University of Nottingham PGCE (International) – Postgraduate Certificate in Education
The Nottingham PGCE (International) course comprises of face-to-face workshops held in the UAE, hosted by fly-in professors from the University of Nottingham. At the PGCE (International) workshop students get the opportunity to meet their Nottingham tutor as well as fellow students from the same cohort.
The Postgraduate Certificate in Education (International) is a Teaching degree aimed at professional teachers and educators working in countries other than the UK. It is a Level 7 academic qualification on the UK National Qualifications Framework and is relevant to all subjects, phases and curricula. The PGCE (International) focuses on improving individual teaching practice through research and critical reflection. Compare teaching approaches from different countries and evolve a global approach to teaching and education.
Please note, that the PGCE (International) is an academic qualification. As it is not a teaching qualification, it does not confer the Qualified Teacher Status in the UK.
It is the applicant’s responsibility to check with their relevant authorities in their country that this programme meets their professional needs
After completing the PGCE (International), graduates will have improved their teaching methods by building new ideas and strategies tested out in their own classrooms. More specifically, the programme aims to train teachers by:
- helping teachers understand their education system from an international perspective
- enabling teachers to become conversant with the basic assumptions, concepts, and principles of a range of learning theories and to evaluate their usefulness in specific educational situations
- promoting a deeper understanding of a range of teaching strategies
- developing expertise in practitioner research, making appropriate use of professional and research literature
Career Path
Our graduates tell us that the PGCE (International) has been an aid to promotion, and a useful qualification for those wanting to enhance their CV prior to applying for a new teaching position.
Teaching Assistants wanting to become full-time teachers, teachers looking to work abroad in international schools would benefit greatly from this degree.
Progression
- PGCEi graduates have the opportunity to further their studies through progression to an MA Education.
- Master of Education (MEd)
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Entry Requirements
Applicants are required to:
- Be an established educator with day-to-day access to a computer and the internet and regular connections to an educational context (including online learning)
- Be committed to developing their teaching and learning skills in the field of education;
- Be graduates of an approved university or other institution of higher education;
- Hold at least a second-class Honours degree; or be holders of an approved professional qualification deemed equivalent to an Honours degree;
- Applicants for whom English is not their first language, nor the medium of instruction of their first degree in approved contexts, must have achieved a British Council IELTS average final score of 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in any element no more than two years prior to admission;
- Applicants with lesser qualifications may be considered for ‘exceptional entry’. If you do not meet these requirements you may enquire about a non-standard entry.
Educational Aims and Values in International Contexts
This module considers international contexts for education and ideas from the philosophy of education
and about the purposes of education in different settings. It introduces a philosophical, comparative and
observational focus, which runs throughout the PGCEi course.
The aims of the module are to:
- develop an understanding of education as a world-wide phenomenon
- enable you to understand your own education system from an international perspective
- develop appreciation of the philosophical basis of education
- develop a range of frameworks for making sense of educational contexts
- develop alternative perspectives on schools, classrooms and their purposes.
Understanding Learning and Teaching in International Contexts
This module focuses on the relationship between theories of learning and models of teaching and
enables you to translate your developing understanding into your practice through critical reflection. You
will be able to select from a choice of different learning theories and pedagogical approaches.
The aims of this module are to:
- become conversant with the basic assumptions, concepts, and principles of a range of learning
theories and pedagogical approaches - understand the practical implications of theories and pedagogical approaches
- be able to compare and contrast theories and pedagogical approaches and their relative usefulness
in specific educational settings - develop professional knowledge, skills, and understanding for teaching
- review and develop existing personal theories of learning and models of teaching
- improve the quality of reflective practice
Inquiring into Educational Practice in International Contexts
In this module, you will plan and undertake a small-scale investigation in your own educational context. The project is
an investigation into an aspect of your students’ learning. In preparation for the inquiry and data-gathering processes,
the module supports you to develop your understanding of the principles and methodological and ethical
considerations of practitioner research.
A research proposal in the form of a formative piece of coursework is submitted to the course tutor for comment at an
early stage of work on this module. You are expected to undertake your own literature searches and carry out a
literature review to support your inquiry. The completed assignment relates investigation findings to preparatory
reading material.
The aims of this module are to:
- understand the principles and practice of undertaking an educational inquiry into your own practice, at masters
level - develop familiarity with educational research methodology and ethical requirements
- promote critical reflection and professional learning
- enable you to identify and make appropriate use of professional and academic literature