Introduction
Overview
This is the recognised teaching qualification for people who are already lecturing in further education – called in-service. The course is based on the Professional Standards for Lecturers in Scotland’s Colleges and is fully accredited by the General Teaching Council for Scotland.
If you’re a lecturer and already teach in a further education college, or similar environment, you can complement your previous experience and qualifications with a postgraduate degree in TQFE. The course is also suitable for anyone who works in other education and training contexts in post-compulsory education.
Throughout the course, you’ll develop your personal and professional abilities to help you adopt greater responsibility and leadership in your own work environment.
The University of Stirling has been delivering the TQFE course for 15 years. The course integrates a range of pedagogic techniques which aim to encourage you to engage with academic and policy literature and to communicate with your peers as part of a ‘professional learning community’. Both face-to-face sessions and a variety of online technologies are used to deliver the course.
Top reasons to study with us
#1 1st in Scotland and top 15 in the UK for Education (The Guardian University Guide 2018)
#2 This course is accredited by the General Teaching Council for Scotland
#3 The course content is based on the professional standards for FE staff as laid down by the Scottish Government
Professional accreditations
This course is accredited by the General Teaching Council for Scotland.
Course details
Key principles underpinning the Stirling TQFE course include:
developing awareness of appropriate professional values and attributes of the vocational educator
encouraging innovation in teaching/learning and wider professional practice
supporting the development of a ‘professional enquiry’ approach throughout and beyond the course
Teaching
The course is taught using a combination of lectures, seminars and materials made available via the University of Stirling's online learning environment. In the most recent study by QS, staff from the University of Stirling received a 5 out of 5-star rating for teaching (QS World University Rankings 2018).
The attendance requirement for most modules is three days per module, with all course materials available online in advance.
Face-to-face sessions
Whilst attending teaching days students will experience large group lectures delivered by TQFE staff and, on occasions, invited guest lecturers. The lectures provide an opportunity for key concepts and issues to be highlighted and for you to receive guidance about key aspects of assessment tasks. Lectures are recorded using the university’s ‘Listen Again’ system and can be easily accessed by students attending at college-based sites.
The key concepts introduced via the lectures are explored in greater depth in small group seminars and workshops during the rest of the day. In the seminars/workshops you’re encouraged to draw upon your own professional experience and context and to share ideas and knowledge with your peers. The opportunity to engage with peers from different subject areas is seen to be a key element of the face-to-face learning and this has been frequently highlighted in feedback from students.
Online
Canvas, our virtual learning environment, is used extensively as a significant element of the TQFE course. A wide variety of digital resources are made available online including:
recordings of all lectures (made available within 24 hours of their ‘delivery’ on campus)
e-journals and e-books (made available via electronic reading lists)
in addition to ‘in-house’ resources students are also provided with links to digital resources which are provided by various organisations in the FE sector including the ‘College Development Network’, Education Scotland, and General Teaching Council Scotland. The wide variety of resources reflects contemporary issues and trends and enables you to interact both visually and aurally.
Our virtual learning environment is also used to support online interaction between TQFE staff and students and between the students themselves. Discussion spaces are used to support each module and these spaces provide a flexible opportunity for you to engage in ‘professional dialogue’ to clarify and deepen your understanding of key topics. The professional practice module makes extensive use of these discussion facilities and receives very positive student feedback.
Assessment
Three formal assignments are required (where a student has not been granted any exemptions) each of 3,000 words. Where the first submission is graded as a fail, one resubmission attempt is allowed. Where the resubmission is graded as a fail, the student must retake the module. The pass mark for postgraduate work is 50%.
A student is permitted a maximum of five assessment attempts (three module registrations to include assessment only) per module.
In addition to the formal written assignments, you’re required to be observed teaching on two separate occasions and to complete a written reflective review of the observed lesson. One of the observations may be undertaken by suitably qualified college based staff.
Classroom hours
In-service students attend for a total of seven days (excluding academic and administrative induction) over the academic year. As the course is 'work-based', students' professional practice in their own college environment is an integral part of the learning experience.
There’s no weekly timetable. When you are on campus the day consists of an individual tutorial support, and then a lecture followed by a seminar and workshop.
Course director
Dr Kevin Brosnan
tqfe@stir.ac.uk
+44 (0) 1786 467719
Fees - 2018/2019
Home/EU: £1,790
Overseas: n/a
