Becoming a Master of Geography Education: assessment and purpose

on the PGCE

Clare BrooksPGCE Geography Subject Leader

MA in Geog Ed Course Leader

Questions we have been asking

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)

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. “

Stage One

1a Curriculum Unit

(6,000 words)

1b Progression in Geog

(2,000)

1c GIS

(2,000)

Subject Studies

Reflection on Teaching/Subject Expertise

(5,000)

Wider Educational Studies

“Action Research”:

AfL (Progression)

GIS

ESD /GC(Futures/Action)

(5,000)

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

Assessment

• “What is a necessary component for planning for effective outdoor learning experiences?”

• Poster, presentation and viva

Subject Studies

Reflection on Teaching/Subject Expertise

(5,000 words)

Wider Educational Studies

“Action Research”:

AfL (Progression)

GIS

ESD /GC(Futures/Action)

(5,000 words)

Option Module

LOTC

Poster, presentation and viva

(5,000 word equivalent)

1. Draft of introduction2. Draft of first two parts3. Peer assessment 4. Final draft5. Formative/Summative

feedback

1. Submit research proposals

2. Option to submit draft3. Final draft4. Formative/Summative

feedback

Residential fieldtrip: every night mini-tutorials and group discussions

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”

Results

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

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.

Questions

• What is the role for practice-based assessment in Masters level work?

• What is an appropriate balance between academic and practice-based assessment?