547 General Teacher Education, 1-7, Notodden, bachelor
Introduction
Many are experts on teaching in the sense of having been taught. Becoming a good teacher is something quite different. There is no single recipe for crossing this gap. Becoming a teacher requires hard work, freedom from preconceptions and a thirst for professional challenges.
The General Teacher Education, 1-7, study programme will qualify successful candidates to teach in primary schools. The study programme places emphasis on academic breadth, and explores in depth how children and young people develop basic skills. It focuses on developing knowledge among students in a close interaction between teachers, students and practice schools. The development of close relationships between students and teachers together with close supervision is one of the basic principles of the study programme.
Target Group and Admission Requirements
General admission requirements / prior experiential learning, minimum 35 school points and a minimum grade 3 in mathematics and Norwegian.
Aim of the Programme
The curriculum for General Teacher Education, 1-7, is based on the national curriculum (2010).
The student teacher is a future cultural worker who learns both from subjects and about subjects. The study programme is designed to increase professional pride and identity.
Professional education
The General Teacher Education, 1-7, study programme is a professional education that combines courses in various subjects, subject didactics, pedagogical theory and supervised teaching practice in schools. Professional teaching is achieved both through understanding the subject areas and by acquiring insight through actual practice in teaching subjects.
The following areas of education form the core of the study programme and are developed in the teaching practice school and in the university college: subject and didactic expertise are developed through the study of the subject areas; leadership and social skills are developed through communication and empathy; change and development skills are developed by adapting to a constantly-evolving field of education; and professional ethics are developed through encountering and interacting with the professional diversity of views at both institutions of learning.
Pedagogy in Teacher Education will provide students with an understanding of how children learn and develop. It covers general didactics, content and methods in primary education, the teacher as leader and the social role of schools.
In subject studies, students will develop solid academic knowledge, which is a prerequisite for effective teaching and learning. Subject didactics in all subjects builds a bridge between the academic subject area and how the subject is taught in schools, and addresses the subject’s character, content and teaching and learning methods.
The university college and the training school address the Knowledge Promotion Curriculum and the relationship between academic subjects, college subjects and school subjects; and elucidate important changes in professional roles, multicultural perspectives, Sami conditions, adapted learning, assessment and fundamental values in the teaching profession.
The basic skills – being able to express oneself orally and in writing, reading and using arithmetic, as well as digital tools – are included in the study programme in that each subject is responsible for the students being able to acquire knowledge about how they can facilitate pupils’ development of these skills in the individual subjects. Pedagogy in Teacher Education (PEL) and Norwegian have particular responsibility in this area.
The period of teaching practice comprises 100 days spread over four years (1st year: 30 days, 2nd year: 30 days, 3rd year: 25 days, 4th year: 15 days).
Curriculum and structure
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Obligatory Courses
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Elective Courses Year 3 & 4
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Elective courses In the third (3ALU) and fourth year (4ALU) of the study programme students select new subjects which they plan to teach in the primary or lower secondary school, or they may build further on obligatory subjects. In the elective part of the programme at least 60 ECTS must be chosen from obligatory subjects in the primary or lower secondary school; the rest may be chosen from subjects that are relevant to the subject areas taught in schools. The selection of 60 ECTS courses will provide future teachers with professional expertise for teaching the respective subjects at all levels in primary and lower secondary schools. It is important that students seek advice when making their selection. Some courses are taught at the Notodden campus, and others at the Porsgrunn campus. Certain courses are only offered if sufficient applicants enrol. |
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Elective courses In the second year of the study programme, students select new subjects which they plan to teach in the primary school, or they may build further on obligatory subjects. In the elective part of the programme at least 90 ECTS must be chosen from obligatory subjects in the primary school; the rest may be chosen from subjects that are relevant to the subject areas taught in schools. Selection of 60 ECTS study units provides great professional expertise and all students must have one subject area with at least 60 credits. It is important that students seek academic guidance for this choice. Some courses are taught at the Notodden campus, and others at the Porsgrunn campus.
Elective subjects in the lists above will be offered as part of the General Teacher Education studies in autumn 2010. The course descriptions for elective subjects beginning autumn 2011 will be revised January 2011.
The General Teacher Education, 1-7: The following are obligatory subjects: Mathematics (30 ECTS), Norwegian (30 ECTS) and Pedagogy in Teacher Education (PEL) (45 ECTS) including the Bachelor’s Dissertation (15 ECTS). Elective courses comprise 120 ECTS. For a selection of teaching subjects please refer to the list of elective courses. Study model:
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The General Teacher Education, 1-7, study programme is a full time 4-year course of studies of 240 ECTS credits. Of these, 120 ECTS credits comprise obligatory courses and 120 ECTS credits, elective courses. Of the elective courses, at least 90 ECTS credits must cover primary school subjects.
Candidates will gain their teaching qualifications after four years of study. The study programme includes an introduction to basic ethics, research methodology and scientific theory.
In the third year of studies, students will complete their Bachelor’s Dissertation which comprises 15 ECTS credits. The Dissertation should include Pedagogy in Education (PEL) and have a professional focus. This means that it should be linked to the period of teaching practice, or other aspects of school activities. Thematically, the Bachelor’s Dissertation should be anchored in the student’s teaching subjects of the first three years and / or PEL.
The various subject groups working on Bachelor dissertations and the students themselves choose the theme for the dissertation. The choice of theme will determine which supervisor is appointed.
Teaching and Learning Methods
In the study programme, the student is followed up by the both the contact-teacher and the teaching-practice mentor. Each student group is allocated a contact-teacher who has a supervisory responsibility.
The programme’s teaching and learning methods relate to both single and multi-discipline subjects and an important aim of the programme is to stimulate critical reflection by means of creating interest in the subjects. The teaching and learning methods include:
- Polyphony
- Narration
- Specialisation
Much of the time allocated to the programme subjects is spent on reading and working with theory, tools and texts. 60 ECTS courses comprise a study-year of 1500 hours; 1 ECTS comprises 25 hours’ study. The subject teacher’s and teaching-practice mentor’s role is to support students in their studies so that they gradually become familiar with the diversity of the profession. Teaching will alternate between lectures, seminars, group work and individual supervision at the campus, in the training school, and online via Fronter. Students will identify their learning aims and participate in learning counselling. Students will actively work with teaching assignments and supervision at the training school.
The study programme uses Fronter, which complements the teaching on campus and the training school. Students must have a laptop computer equipped for wireless access.
Internationalisation
The study programme provides students with the possibility of taking 30 ECTS (one semester) at an educational institution abroad. The Faculty of Art, Folk Culture and Teacher Education has reached agreements with institutions in Scandinavia, Europe and the US through the exchange programmes Socrates/Erasmus and Nordplus. The agreements cover all subject areas. The student may obtain a scholarship to study abroad from one to twelve months. The principle of time parity applies, i.e. the time spent studying abroad is equivalent to the time that would have been spent in the Norwegian institution. In order to participate in this programme students must have successfully completed one year of full time studies at the university college level.
Theory and Practical Training
The study programme offers the student many opportunities of developing new cooperation between schools and the university college, studying various subjects, meeting supervisors and using various “teaching-voices”. This will provide them with a solid foundation for reflecting upon the relationship between theory and practice.
Teaching practice is obligatory and has a duration of 100 days spread over four years, and students will participate in supervised teaching practice of various types: school “take-over”; classroom teacher practice and subject didactics practice.
The teaching practice and subject teaching will strengthen the student’s ability to interpret and reflect upon their own classroom teaching as well as the teaching of others. The training school and the university college will contribute to students developing skills that will enable them to master the various duties and responsibilities that are apportioned to a qualified teacher. Each student group will be allocated to a training school throughout the academic year.
Assessment Methods
Assessment on the programme is carried out during activities at the training school and the university college.
An important aspect of the professional focus of the programme is to impart the joy of teaching, as well as individual written work, which forms a basis for both continuous and final assessment.
The programme includes various forms of documentation such as digital work portfolios created individually or in groups; oral presentations; dramatisations; demonstrations; and exhibitions. Various forms of feedback will provide students with training in justifying, mediating and documenting their work. The programme’s teaching, learning and assessment methods will contribute to the student being able to use the period of teaching practice to try out new theories, learn to work independently and in groups, and achieve progression in his/her studies. For assessment methods of the various courses please refer to the course descriptions.
Quality and suitability
In order to assure the quality of the study programme the following measures will be implemented:
Individual teaching plans will be drawn up, and there will be individual and group supervision, evaluation of the studies in an academic affairs committee, planning and assessment in the year-levels and seminar groups, meetings with representatives and external evaluation of the study programme at least once every five years.
The student can expect that the faculty will:
- Provide information on course material and academic expectations.
- Provides relevant teaching, supervision and examinations that correspond to the curriculum.
- Organise varied types of examinations.
- Provide objective and fair assessment.
- Organise learning supervision.
The faculty expect that the student will:
- Organise their time effectively, read the necessary course literature and be well prepared for lectures and other learning activities.
- Complete assignments and comment on the assignments of other students.
- Cooperate with other students and participate actively in the teaching.
- Be active in academic discussions and use Fronter effectively.
- Participate in learning counselling and identify their learning aims.
The suitability assessment is included as part of the total assessment of the student’s professional and personal aptitude and pedagogical skills which will enable him/her to function as a teacher. Continuous assessment of suitability will be carried out throughout the whole of the study programme (cf. Regulations for Suitability Assessment, July 2006).
Minor adjustments may occur during the academic year, subject to the decision of the Dean
Publisert av / forfatter Frode Evenstad <Frode.EvenstadSPAMFILTER@hit.no>, last modified Ian Hector Harkness - 06/09/2010