions in physics, within topics such as waves, mechanics, and electricity.

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Important Information

Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the courses listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the regular review of course programmes. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes, there will normally be prior consultation of students and others. Changes may for example consist of variations to the content and method of delivery of programmes, courses and other services, to discontinue programmes, courses and other services and to merge or combine programmes or courses. The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will inform students.

Assessment for Year 1

You’ll complete three Master’s level assignments that are carefully designed to help you become an effective teacher. Your assignments will relate directly to your professional knowledge and understanding, as well as your practical teaching experience within your school placements.

Throughout your time in schools, you’ll benefit from the support and mentoring of expert colleagues. You will have your own subject specific mentor who will provide feedback on your teaching and through regular professional dialogue, will help you to progress towards meeting the Teachers’ Standards by the end of the course.

Structure

You’ll be learning in a variety of settings – both at UEA and in two placement schools. Over 38 weeks, you will spend a minimum of 120 days on school placement and 60 study days in structured, practical learning at UEA.

You’ll begin the first few weeks of the course being taught on our Norwich campus where you’ll be engaging in hands-on workshops, seminars, and lectures. These will enable you to develop a repertoire of skills so that you feel comfortable and confident when teaching your first classes.

You’ll have opportunities to work with trainees from other subject areas, but you’ll spend most of your time at university in your science and Physics for Engineers groups, reflecting on subject specific pedagogy with people who share your enthusiasm for your subject. In addition, you’ll be supported by a physics subject specialist tutor with considerable secondary school teaching experience, who is an expert in their field and has worked as an Engineer prior to teaching.

Within your science group, you’ll take part in small group seminars and practical workshops, which place an emphasis on collaboration and discussion.

You’ll be given support for teaching outside your main science specialism, with extra sessions in biology and chemistry.

You’ll also learn how to promote equal opportunity, understand special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and address controversial issues.

In your specialist subject group, you’ll develop skills to teach Physics to KS4 and KS5 with an emphasis on inspirational practical work including applications to industry, to promote awe and wonder in your physics lessons.

You’ll gain experience working in two different schools whilst on placement. This will enable you to gain a broad range of experience and greater insight into different types of schools; this will prove invaluable when it is time to make an informed choice regarding your first teaching position. Our school partnership extends across East Anglia, so we’ll consider your home address when deciding on your placement schools. We take great care in deciding where to place you, taking into account your individual circumstances and ensuring excellent training opportunities, such as contrasting placements. You will be able to explore different approaches while finding out what works for you.

You will also learn how to make an effective contribution to the work of schools beyond your subject specialism and to establish yourself as part of a community of practice.

Between placements, you’ll discuss and reflect on your school experiences with your fellow students, while learning more about the theory and practice of learning.

Teaching and Learning

We draw on expertise from across our school partnership to offer you a rich and rewarding range of learning opportunities throughout the PGCE within and beyond UEA.

In Curriculum sessions, you’ll work with specialist science teacher educators, including a physicist with an engineering background. These colleagues are academics, experienced teachers and leaders in their field. The focus here will be on the application of science pedagogy in the classroom, drawing on current subject-specific research.

You’ll be expected to prepare for Curriculum and Professional Development sessions. The emphasis is on collaborative working, as you will learn with and from your peers, so prepare to be engaged! You will also study independently throughout the course, researching and writing your Master’s-level assignments, and developing your subject knowledge, under the guidance of your UEA tutor and your school mentors.

Throughout the year, you’ll be encouraged to reflect on your teaching practice, taking every opportunity to put theory into practice. You will work closely with your UEA tutor and your mentors in your placement schools to ensure you meet the Teachers’ Standards by the end of the year.

Your course will include experiences designed to help you to develop a rich repertoire of teaching approaches, including the effective use of practical work and new technology. You will learn about the production and evaluation of teaching materials, how to use demonstrations to inspire your class, and the importance of laboratory safety. You’ll learn how to prepare for and evaluate your lessons, integrating strategies to support pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and for whom English is an Additional Language (EAL).

You’ll put theory into practice by planning and identifying strategies to encourage positive pupil participation and achievement, for instance in anti-racist education, supporting LGBTQ+ pupils and sustainability in the curriculum.

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Assessment for Year 1

Compulsory Modules

SECONDARY YEARS QTS

Code EDUS7001Y

Credits 2

The Secondary PGCE (M) prepares trainees to teach pupils from 11-16 years, with post-16 enhancement. We work in partnership with schools in the region, where trainees are based for their teaching experience. Two main placement schools are assigned to ensure that trainees meet with two contrasting environments. During school placement, trainees have both subject-specific and pastoral support via a subject mentor. They work closely each day with their mentor and weekly targets ensure that their teaching practice development takes place effectively towards meeting the Teachers' Standards by the end of the year. These targets are tailored specifically to the trainees' own needs.

CURRICULUM

Code EDUS7002Y

Credits 30

The Curriculum Assignment focuses on the teaching, learning and assessment of trainees' specialist subject for the Secondary age range. It draws on trainees' experiences from the first placement. The purpose of the Curriculum Assignment is for the trainees to reflect upon and analyse their teaching on first placement, and to consider refinements to their practice in the light of experience and further study of research evidence.

LEARNING

Code EDUS7004Y

Credits 30

Pedagogy and its relevance to learning in the classroom.

REFLECTIVE PROJECT IN EDUCATION

Code EDUS7003Y

Credits 30

This project gives trainees the opportunity to explore wider aspects of teaching and learning in secondary education. They investigate an area of interest either within, or outside their own subject-specialism. They collect and analyse evidence from secondary data to draw their conclusions. The topics for investigation should be useful and relevant to trainees' second placement school and to their own professional development.

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Important Information

Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring and review of modules. Where this activity leads to significant change to a programme and modules, the University will endeavour to consult with affected students. The University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. Availability of optional modules may be restricted owing to timetabling, lack of demand, or limited places. Where this is the case, you will be asked to make alternative module choices and you will be supported during this process.

Entry Requirements

Degree classification

2:2 or above preferred

Degree subject

Engineering or Material Science Degree

GCSE offer

Before making your application you must have a GCSE pass at Grade C/4 or its equivalent* in English Language and in Mathematics.

*Please note: It is up to the discretion of the individual Initial Teacher Training provider as to whether an appropriate level has been satisfactorily achieved. We therefore strongly urge candidates with equivalent qualifications to check with us that these are acceptable before making their application.

We are able to consider GCSE equivalency tests taken via equivalencytesting.com only, with grades of A*-C or 4-9.

Additional entry requirements

Applicants are required to have achieved a degree or its equivalent* by the beginning of the PGCE programme in September. A first degree or a higher degree in Engineering or Material Science is recommended, however other subjects may be appropriate. As a general guideline, approximately 50 per cent of the degree should be relevant to the subject you will teach.

PRE-APPLICATION CLASSROOM EXPERIENCE

From February 2018, applicants are not required to have gained any prior experience within a school.

Although not a requirement, time spent in a school could help you to gain valuable insight into the role of a teacher, how teaching and learning takes place within the classroom, and help you to decide whether teaching is the right profession for you. It is recommended, that where possible, you gain some school experience prior to application.

It would be most useful if experience could be gained across the Secondary age range in your chosen subject area.

If you are able to gain classroom experience prior to submitting your application there are a number of ways in which this can be achieved:

Contact Your Local School:

Try contacting local schools where you live to see if you are able to arrange a time to observe some lessons, or register with the DfE School Experience Programme to help book school experience through their online portal.

University Career Schemes:

If you are an undergraduate student at UEA, you can apply for a digital school via our A Glimpse of Teaching programme and/or the IntoUniversity Mentoring Scheme.

The IntoUniversity Mentoring Scheme pairs a university student or an individual who has graduated within the past 2 years with one of IntoUniversity’s young people (aged 10-17) giving them the opportunity to receive tailored, one-to-one support for their academic attainment, social skills and future planning. Find out more about what IntoUniversity does and how to apply to be a Mentor.

KNOWLEDGE OF THE NATIONAL CURRICULUM, KEY CONTACTS AND USEFUL LINKS

Applications are considered on an individual basis and being able to demonstrate a strong level of knowledge about the National Curriculum and current issues affecting teaching is advantageous. These educational links will provide you with some useful points of contact to help to get you started.

DISCLOSURE AND BARRING SERVICE CHECK (DBS)

Disclosure of Criminal Background for Those with Access to Children
All applicants for the PGCE course will be required to obtain an Enhanced Criminal Records check from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). The enhanced disclosure will be used to assess suitability for the programme and information provided may be discussed with the external members of the School's Safeguarding Sub-Committees. Candidates are responsible for payment of the DBS fee. General information about this process can be obtained from the Disclosure and Barring Service Website.

SATISFACTORY HEALTH CHECK

You will need to demonstrate your fitness to teach by completing an Occupational Health Assessment. This will give us information about any special needs you may have, and enable us to assess whether the University and placement areas will be able to provide support. It is therefore, in your interest to provide full answers to the questions.

Students for whom english is a foreign language

We welcome applications from students whose first language is not English. To ensure such students benefit from postgraduate study, we require evidence of proficiency in English. Our usual entry requirements are as follows:

IELTS: 6.5 (minimum 6.0 in all components)
PTE (Pearson): 67 (minimum 64 in all components)

Test dates should be within two years of the course start date. Other tests such as the Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English are also accepted by the university. Please check with the Admissions Office for further details including the scores or grades required.

Interviews

Interview required; please be aware that we cannot guarantee that all candidates who apply will be shortlisted for interview.