PGDE Secondary Education: Biology with Science
ApplyKey facts
- Start date: August
- Study mode and duration: Full-time: 36 weeks including 18 weeks of placement experience
Part-time: two years including 18 weeks of full-time placement experience UCAS code: 8X64
Gaelic Medium UCAS code: 8X63 - find out more about studying the medium of Gaelic
Study with us
- learn from on-campus classes and 18 weeks of placements in schools
- become qualified to teach in locations worldwide
- opportunity to achieve 120 Masters-level credits
- funded places available (Scottish/Home students only)
What you'll learn
This course will equip you with the theoretical knowledge and practical skills you require. The PGDE is modular in structure and students will study three modules across the year:
- Education Studies; Professional Values
- Professional Learning Through Enquiry
- Professional Skills
- Professional Skills - Curriculum and Pedagogy
- Professional Skills - Professional Practice
PGDE operates a model whereby students attend classes on campus followed by blocks of continued learning on placement. The modules run in parallel and learning and practice is cumulative.
On-campus time is used to familiarise you with the curriculum, allow you to collaborate with students and begin to plan lessons and develop materials. Students will have the opportunity to teach mini-lessons and explore innovative and motivating ways of engaging children and young people.
Placement
You'll spend 18 weeks of the course on placement in a school within Scotland. You'll be continually assessed while there to show you meet the requirements for the Standards for Provisional Registration.
You must attend your placement school throughout the full working day. You must also attend school on staff in-service days unless told otherwise by your school.
Placement is your chance to put what you're learning into practice. You'll explore your own teaching style, learn new techniques and develop relationships with your pupils.
You must keep a portfolio of progress while on placement. This placement file will form part of the evidence of your meeting the Standards for Provisional Registration and prepares you for career-long professional learning.
Future employment
The Teacher Induction Scheme (TIS) is a scheme whereby eligible applicants are offered a post for a year in a Scottish school. Only students paying Home fees are eligible for the scheme and eligibility is ascertained on a case-by-case basis. Students who successfully complete registration are eligible for full registration status. More information on the TIS can be found on the GTCS website.
Work anywhere in Scotland
The Preference Waiver Scheme is a scheme whereby a student teacher on TIS agrees to be allocated to their one year post anywhere in Scotland. The additional financial incentive is in the region of £8,000.
Chat to a student ambassador
If you want to know more about what it’s like to be a Humanities & Social Sciences student at the University of Strathclyde, a selection of our current students are here to help!
Our Unibuddy ambassadors can answer all the questions you might have about courses and studying at Strathclyde, along with offering insight into their experiences of life in Glasgow and Scotland.
Chat to a student ambassadorSubject-specific classes
All science teachers in Scotland have a specialist science teacher qualification in physics, chemistry or biology. They're also qualified to teach general science in first, second and third year in schools. In addition to learning about the pedagogy of teaching physics, chemistry or biology, student teachers of science also have an additional twenty hours of study to learn how to teach general science. This component is taught in mixed groups of physics, chemistry and biology student teachers to allow students to learn from one another and to simulate working in a school science department or faculty. The general science component is taught by a combination of experienced science teacher educators and seconded teachers.
In addition, the general science component draws on the expertise of science educators from the Glasgow Science Centre and includes a visit to the Centre or other suitable sites to consider out-of-classroom learning in science. The general science component of the specialist PGDE science courses makes it easy for qualified teachers to find employment as teachers outside Scotland.
