Becoming a Master of Geography Education: assessment and purpose on the PGCE

1. Becoming a Master of Geography Education: assessment and purpose on the PGCE Clare Brooks PGCE Geography Subject Leader MA in Geog Ed Course Leader

2. Questions we have been asking • What does it mean to be a Master of Geography Education? • What can you expect • If you are one? • If you employ one? • If you are taught by one? • What does this mean for the PGCE?

3. Other considerations • Notions of professionalism? • Sachs “Activist Profession” • Notions of scholarship? • Synoptic capacity: “the ability to draw strands of a field together in a way that provides both coherence and meaning, to place what is known in context and opens the way for connections to be made between the knower and the known.” (Rice, 1992 p 125)

4. Our vision of an MA in Geog Ed graduate • to develop a personal response to the challenges they encounter in the field of geography education • will be informed by relevant literature and research from both the disciplines of education and geography • Be able to undertake an active and influential role in the geography education community • Will be able to describe and articulate practice. • “The course aims to prepare the Geography Educators of 2020. In other words it takes a view (and asks participants to do likewise) on what kind of contribution geography can make to educating young people in the year 2020. “

5. Stage One 1a Curriculum Unit (6,000 words) 1b Progression in Geog (2,000) 1c GIS (2,000) Wider Educational Studies “Action Research”: AfL (Progression) GIS ESD /GC(Futures/Action) (5,000) Subject Studies Reflection on Teaching/Subject Expertise (5,000)

6. Stage Two - Option Module:Learning Outside the Classroom • Emphasised in new QTS Standards • Our vision for the MA graduate and progression with the MA itself • Topic covered in the course but not explicitly in the assessment • Challenging but that also acknowledges prior learning

7. Assessment • “What is a necessary component for planning for effective outdoor learning experiences?” • Poster, presentation and viva

8. Subject Studies Reflection on Teaching/Subject Expertise (5,000 words) • Draft of introduction • Draft of first two parts • Peer assessment • Final draft • Formative/Summative feedback Wider Educational Studies “Action Research”: AfL (Progression) GIS ESD /GC(Futures/Action) (5,000 words) • Submit research proposals • Option to submit draft • Final draft • Formative/Summative feedback Option Module LOTC Poster, presentation and viva (5,000 word equivalent) Residential fieldtrip: every night mini-tutorials and group discussions

9. Evaluation “I chose my topic early – I thought the most important dimension was “Place”. As I worked on the fieldwork tasks, I thought I was right but I realised it was more than “the place” – it was about thinking why that place was right I had to think about it more. Then when I started to prepare my assignment I realised that this was still to vague – what was it about the place that made it right for the fieldwork to work? Having such a tight timescale and the poster made me synthesise and collect my thoughts”

10. Results

11. Our approach • Enables STs to combine: • Learning about classrooms/teaching/planning • Presentation/oratory skills • Teaching qualities (ie, responding to questions) • Mastery of the field • Judgement, evaluation and reflection

12. In the spirit of our vision of Master of Geography Education? • to develop a personal response to the challenges they encounter in the field of geography education • will be informed by relevant literature and research from both the disciplines of education and geography • Be able to undertake an active and influential role in the geography education community • Will be able to describe and articulate practice.

13. Questions • What is the role for practice-based assessment in Masters level work? • What is an appropriate balance between academic and practice-based assessment?