651 General Teacher Education, 5-10, Porsgrunn, 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. Consequently, all who teach in a classroom must be willing to explore and test new methods. Becoming a teacher requires hard work, freedom from preconceptions and a thirst for professional challenges.
Telemark University College focuses on developing an effective learning environment with close interaction and dialogue between teachers and students, with the aim of educating students to become good teachers.
The study programme will qualify successful candidates to teach in primary and lower secondary schools (classes 5 to 10), which means that students will study school subjects in depth; students will be given the opportunity to select which subjects they plan to teach.
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 the study programme 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.
The General Teacher Education, 5 to 10, study programme is an educational project with children and adolescents which opens opportunities for positive actions and significant improvements.
Professional education
The General Teacher Education, 5 - 10, study programme is a professional education that combines courses in various subjects, pedagogical theory and supervised teaching practice in schools. Academic competence is achieved through studying the subject areas; knowledge of the teaching profession is realized by acquiring competence through actual practice in teaching relevant subjects.
The following make up the core of the study programme: subject and didactic expertise are developed through the study of the subject areas; educational leadership and interaction 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 interacting with the professional diversity experienced in the teaching practice school.
Pedagogy in Teacher Education will provide students with an understanding of how children learn and develop. This course 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 discusses the subject's character, content and teaching and learning methods.
All the subject studies in the study programme address the Knowledge Promotion Curriculum and the relationship between academic subjects, college subjects and school subjects; and elucidate important changes in professional roles 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 also 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 a special 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).
Further Education opportunities
The study programme provides a good opportunity for further studies and preparation for Master’s degree studies.
In the fourth year of study students may choose subjects which are included in the first year of the Master’s degree programme if the student has studied the subject in question in sufficient depth before. Telemark University College offers the following Master’s degree programmes: Art and Design Education; Physical Education, Sport and Outdoor Life Studies; Cultural Studies; Environmental Health for Teachers and Traditional Arts. Several more programmes are in the planning stages.
Curriculum and structure
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Obligatory Courses *) O - Mandatory course, V - Optional course |
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Elective Courses Year 3 & 4 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. Some courses are taught at the Notodden campus, and others at the Porsgrunn campus. Certain courses are only offered if sufficient applicants enrol. |
Elective courses
In the first year of the study programme students select subjects which they plan to teach in the primary and lower secondary school (class 5-10). As a general rule, students will select 60 ECTS study units for their school teaching subjects. In the first year of study, students may choose between Norwegian or Natural Sciences as well as Pedagogy in Teacher Education.
Elective subjects in the lists above will be offered as part of the General Teacher Education studies in 2010/2011. The course descriptions for elective subjects beginning autumn 2011 will be revised January 2011.
In the second or third year students may choose between Mathematics, Social Studies, English or Arts and Crafts. In the fourth year, students choose Physical Education or other teaching subjects that they have not selected in the first three years of study. It is also possible to choose school-relevant subjects such as special education.
In the second year of the study programme students select new subjects which they plan to teach in the primary and lower secondary school (class 5-10), 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 and lower secondary school; the rest may be chosen from subjects that are relevant to the subject areas taught in schools. Selection of study units with 60 ECTS 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. Certain courses are only offered if sufficient applicants enrol.
The General Teacher Education, 5-10, study programme, is a full time 4-year course of studies of 240 ECTS credits. Of these, 60 ECTS comprise the obligatory courses Pedagogy in Teacher Education (PEL).
1st year of study: Pedagogy in Teacher Education (15 ECTS) and teaching subject I, either Norwegian or Natural Sciences (45 ECTS).
2nd year of study: Pedagogy in Teacher Education, Norwegian or Natural Sciences (15 ECTS) and teaching subject II (30 ECTS) (choice between English, Social Studies, Mathematics or Arts and Crafts).
3rd year of study: Pedagogy in Teacher Education (15 ECTS), Bachelor’s Dissertation (15 ECTS), teaching subject II (30 ECTS).
4th year of study: Teaching subject III (60 ECTS), possibly two subjects (30 ECTS), where one may be a school-relevant subject of 30 ECTS. Alternatively: subject relevant for Master’s degree programme.
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
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.
The study programme uses Fronter, which complements the teaching on campus and the training school. Digital competence is a fundamental skill which will be practised in all subjects; students should have a laptop computer.
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 university college level.
Theory and Practical Training
The study programme offers the student opportunities of studying various subjects, meeting supervisors and using various “teaching-voices”. This provides 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 period of teaching practice will be organised according to a fixed plan or will be flexibly organised. 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.
Assessment Methods
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 work portfolio will document progression throughout the study programme, and include various types of work which the student has completed before final assessment. The presentation portfolio will include work that will be evaluated and comprise part of the 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 and meetings with representatives.
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 Ian Harkness <Ian.HarknessSPAMFILTER@hit.no>, last modified Ian Hector Harkness - 14/08/2011