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.

Curriculum Enquiry 3 comprises a rotation of curricular subject area seminars and lectures exploring principal theories, as well as features of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) linked to planning for effective assessment, teaching and learning in each curricular subject area. The identified principal theories and features of PCK align themselves well to further exploration through a literature review. A series of enquiry lectures are designed to develop students' enquiry skills through the processes of undertaking a search of academic literature. This exploration will be reflective of SCQF level 9 and as such the knowledge and understanding will involve an understanding of the scope and defining features of an aspect of PCK within each curricular subject area. Applying this in practice will involve practising routine methods of enquiry and research as well as using general cognitive skills to draw on a range of sources in making judgements.

Example: In semester one the science seminars could focus on eliciting children's existing ideas about science using concept cartoons. This would link to the distinct primary science PCK features of knowledge of student understanding (with a focus on alternative ideas and misconceptions) and knowledge of assessment (with a focus on strategies for children to express their ideas). In semester two the science seminars could focus on how to build on children's existing ideas through modelling and POE (predict, observe, explain). This would link to the distinctive primary science PCK features of knowledge of student understanding and knowledge of instructional strategies.

During the enquiry lectures, students will be introduced to the arguments around all forms of enquiry being informed by academic literature and will be introduced to the skills needed to produce a literature review.

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

Mandatory Entry Requirements

D3 in all Year 2 courses

None

None

Assessment

The course is assessed by means of a portfolio (1200 words equivalent) of student work and associated literature review (1800 words).

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

Reassessment

In accordance with the University's Code of Assessment reassessments are normally set for all courses which do not contribute to the honours classifications. For non honours courses, students are offered reassessment in all or any of the components of assessment if the satisfactory (threshold) grade for the overall course is not achieved at the first attempt. This is normally grade D3 for undergraduate students, and grade C3 for postgraduate students. Exceptionally it may not be possible to offer reassessment of some coursework items, in which case the mark achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade. Any such exceptions are listed below in this box.

The aim of this course is twofold. First, to develop skills and confidence in carrying out a literature review. This will contribute to your ability to overtake GTCS Standard for Provisional Registration 3.3.1 by identifying and sourcing appropriate literature. Second, to further your critical understanding of pedagogical content knowledge in curricular subject areas, so that you can integrate principal theories and features of pedagogical content knowledge into planning for effective assessment, teaching and learning in one curricular subject, aligned to GTCS Standard for Provisional Registration 2.1.4.

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

1. Design and justify coherent curricular learner experiences for all learners, selecting appropriate pedagogical approaches,

2. Design strategies to assess pupils' learning, justifying why these are appropriate,

3. Engage critically with literature, by carrying out a literature review of an aspect of pedagogical content knowledge,

4. As part of the literature review, summarise and evaluate research in a particular area and synthesise ideas from different sources.

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