History
The taught elements of the course provided an academic approach to teaching and allowed me to build up my confidence, giving me insights on how to handle a class. The placements balanced this out with a direct experience of teaching, which is invaluable.'
David Penman, (PGCE Secondary, History)
Introduction
The Secondary History PGCE course at Warwick focuses on preparing history educators to work in diverse educational settings and with evolving curricula and qualifications. While the students we teach are ever changing, history provides the lens through which students can understand the past whilst making sense of the present and planning for the future.
The aims of the course are:
- to enable each trainee to become a reflective practitioner, one who inspires children to learn and love history while also setting high expectations for achievement;
- to train to become teachers in secondary schools using innovative strategies in their approach to history teaching;
- to help each trainee develop their skills as the programme progresses so that their needs and their students' needs are met during the PGCE programme as well as duirng their professional careers.
The primary goal of the course is to develop cutting edge history educators who understand the theoretical foundations that underpin their classroom practice. Readings and discussions centre upon current issues and debates in history teaching including the context of history teaching today, planning and teaching for learning, assessment for learning, the development of pupils' historical skills through a cross-disciplinary lens and managing the history classroom.
Trainees, who spend two placements in local secondary schools developing and honing their classroom practice, are expected to apply this theoretical knowledge to create practival activities and teaching strategies to make history engaging.
What is special about this course?
An outstanding range of secondary school history departments work in partnership with the Warwick Institute of Education, thus providing excellent training opportunities for trainees.
Applications are welcome from individuals who are passionate about history and who are committed to communicating their knowledge and historical skills to adolescents. Applicants should have achieved, or be expected to achieve at minimum, a 2:1 honours degree in history or a combined degree with at least 50% concentration in history. Applicants must have previous experience working with adolescents either in formal or informal educational settings.
Please note that the course is highly competitive and applicants who are interested in making an application should do so no later than the 1st of January 2012.
Course Co-ordinator: Cathy Williams
Email: pgce@warwick.ac.uk
