Postgraduate Certificate in Education in Senior Phase and Further Education and Training Teaching

The STADIO Postgraduate Certificate in Education in Senior Phase and Further Education and Training Teaching will equip graduates with educational theory and methodology to teach the required subject content knowledge and enable them to demonstrate competence and responsibility as academically and professionally qualified beginner teachers. The PGCE (Senior Phase and Further Education and Training Teaching) accredits a professional teaching programme that ‘caps’ an undergraduate degree or an approved diploma. It offers entry-level initial professional preparation for undergraduate degree or diploma holders who wish to develop focused knowledge and skills as classroom teachers in one chosen subject in the Senior Phase and one chosen subject in the Further Education and Training (FET). To this end, the qualification requires a specific depth and specialisation of knowledge, together with practical skills and teaching experience to enable successful students to apply their learning as beginner teachers in schools in varying contexts. 

The programme will build on subject knowledge content, together with the principles, practices and methods of teaching, and workplace experience, to enable successful students to apply their learning as beginner teachers to implement the National Curriculum Statements. They will have a wide range of theoretical understanding, competencies and practical skills to deal with a diverse range of learners in schools in a wide range of learning situations and contexts. They will reflect critically on their own practice and demonstrate initiative and responsibility in both an academic and professional teaching environment. The PGCE (Senior Phase and Further Education and Training Teaching) will allow the student who completes the qualification successfully to be registered with the South African Council for Educators (SACE) as a fully qualified educator with sound knowledge and expertise in one subject in the Senior Phase and one in the FET.

FURTHER STUDY OPPORTUNITIES

Once you have passed the Postgraduate Certificate in Education in Senior Phase and Further Education and Training Teaching, you may continue your studies towards a Postgraduate Diploma in Education or pursue a Bachelor of Education Honours degree or an Advanced Diploma in Education. 

What is Distance Learning?

THE ADMISSION CRITERIA FOR THE POSTGRADUATE CERTIFICATE IN EDUCATION IN SENIOR PHASE AND FURTHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING TEACHING ARE: 

• an appropriate Bachelor's degree (NQF Level 6/7); OR

• an appropriate 360 credit National Diploma (NQF Level 6).

An appropriate diploma or degree will include sufficient disciplinary learning in appropriate academic fields to enable the development of subject specialisations. To be eligible for particular school subject specialisations in the Postgraduate Certificate in Education (Senior Phase and Further Education and Training Teaching), students must have passed at least one of the desired school subjects at second year or NQF Level 6 for the Senior Phase and the other desired school subject at third year or NQF Level 7 for the Further Education and Training.An appropriate three-year and 360 credit National Diplomas offered by accredited public and private higher education institutions in approved fields of study may also be appropriate for admission into PGCE. Refer to list of these approved fields as specified in Appendix E of the Policy on Minimum Requirements for Teacher Education Qualifications (MRTEQ). You may download the PGCE Admission Selection Requirements document on our website (Under the Entry Requirements section of the PGCE qualification).

Please note that Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) qualifications do not enable entry into the PGCE programme. In addition, a prospective student’s conversational competence in an African Language as well as competence in computer proficiency will be assessed upfront on application, and if necessary, students will be required to complete additional modules to reach the required levels of competence.

Teaching Specialisations in the Senior Phase (SP):

• Creative Arts

• Economic and Management Sciences

• English First Additional Language

• English Home Language

• Life Orientation

• Mathematics

• Natural Sciences

• Social Sciences

• Technology

Teaching Specialisations in the Further Education and Training (FET):

• Accounting 

• Agricultural Science

• Business Studies 

• Computer Applications Technology 

• Dramatic Arts

• Economics 

• Engineering Graphics and Design

• English First Additional Language

• English Home Language

• Geography

• History

• Information Technology

• Life Orientation

• Life Sciences

• Mathematics

• Maths Literacy

• Music

• Physical Science

• Tourism

• Visual Arts

Your choice of electives is based on the subjects you have studied in your Bachelor’s degree or 360 credit National Diploma. To be eligible for particular school subject specialisations in the Postgraduate Certificate in Education (Senior Phase and Further Education and Training Teaching), students must have passed at least one of the desired school subjects or subject/s aligned to that school subject at second year or NQF Level 6 for the Senior Phase and the other desired school subject or subject/s aligned to that school subject at third year or NQF Level 7 for the Further Education and Training band.

Please study carefully the admission requirements of the specialisations which have been outlined in PGCE Admission Selection Requirements document before you choose your electives. The choice of teaching specialisations must be approved by the relevant academic authority structures. You will be advised which electives have been approved - it is important to note that your choice may not be approved and the academic approvers may advise alternative electives.

You may download the PGCE Admission Selection Requirements document HERE and submit upon application.

You may download the Additional Application Requirements document HERE for full details.

In addition, applicants will be required to submit a Teaching Affidavit with their application. You may download it HERE and submit upon application.

SCHOOL-BASED TEACHING PRACTICE

Teaching practice is a core component of the Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) programme. The time you spend in schools during teaching practice is essential for building your experience and development as a future teacher. During the compulsory teaching practice period, multiple assessment methods will be used to evaluate you, including written assignments, lesson assessments conducted by mentor teachers and School of Education (SOE) teaching practice assessors, and your eventual Portfolio of Evidence. The SOE will monitor and verify your placement at a host school. Teaching practice may only commence once the Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) Team of the SOE confirms the placement. You are responsible for securing leave from your employer for the duration of the teaching practice period. 

You must complete eight (8) weeks of teaching practice in a school, working under the supervision of qualified mentor teachers. You are required to attend the school for the full duration of the school day, from Monday to Friday, and participate in assigned extracurricular activities. You are responsible for covering your own transport costs to and from the school. If you are already employed at a school, your school must meet our minimum requirements of a suitable host school for teaching practice. If your school does not meet our minimum requirements of a suitable host school, or if a suitably qualified mentor teacher is not available at your school, you will need to complete your teaching practice at another school. Employed students must submit a letter of employment from their school to the WIL team. 

The compulsory eight-week school-based teaching practice component consists of the following:

• Teaching Practice 1 (TP701) requires three weeks in a school teaching in all the subject specialisations for which you are registered during the STADIO semester one academic period

• Teaching Practice 2 (TP702) requires five weeks in a school teaching in all the subject specialisations for which you are pursuing your PGCE. This must include your subject specialisations in both the Senior Phase and Further Education and Training Phase.

Students are required to teach in all their registered subject specialisations in the Senior Phase (grades 7 – 9) and Further Education and Training Phase (grades 10 – 12). 

Students will register for the WIL modules based on the intake month and duration of the programme for which they are registered.

RULES OF PROGRESSION

To complete the qualification the student must successfully complete the following modules:

• Education Studies: Theory and Practice – Compulsory

• Education Studies: Contextual Perspectives – Compulsory

• Teaching Practice PGCE 1 and 2 – Compulsory [Students must register for Teaching Practice PGCE 1 before Teaching Practice PGCE 2]

• Teaching specialisation in the Senior Phase 1 and 2 – Elective [Students must register for Teaching Specialisation Senior Phase 1 before Teaching Specialisation Senior Phase 2]

• Teaching specialisation in the FET 1 and 2 – Elective [Students must register for Teaching Specialisation FET 1 before Teaching Specialisation FET 2]

• Computer Literacy Endorsement: Students graduating with a PGCE must be computer literate. If a student has successfully completed a module in End-User Computing at an accredited Higher Education provider, they may apply for a transfer of credits under the Credit Accumulation and Transfer (CAT) policy. Alternatively, if a student has acquired the required End User Computer skills through informal/non-formal learning, they may apply for the EUC exemption assessment under the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) policy. You may download the Additional Application Requirements document on our website (Under the Entry Requirements section of the PGCE qualification) for full details.

• Language endorsement: Students graduating with a PGCE must have conversational language competence in an African language. If a student has successfully completed a module in an African Language at an accredited Higher Education provider, they may apply for a transfer of credits under the Credit Accumulation and Transfer (CAT) policy. Alternatively, if a student has acquired the required competency in an African Language through informal/non-formal learning, they may apply for an exemption assessment under the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) policy. The Language Conversational competency assessment is an oral diagnostic assessment designed to evaluate proficiency in an African Language. You may download the Additional Application Requirements document on our website (Under the Entry Requirements section of the PGCE qualification) for full details.

Students have a choice of an optional second teaching specialisation in either the Senior Phase or FET Band. Students who choose to register for the optional second teaching specialisation will therefore complete three (3) teaching specialisation modules. Students will also have to teach all three specialisations whilst on teaching practice. The choice of an optional second teaching specialisation will depend on the availability of the modules and the module schedule i.e. no clashes between modules. 

Students must pass all modules in order to achieve the Postgraduate Certificate in Education in Senior Phase and Further Education and Training Teaching qualification. The pass mark for each module is 50%.

1. Knowledge of the curriculum and how to select, determine the sequence and pace of content in accordance with both subject and learner needs.

2. Competence in curriculum differentiation in order to select, use and adjust teaching and learning strategies in ways which meet the diverse needs of the learners and the context.

3. Knowledge of the Senior Phase and FET curriculum to strategically select, design, use, and evaluate learner teacher support material to enhance learning progress and the holistic development of all learners.

4. Knowledge and ability to evaluate and integrate relevant regulatory policies such as the National Curriculum Statements, the Curriculum Assessment Policy Statements and related documents in schooling.

5. Competence in selecting and implementing reliable and varied ways of assessing and monitoring learner progress and achievement to analyse and use the results of assessment to improve teaching and learning.

6. Competence in identifying and addressing barriers to learning and social challenges and working in partnership with professional service providers to address these where appropriate.

7. Competence in planning, leading, managing and administrating in diverse learning contexts.

8. Create and maintain caring, supportive and empowering environments for learners, and supporting learners in ways that are sensitive, stimulating, democratic and well-organised.

9. Competence in communicating accurately, coherently and effectively by means of oral, written, and technological skills when engaging with relevant stakeholders within the school context and community.

10. Ability to reflect critically, in theoretically informed ways and in conjunction with their professional community of colleagues, on their own teaching philosophy and practice.

11. Sound theoretical knowledge and critical understanding of the role of the teacher and schools in society by identifying, explaining, analysing and evaluating the complex relationships between education, the individual and society in the context of local, national and global change.

12. Sound knowledge of educational policy, aims, outcomes and practices within the context of the Constitution of South Africa and its relevance to democratic transformation and participate in critical discourse that can contribute to school policy change and school-related practices.

13. Respect for and commitment to the educator profession and that they can function ethically, responsibly and professionally within the education system, an institution, and the school community.

14. 21st Century skills and beginning research skills that will enable them to pursue life-long learning and post-graduate studies in education.