The Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching in Further Education is a professional teaching qualification and is accredited by the Teaching Council of Ireland. The programme is designed to provide participants with the skills, knowledge and competencies required to teach in a variety of settings in the Further Education sector. No prior experience of teaching is required. Graduates of the programme are entitled to register with the Teaching Council of Ireland as Further Education teachers, provided they meet the criteria set down in Regulation 5, Teaching Council (Registration) Regulations 2009.
As a participant on this NFQ Level 9 programme you will complete a number of taught modules which focus on both on the practical skills and the theoretical frameworks that underpin the practice of teaching in post-compulsory education. Alongside these modules, you will also complete 100 hours of Practice Placement in authentic Further or Adult education settings, allowing you to apply the learning from the taught modules in real world teaching settings.
On successful completion of the programme, you should be able to:
Critically evaluate the educational and social context within which adult and further education take place nationally and internationally.
Analyse and reflect critically on the particular features of teaching and learning in the adult and further education sectors;
Compare and contrast the similarities and differences between the further education sector and other sectors of education in Ireland;
Exercise discernment in selecting and applying pedagogical and/or andragogical approaches to teaching, learning and assessment appropriate to different learner groups;
Critique an appropriate range of approaches for the teaching and learning of the subject matter, including assessment and feedback, as appropriate to different learner groups;
Design a programme, course or module appropriate for the learners, including teaching techniques, assessment and evaluation modes, in accordance with the requirements of the relevant awarding body.
Demonstrate successful teaching by initiating and leading purposeful activity in in authentic settings and respond in a skillful manner within unpredictable contexts.
Engage in a committed manner to reflective practice, contribute to and learn from communities of practice, and act as a change agent where deemed appropriate within the profession.
Appraise existing and emerging technologies suitable for integration into their practice.
Delivery
This full-time programme is delivered on campus on Thursdays and Fridays. In addition, students are required to complete online and self-directed study.
The full time programme will run over one calendar year. Students will be required to attend SETU Waterford for one and a half to two full days per week during the two academic semesters in the year as well as to complete the required Practice Placements hours in their placement setting. There are no exams on the programme. A range of methods, including essays, portfolios of work, presentations, participation in online discussions and others, is used to assess the achievement of the learning outcomes in the taught modules. For the Teaching Practice modules, students are observed as they teach (at least once per module) and are also required to submit a Practice Placement Portfolio as part of the assessment process.
Programme structure for the part time programme
Semester 1 (30 credits)
Semester 2 (30 credits)
Introduction to Professional Practice
Curriculum and Assessment
Foundations of Effective Teaching in Further Education
Developing Effective Teaching in Further Education
Sociology of Adult Education
Policy and Perspectives of Further Education
Philosophy and Critical Education Theory
Teaching Practice 2
Educational Psychology for Further Education
Teaching Practice 3
Teaching Practice 1
Module information
The programme is made up of a combination of theoretical foundation modules, professional studies modules and practical teaching modules
Theoretical Foundations modules
Sociology of Adult Education (5 credits)
This module aims to enable student teachers to place their practice within sociological theory and other initiatives in the context of further education in order to create critical awareness of learners’ needs in the context of diversity.
Curriculum and Assessment (10 credits)
The aim of this module is to provide student teachers with the knowledge skills and competences to become effective designers and assessors of student learning in further education.
Policy and Perspectives of Further Education (5 credits)
This module is focused on providing student teachers with a good working knowledge of the further education sector, and enabling them to locate the sector in the overall provision of education and training in Ireland and within the European Union (EU).
Philosophy and Critical Education Theory (5 credits)
The aim of this module is to enable student teachers to acquire a grounding in the major philosophical constructs that inform adult education, and to develop their own principled philosophical stance towards practice.
Educational Psychology for Further Education (5 credits)
This module provides student teachers with a general knowledge of the psychology of adult learning and to deepen her/his understanding according to her/his personal and professional interests.
Professional Studies modules
Introduction to Professional Practice (5 credits)
This module prepares student teachers to develop the knowledge, understanding, qualities, skills and competences required for effective teaching in further education.
Foundations of Effective Teaching in Further Education (5 credits)
The aim of this module is to provide student teachers with the principal teaching skills to allow them to become effective and reflective teachers in further education.
Developing Effective Teaching in Further Education (5 credits)
This module provides student teachers with opportunities to develop their professionalism, skills, commitment and competence as effective and reflective teachers in further education.
Practical Teaching modules
Teaching Practice 1 (5 credits)
The aim of the first practical teaching module is to provide student teachers with an initial opportunity to teach within a real class environment and to develop their teaching knowledge, skills, qualities and competence within the realities of the classroom.
Teaching Practice 2 (5 credits)
This module allows student teachers to consolidate the teaching skills, competences and dispositions developed in Teaching Practice 1, and also aims to provide an encounter between pedagogical knowledge and classroom realities.
Teaching Practice 3 (5 credits)
The aim of the final practical teaching module is to deepen student teachers’ understanding and competence in teaching and to provide an opportunity to show that they are capable of joining the profession as beginning teachers who can work effectively in FE.
Entry requirements
Applicants for this programme normally require an NFQ Level 8 qualification in an area that is currently taught in Further and / or Adult Education in Ireland. Those who meet this requirement are interviewed to assess their overall suitability for the programme.
In order to be offered a place on the programme, applicants must provide proof that they have access to 100 hours of Practice Placement in appropriate Further Education settings. Practice Placement must be completed within recognised Further Education settings (which include Colleges of Further Education, Adult Education Centre's etc.) and with groups of six or more learners taking accredited programmes leading to awards at NFQ Levels 1 to 6.
Applicants whose first language is not English must submit evidence of competency in English. Please see the English Language Requirements (for details.
All applicants require Garda clearance and will therefore be expected to complete the necessary Garda Vetting forms at the beginning of the programme.
Application process
Applications for the programme are made online via the Postgraduate Applications Centre (www.pac.ie). The course code for the full-time programme is SE11E
Programme fees
Fees for the full-time programme are €7900, payable in two installments of €3950 (one in September and one in the following January)
The Irish Further Education and Training sector provides graduates of this programme with a wide range of contexts in which to pursue their teaching careers. Opportunities for qualified further education teachers are to be found in a variety of settings from Colleges of Further Education to Adult Education Centre's, Adult Literacy Services and other settings. Graduates of this programme have gone on to work on a range of different further education programmes, including Post Leaving Certificate programmes, Youth reach programmes, programmes that are run under the Back to Education Initiative (BTEI) and the Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS), as well as in community education contexts and on both accredited and non-accredited adult education programmes. A number of graduates have also gone on to further study, including at doctoral level in Education.
The Irish Further Education and Training sector provides graduates of this programme with a wide range of contexts in which to pursue their teaching careers. Opportunities for qualified further education teachers are to be found in a variety of settings from Colleges of Further Education to Adult Education Centre's, Adult Literacy Services and other settings. Graduates of this programme have gone on to work on a range of different further education programmes, including Post Leaving Certificate programmes, Youth reach programmes, programmes that are run under the Back to Education Initiative (BTEI) and the Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS), as well as in community education contexts and on both accredited and non-accredited adult education programmes. A number of graduates have also gone on to further study, including at doctoral level in Education.
Practice Placement (PP) is a core part of all teacher education programmes and enables the student teacher to practice teaching in authentic settings. It involves student teachers, Practice Placement Tutors, the Practice Placement Co-ordinator, the The Practice Placement Academic Lead and workplace Mentors in Further Education settings. PP provides student teachers with the opportunity to plan and prepare lessons in a professional manner, teach effectively, reflect on their teaching and evaluate how successful this was for their students’ learning.
There are three periods of Practice Placement to be completed on the full time programme, one in the period between September and December and two in the period between January and August. The duration of each Teaching Practice Placement is between 4 and 10 weeks and student teachers will carry out a total 100 hours of Practice Practice over the course of the programme (usually 40 hours in the September to December period and 60 hours in total in the January to August period). 80 of the 100 hours must be delivered as solo teaching hours, while the remaining 20 can include observation of teaching, co-teaching and other activities.
To satisfy the Teaching Council’s registration requirements, placements must meet a number of criteria: they must be completed within recognised Further Education settings (which include Colleges of Further Education, Adult Education Centres etc); they must involve working with groups of six or more learners; and they must be on accredited programmes leading to awards at NFQ Levels 1 to 6.
Student teachers are responsible for arranging their own Practice Placements p. This generally involves contacting the management of likely partner institutions within the Further Education sector. Applicants who are currently engaged in a teaching or tutoring capacity within the further education sector may wish to nominate some of their existing classes for their Practice Placements provided they meet the criteria below and provided the placement is approved by their appropriate line manager.
A dedicated Practice Placement Co-ordinator liaises with the student teachers to ensure the practice placement setting meets the programme requirements. Support documents to assist in arranging placement are provided to applicants once they have successfully completed their interviews. Proof of access to placement is required before an applicant can officially be offered a place on the programme, but access to placement does not have to be in place at the time of application and interview.
