ED1PSP1: Professional Studies and School Placement 1

Module code: ED1PSP1

Module provider: Institute of Education

Credits: 20

Level: Level 1 (Certificate)

When you'll be taught: Semester 1 / 2

Module convenor: Miss Cara Broadhurst, email: c.broadhurst@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: Micro placement

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 29 August 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module is concerned with the development of students as members of the teaching profession at the start of their journey towards achieving the national Teachers’ Standards for QTS. The university-based content aims to provide a basis for students to be successful on the school placement element of the module, where they will observe, explore and apply what they have learned. The module doesn’t include learning about any particular subject that primary school teachers are required to teach, rather it introduces knowledge, skills and pedagogies that primary school teachers use across the whole curriculum. It examines the role of the teacher in its widest sense, unpicking many elements of practice. The role of the student as a reflective practitioner underpins the whole module as students are required to critically review their own and others’ practice.    

The aims are therefore to:  

• Develop understanding of the concept of professionalism and what society and the national Teachers’ Standards expect of teachers.  
• Develop understanding of child development theory and how this relates to classroom practice.  
• Support students to be able to plan and deliver effective individual lessons.  
• Explore effective ways of managing pupil behaviour, with consideration for the principles these are based on.  
• Support students to become reflective practitioners with the ability to critique their own and others’ practice.  
• Ensure students are able to self-organise and manage workload relating to the classroom practice of a trainee teacher.  
• Develop understanding of the role of the teacher in teaching pro-actively for healthy personal development. 

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Meet the Year 1 Assessment Descriptors for the five strands of our Initial Teacher Education (ITE) curriculum in the areas of:
   1. Strand A – Expectations and Behaviour
   2. Strand B – Pedagogy
   3. Strand C – Curriculum
   4. Strand D – Assessment
   5. Strand E – Professional Behaviours and Wellbeing

Module content

All five ITE strands are explored, although strands A, B and E are looked at in the greatest depth at this stage. The concept of ‘being a professional’ is discussed as students consider the responsibilities presented to teachers and the behaviour and attitudes they will be expected to embody. The stages of child development are explored and students relate this to learning theory and teaching pedagogy, building their skills for planning standalone lessons. Students will develop initial understanding of safeguarding. Students also develop strategies for managing behaviour and facilitating learning. The placement at an assigned primary school is designed to allow students to apply their learning in a real classroom context. Later in the module, the wider role of the teacher in taking responsibility for children’s wellbeing and personal development is also covered.

Students are expected to pay £2.50 per day towards the travel costs of reaching their placement school. The remainder of the costs (minus usual daily travel costs) can be claimed back from the university but only based on economy mileage or if standard class transport has been used and the cheapest ticket obtained. Students should expect to pay the cost ‘up front’ and claim back at the end of the placement.

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

This module is predominantly taught through face-to-face large group sessions which include some lecture style presentation and also small group tasks and discussion. There is an expectation that some small preparatory or background reading tasks will be completed outside of sessions. Some content is reserved for students to work through digitally at their own pace, e.g. screencasts or readings. A small number of one-day visits to a primary school alongside the module allow observation and reflection to take place until a four-week block placement in that school in the Spring Term. This is well placed for students to put theory into practice. 

Study hours

At least 30 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

This module is marked on a pass/fail basis.

Students need to achieve a pass grade to progress. A pass grade is achieved by not meeting any of the fail criteria:

• There have been significant or repeated behaviours that do not indicate acceptance of Part 2 of the Teachers Standards and/or
• The student has regularly failed to meet targets set or to respond successfully to feedback and support, and/or
• There is an area of practice where the student shows a significant and sustained inability to meet any of the descriptor statement, and/or
• The student has ‘Not met’ in multiple strands and it can be predicted that the student would struggle significantly in the next placement.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

Students only continue the placement after the submission date if required to do so by the module convenor, because an exceptional circumstance earlier in the placement caused them to be absent and affected their progression. Late finishers will therefore have programme approval and an approved ECF for any late submission.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

A range of activities are carried out in sessions for immediate feedback. A longer task is the creation of their first lesson plan, in pairs, before the placement element of the module. 

Reassessment

Additional costs