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This largely placement-based course focuses on developing your practical teaching skills, understanding of educational theory, and subject-specific knowledge needed to be a biology teacher at secondary level. The course explores investigational, collaborative and problem-solving activities while giving you the skills to teach a broad spectrum of biological concepts. You build your awareness and understanding of professional issues the biology curriculum the role of technology and aspects of teaching such as planning and assessment.

There is the option to take this course part time over two years, making it easier to balance study with your other commitments.

Course aims:

Teaching in the secondary sector is a constantly evolving activity, with ideas about curriculum design, subject knowledge and theories of teaching and learning all being reviewed regularly by teachers, academics and policymakers as part of their professionalism. Teacher professional values are set by the profession and this course inducts you into that notion. This course aims to develop your ability to critique contemporary and traditional ideas about teaching in general as well as subject specific ideas about teaching, alongside a strong sense of the pastoral aspects of education. In completing the course, you will develop:
• your understanding of teaching and learning, with a particular emphasis on the subject or cluster of subjects which you are training to teach
• your application of subject knowledge and expertise to planning teaching and developing curricula
• your skills of critical self-evaluation and curriculum design
• your ability to lead, innovate and participate collaboratively in a school environment
• your understanding of the wider educational and pastoral issues which teachers need to consider in order to develop a meaningful set of professional values. You will be supported to demonstrate that you have satisfied the professional criteria which determine recommendation for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and, most significantly, to be able to explain and justify how you have met those criteria. Underpinning the course design is a commitment to evidence informed teaching. These principles are embedded in all aspects of the course and the teaching and assessment strategies provide continuous development of the knowledge and skills required. Throughout the course you will be encouraged to adopt an attitude of critical analysis and evaluating the impact of theory in the context of your teaching practice, and analysing evidence from your practical experience to inform your future actions. The recognition that evidence comes in many forms, and needs to be interrogated in order to help this informing process, is one of the key values of the course.

Careers

On graduating you can apply for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) enabling you to work as a science teacher with a biology specialism in a secondary education setting. Many of our graduates go on to rewarding employment in local schools.

As well as Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) completing the course also offers you up to 60 Master's-level credits with opportunities for further study at MA/MSc MPhil PhD and EdD levels.