Master of Teaching (Secondary)

Course MC-TEACHSA (2016)

Note: This is an archived Handbook entry from 2016.

Year and Campus: 2016 - Parkville
CRICOS Code: 061228G
Fees Information: Subject EFTSL, Level, Discipline & Census Date
Level: Graduate/Postgraduate
Duration & Credit Points: 200 credit points taken over 24 months full time.

Coordinator

Dr Daniela Acquaro

Contact

Contact

Melbourne Graduate School of Education

Currently enrolled students:

Future students:

Course Overview:

The Master of Teaching (Secondary) prepares graduates for teaching in a wide range of curriculum areas. The course includes a number of electives that are designed to provide candidates with options to expand their professional knowledge in areas that are significant to schools today.

2016 Academic Calendar dates for the Master of Teaching (Secondary) are,

  • Semester 1, 8 February – 20 May (assessment period ends 10 June)
  • Semester 2, 14 July – 4 November


Learning Outcomes:

On the completion of this course graduates will have the knowledge, skills and understanding to enable them to:

  • Use evidence to make sound clinical judgments about the nature and implementation of teaching interventions.
  • Be highly-skilled teachers who demonstrate the professional capabilities to meet the individual needs of diverse learners using interventionist practices.
  • Generate and analyse diverse sources of data that can effectively inform and assess student learning and development.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the ways in which theory and research informs practice.
  • Plan and execute a substantial research-based project, capstone experience and/or piece of scholarship.
  • Demonstrate strong subject and pedagogical content knowledge.
  • Demonstrate the level of competency in literacy and numeracy expected of the teaching profession.
  • Utilise diverse pedagogical strategies to provide rich and creative learning environments that empower learners.
  • Utilise inclusive teaching practices that demonstrate an awareness of cultural diversity and its implications for society and education.
  • Utilise digital technologies to expand learning opportunities for students.
  • Develop in students the practices and attitudes required for critical thinking and the ability to work both independently and cooperatively.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the role of language as fundamental to education.
  • Demonstrate the ability to maintain effective, ethical and respectful relationships with all involved in the learning community..
  • Effectively engage students, parents, community members, and professional colleagues to support student learning and development.
  • Understand the impact of legislation, policy and the global human rights principles on their roles and responsibilities as teachers.
  • Demonstrate a capacity for leadership and advocacy in education.
Course Structure & Available Subjects:

The first 150 points of the 200-point course comprises the Graduate Diploma in Teaching which provides a qualification for registration to teach.

The final 50 points for the Master of Teaching (Secondary) may be completed anytime up to five years after completion of the Graduate Diploma in Teaching. There are three options,

  • Induction: an induction program which supports graduate teachers in the initial phase of their teaching career
  • Research: preparation for entry to higher degree research programs
  • Professional Development: specialisation through access to specialist graduate course work.

Note: All teacher candidates will be required to undertake two Learning Area Study sequences (or a double sequence).

Subject Options:

Semester 1

Subjects undertaken in first semester, plus Learning Areas

Subject
Study Period Commencement:
Credit Points:

Semester 2

Subjects undertaken in second semester, plus Learning Areas, plus one elective subject from list

Subject
Study Period Commencement:
Credit Points:
February, November, Semester 1, Semester 2
18.75

Elective subjects

Elective subjects are subject to class sizes and staffing availabilty.

Subject
Study Period Commencement:
Credit Points:

Learning Areas 1 and 2

Subject
Study Period Commencement:
Credit Points:

Final 50 points

Induction Option

Students complete EDUC90758, EDUC90759 and EDUC90792

Subject
Study Period Commencement:
Credit Points:
January, February, July
12.50
February, Year Long
25

Research Option

Students complete EDUC90419 and a research project.

Subject
Study Period Commencement:
Credit Points:
Semester 1, Semester 2
37.50
Year Long
37.50
Semester 1, Semester 2
18.75

Professional Development Option

Students complete EDUC90758, EDUC90759 and 25 points of elective subjects from MGSE's graduate programs (subject to meeting prerequisites).

See the Master of Education elective list: https://handbook.unimelb.edu.au/view/current/960AC

Subject
Study Period Commencement:
Credit Points:
January, February, July
12.50
Entry Requirements:

1. In order to be considered for entry, applicants must have completed:
• an undergraduate degree with appropriate prerequisites for two Learning Area study sequences, as required by the Victorian Institute of Teaching; and
• a selection test as determined by the Selection Committee.
Meeting these requirements does not guarantee selection.

2. In ranking applications, the Selection Committee will consider:
• prior academic performance; and
• the results of the selection test.

3. The Selection Committee may seek further information to clarify any aspect of an application in accordance with the Academic Board rules on the use of selection instruments.

4. Applicants are required to satisfy the university’s English language requirements for postgraduate courses. For those applicants seeking to meet these requirements by one of the standard tests approved by the Academic Board, performance band 7+ is required.



Note.
(a) The Academic Board may prescribe minimum grade point averages for undergraduate studies that must be met by applicants eligible for Guaranteed Entry in a given year. Applicants not eligible for Guaranteed Entry will normally be required to have a grade point average for undergraduate studies at least as high as the prescribed minimum for Guaranteed Entry.
(b) All applicants must have a valid Working with Children Check prior to the commencement of the Practicum subjects, and for the duration of the program.
(c) Higher English standards than those normally required for admission to postgraduate study at the University of Melbourne may be needed for eligibility for Australian teacher registration on graduation. The Selection Committee may require applicants who have not recently completed a full undergraduate degree in Australia or New Zealand to demonstrate English language ability using one of the standard tests approved by the Academic Board at performance band 7+, even if their prior study of the English language, or their prior education and assessment in an English language university, would normally exempt them from standard testing.

* Details of the selection test are available on the Melbourne Graduate School of Education’s TeacherSelector website.

Core Participation Requirements:

The Melbourne Graduate School of Education welcomes applications from students with disabilities. It is University and Graduate School policy to take reasonable steps to enable the participation of students with disabilities, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student’s participation in the Graduate School’s programs.
The core participation requirements for study in the Melbourne Graduate School of Education are:

In all courses

  1. The ability to comprehend complex information related to education and the disciplines in which the student is teaching.
  2. The ability to communicate clearly and independently in assessment tasks a knowledge of the content, principles and practices relating to education and other relevant disciplines.
  3. Behavioural and social attributes that enable a student to participate in a complex learning environment. Students are required to take responsibility for their own participation and learning. They also contribute to the learning of other students in collaborative learning environments, demonstrating interpersonal skills and an understanding of the needs of other students. Assessment may include the outcomes of tasks completed in collaboration with other students.

    In courses requiring students to undertake practicum placements
  4. The ability to undertake professional practice placements independently, including:
    a. the ability based on personal maturity to establish a professional relationship with students and interact with them appropriately;
    b. the ability to communicate to students the subject matter being taught with clarity and in a way that is age-sensitive;
    c. the ability to model literacy and numeracy skills independently for students and in all their interactions meet community expectations of the literacy and numeracy skills teachers should have;
    d. the ability to demonstrate skilfully and safely activities required in particular discipline areas being taught (e.g. physical education activities, science laboratory techniques);
    e. the ability to create, monitor and maintain a safe physical environment, a stable and supportive psychological environment, and a productive learning environment in their classroom;
    f. the ability to establish effective relationships with all members of the school community, including colleagues, students, and caregivers;
    g. the ability based on mental and physical health to exercise sound judgment and respond promptly to the demands of classroom situations, and the personal resilience to cope and maintain their wellbeing under stress.

Students who feel a disability will prevent them from meeting the above academic requirements are encouraged to contact the Disability Liaison Unit.

Further Study:

Graduates from this program are eligible to apply for entry to the Doctor of Education program or a PhD after completion of a 50-point Graduate Certificate in Educational Research, provided they meet the entry requirements and subject to achievement of an H2A GPA.

Those who complete the research option in their final semester are eligible to apply for entry to the Doctor of Education program or a PhD provided they meet the entry requirements and subject to achievement of an H2A GPA. Please note also that graduates of an undergraduate Honours degree may already be eligible for doctoral studies, subject to the same entry and achievement requirements.

Graduate Attributes:

Teacher candidates entering this program will have appropriate undergraduate knowledge and analytical skills, and bring with them a diversity of educational and life experiences. The program emphasises the importance of research evidence and theory as a foundation for clinical educational practice. It will build candidates’ skills in interventionist teaching practices aimed at supporting and extending individual student’s learning and development.

Underpinning the program is a strong partnership with early childhood settings and schools and with educational systems that will support the intellectual engagement in professional practice at an advanced level. Special emphasis will be placed on the candidates’ capacity to teach the diverse range of students, and to promote equity in education. The program focuses on developing candidates’ capacity for critical inquiry and professional reflection.

Candidates will have the opportunity to undertake teaching practice in a range of settings, which will enhance their cultural awareness and expand their understanding of global education. They will understand the policy landscape and the processes for making policy at school and system level, so that they can intervene and justify producing change.

Professional Accreditation:

The Graduate Diploma of Teaching (Secondary) and Master of Teaching (Secondary) will provide graduates with provisional registration with the Victorian Institute of Teaching.

Generic Skills:
  • Understand Secondary education as part of a spectrum of learning and development, linked to primary schooling and to post-schooling outcomes of further study and/or employment.
  • Develop in-depth knowledge of the complexity and diversity of students’ learning and development.
  • Be expert in the disciplines they teach and committed to continual updating of their subject knowledge.
  • Be able to intelligently and creatively plan, implement and critique mandated curriculum.
  • Be able to use data to identify and address the learning needs and capacities of individual students.
  • Be able to intentionally draw on a range of teaching practices to extend individual student’s learning and development.
  • Shape and deliver responsive and inclusive curricula.
  • Be a self-reflective teacher who can work constructively and innovatively through relationships with parents, colleagues and the community across a range of contexts.
Links to further information: http://education.unimelb.edu.au/study_with_us/become_a_teacher
Notes:

This entry shows the course structure for students commencing the course in 2016. Students who commenced this course in a previous year should refer to the appropriate previous year's Handbook entry for their course structure.

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