Education in Practice (Secondary) 4 EDUC4096

  • Academic Session: 2025-26
  • School: School of Education
  • Credits: 30
  • Level: Level 4 (SCQF level 10)
  • Typically Offered: Runs Throughout Semesters 1 and 2
  • Available to Visiting Students: Yes
  • Collaborative Online International Learning: No
  • Curriculum For Life: No

Short Description

This course builds on Education in Practice in years one to three.

 

The focus is on teacher professionalism and professionalisation, the evolution of quality frameworks and national approaches to quality in education and the influence of politics and transnational institutions on education policy in Scotland and across national education systems. Areas of professional learning will be studied in common with students from other sectors or subject backgrounds as appropriate to the shared nature of aspects of the Standard common to all teachers.

Timetable

n/a

Requirements of Entry

Students are required to be enrolled on the MDTechEd programme or an equivalent teacher education programme. International students or visiting students must be open to a career in teaching or education.

Excluded Courses

None

Co-requisites

None

Assessment

This course will be assessed through:

 

■ The submission of one 2000 word assignment set in relation to selected elements demanded by the Standard for Initial Teacher Education (weighting 33%);

■ A written examination covering all other aspects of the course (with the exception of the subject specialist areas of study). (Weighting 33%);

■ A project set in relation to the subject specialist aspect of the course (Weighting 34%).

 

International students or visiting students will have the option of undertaking a generalised project.

Main Assessment In: December

Course Aims

Education in Practice (Secondary) 4 will extend students' professional knowledge and understanding of:

 

• Questions of quality in compulsory education in a global context,

• Key aspects of the institutions, influence and governance arrangements in the Scottish systems, and contemporary issues within the system,

• The nature and demands of professionalism within the Scottish system.

Intended Learning Outcomes of Course

By the end of this course students will be able to:

 

1. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of theory and policy around quality in education and governmental concerns with system performance in a global context.

2. Display an understanding of the key institutions, governance arrangements, the policy system and actors within Scotland's education system, including the GTCS and HMIE.

3. Recognise and begin to reflect on essential aspects of teacher professionalism and continuous professional learning as articulated by Scotland's professional standards.

4. Research, synthesise, present and critically engage with a contemporary issue in education identified within the national context.

5. Demonstrate considered pedagogical reasoning relating to subject matter and unit planning in Design & Technology Education relevant to teaching at S1 to S6.

Minimum Requirement for Award of Credits

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment. Students must achieve a minimum grade of D3 for Professional Knowledge, Curriculum and Pedagogy 2. Students can be required to resist one or more of the assessment elements.

 

Participation is a professional requirement for this professional education course. Students who do not attend 80% of their allocated lectures or seminar meetings will not receive credit for this course.