Course Catalogue

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This course sits within the curriculum enquiry strand of the MEduc programme. The curriculum enquiry strand develops students understanding of and ability to critically enquire into both pedagogical content knowledge and their practice in general. In this strand Shulman's pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) represents the blending of content and pedagogy (approaches to teaching, assessment and feedback) into an understanding of how particular topics, problems, or issues are organized, represented and adapted to the diverse interest and abilities of leaners and presented for teaching. It encompasses the 'what' and 'how' of teaching particular curricular subject areas as well as the 'why'. As such the emphasis placed on these different aspects will differ between curricular subject areas. The students enquiry skills are developed in the context of curriculum in years 1 - 4 and develop the foundations for enquiry into their practice throughout their careers. For students continuing to year 5, the enquiry skills developed through years 1 - 4 are both broadened and deepened through an application to other areas of practice and other forms of professional enquiry cumulating in an enquiry into their practice in the form of a major dissertation.

CE2A comprises a rotation of curricular subject inputs focussing on PCK and a series of enquiry lectures developing students enquiry skills with a focus on enquiring into pedagogy. During curricular subject inputs students will explore a specific features of PCK for the curricular subject area which relates to a specific pedagogical approach. This exploration will be reflective of SCQF level 8. As such the knowledge and understanding will involve an awareness and understanding of major current issues and of research into education. Applying this to practice will involve enquiring into problems and issues associated with PCK in the curricular subject area. They will also use general cognitive skills to critically analyse and evaluate the evidence base for the explored PCK.

For example: In science education debates around teaching science through inquiry are current in the field and the science input could draw on educational research around teaching science through inquiry to inform critical discussion. The challenges and difficulties of teaching science through inquiry could be explored in the input as students engage in planning their own science inquiry lesson. Teaching through inquiry sits within the distinct feature of primary science PCK of knowledge of instructional strategies.

During the enquiry lectures the concepts and ideas around enquiring into pedagogy will be explored - analysing pedagogy, developing pedagogical principles, critiquing pedagogy, etc. These lectures are prefaced by an introductory lecture on underlying assumptions (pragmatic, causal, hegemonic, etc) that students bring to their enquiring stance and to their critical reflection.

A blend of tutorials, seminars and lectures. Flexible timetable to cover curricular areas.

D3 in Curriculum Enquiry 1A and 1B.

Completion of Year 1 or appropriate direct entry to Year 2.

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This course will be assessed by means of an 2000-word essay in which students will demonstrate their understand of pedagogy within a curricular subject area and their ability to critique that pedagogy.

Students will be offered the opportunity to indicate the areas in which feedback would most benefit them (within the existing framework of marking criteria).

This course aims to support students in developing an understanding of their theoretical underpinnings and underlying assumptions, and to articulate their impact on adopting an enquiring stance and reflective practice. It also aims to develop students capabilities in applying the concepts and ideas of enquiring into pedagogy, demonstrating analytical skills in the examination of pedagogical approaches and formulating pedagogical principles.

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

1. Describe and discuss current issues and educational research related to a pedagogical approach within PCK of a curricular subject area.

2. Evaluate and critique a pedagogical approach within PCK of a curricular subject area.

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.