Post Graduate Programs

The Pre-Secondary PGD is a 25-credit program designed for aspiring secondary school teachers who have limited teaching experience in school settings. Through this program, students will build practical, theoretical, and research-informed knowledge and understanding related to teaching, classroom inquiry and self-reflection approaches to develop their practical teaching repertoire, and will synthesize practical, theoretical, and research knowledge to advance the quality of support they provide for the children they teach. The Secondary Professional Practice Placement is a crucial component of the program. Throughout their placement, interns will make links between theory, practice, and research, engage in reflection, and access understanding of the practical wisdom and pedagogic content knowledge of experienced teachers at their placement schools.

• Pedagogies that promote independent learning including promoting metacognition, and the application of assessment for learning and dialogic teaching across the teaching tracks.
• Tailored pedagogies for teaching subjects (e.g., inquiry-based learning)
• Bridging theory, research, practice, and values
• Strong practice focus
• School-based learning experiences at partner schools
• Support from a school-based mentor and University mentor

The Pre-Service Secondary PGD aims to support interns learn to teach by:

1. Developing and critically reflecting on authoritative educational theories of learning in, assessment and human development, and synthesizing theory with practice related to planning and developing secondary classroom pedagogy and assessment in their subject area.
2. Developing and critically reflecting on knowledge and understandings from educational research into effective learning, teaching and assessment in their subject area, and synthesizing research understandings with practice related to planning and developing secondary classroom pedagogy and assessment.
3. Critically reflecting on the pedagogical subject-specific content knowledge of experienced secondary teachers to adapt this knowledge for planning and practice related to developing effective classroom pedagogy and assessment.
4. Developing in depth understandings of the learning practices and progression of pupils across the secondary grades for informing planning and practice related to developing effective classroom pedagogy and assessment.
5. Using, developing, experimenting with, and critically evaluating a range of effective classroom strategies appropriate to different learning purposes across cycle 2 and 3.
6. Using, developing, experimenting with, and critically evaluating a range of subject-specific strategies appropriate for cycle 2 and 3 classrooms for maintaining an orderly and positive classroom environment.
7. Developing in-depth theoretical and practical understandings of the social and learning characteristics of secondary students with special educational needs and responding effectively to them.
8. Developing knowledge and understanding to undertake pastoral responsibilities of a teacher dealing with secondary age students.

A 1-year program offered full time over three terms.

The Pre-service program is offered in a blended learning model, offering candidates flexibility through a combination of online learning and face-to-face classes (48% online and 52% face-to-face classes). Classes are taught from Monday to Friday.