On this page you will find details of ways in which you provide evidence that you meet the Standards for Award of QTS.
The Importance for the Standards for Award of QTS
You will be recommended for Qualified Teacher Status if, and only if, you meet the 'Standards for Award of QTS' and the associated ICT requirements. It is therefore essential that during the PGCE you compile evidence that you meet these Standards. The evidence that you meet the subject-specific aspects of the standards will primarily come from two sources: your practical teaching (in particular your Assessment Record File supplemented by your personal PTE file) and your curriculum coursework.
This evidence will need to cover four main areas: your subject knowledge (including subject pedagogy); your planning, teaching and class management; your monitoring, assessment, recording and accountability; and your use of ICT in your teaching. Each of these is discussed in turn below.
Although your progress towards the Standards will be monitored during the whole PGCE, there are key times by which you need to have provided specific evidence. These are given in each section as appropriate.
The document 'Teaching Standards in Information Technology' indicates where in the course you will have the opportunity to meet the various Standards and outlines the sources of evidence you can provide that you meet them. More detail on this latter point is contained in the sections below.
Evidence for 'Knowledge and Understanding'
One difficulty with IT is deciding precisely what counts as appropriate knowledge and understanding. For example, as an IT teacher, you should have sufficient knowledge and understanding about items of software to be able to use them effectively in your teaching. However, IT is not assessed (either in the National Curriculum or at GCSE/'A' level) simply (or even primarily) as a skills-based subject and so you will also need to show evidence that you understand the concepts and ideas of IT sufficiently well to be able to teach them. In addition, you will need to demonstrate a knowledge of subject pedagogy - for example the main misconceptions pupils have about key concepts - together with knowledge of the assessment framework and the National Curriculum. Evidence that you have this knowledge will come from two main sources, PTE and the two parts of Assignment 1.
PTE formal observations will include comments on the extent to which you meet the required level of subject knowledge in those topics you happen to be teaching. To pass the course it is of course necessary that this level is sufficiently high. However this of itself is not enough since you will not teach all areas of IT at all levels during your PTE. For this reason, the two parts of Assignment 1 are designed to give you the opportunity to develop and demonstrate other aspects of your subject knowledge. You should see the rubric of these for more details.
The key dates at which you need to provide evidence of meeting the 'Knowledge and Understanding' aspect of the Standards are:
- the start of the course (first subject knowledge audit);
- after the Christmas vacation (drafts of 2 parts of Assignment 1.1 handed in);
- the break between the two periods of PTE (updated subject knowledge audit);
- the first week of PTE 2 (drafts of the remainder of Assignment 1.1 handed in);
- the end of the Easter vacation (draft of Assignment 1.2 handed in);
- the end of the course.
Evidence for 'Planning Teaching and Class Management'
The primary evidence that you meet this part of the Standards will come from your PTE. In particular, copies of a selection of lesson plans and evaluations which you feel demonstrate that you have achieved one or more of the criteria, combined with observation reports and the interim and final reports from your PTE schools. These will be collated in your Assessment Record File. (For an exemplification of what the Standards mean with regard to lesson planning see 'Criteria for assessing lesson plans'.)
Assignment 1.2 will provide additional evidence, in the critique of your scheme of work.
The two key dates for assessing this part of the Standards are at the end of each period of PTE. In the break between the two PTE periods you will have an individual tutorial with Tim Brosnan where your progress in this aspect of the Standards will be reviewed and targets set for the second period of PTE.
Evidence for 'Monitoring, Assessment, Recording, Reporting and Accountability
Assessment and monitoring is not (just) about testing pupils. Good teachers continuously assess the progress of their pupils towards the learning objectives set for both individual lessons and schemes of work - and amend the content and/or approach of these lessons accordingly. You will need to demonstrate that you do this - and that you can assess pupils against National Curriculum and exam board criteria.
The evidence that you meet this aspect of the Standards will come from your PTE and Assignment 1. From your PTE, appropriate evidence would include:
- lesson plans/evaluations that show that learning objectives have been achieved;
- examples of pupils' work (including homework) marked against NC and exam syllabus criteria;
- records of marks and other assessments;
- lesson plans/evaluations which demonstrate that you use a variety of informal assessments;
- lesson plans/evaluations which demonstrate how their content/approach is affected by your assessment of pupils progress and needs.
These will be combined with observation reports and the interim and final reports from your PTE schools.
Assignment 1 will also provide evidence. Part 1 allows you to demonstrate your ability to assess work (in this case your own) as being of 'A' level standard and to show your knowledge of the exam framework. Part 2 allows you to give evidence of your ability to assess a range of National Curriculum levels and to use this knowledge in your teaching; and to show your knowledge of the exam framework and your use of comparative data.
The key dates for assessing this part of the Standards are at the end of each period of PTE, and when you submit the drafts and final copies of Assignment 1.1 and 1.2. You should note that IT BTs find this aspect of the Standards the hardest, usually for three reasons:
- Initially most BTs focus on classroom organisation and management.
- They find it difficult to relate the words of the NC level descriptors to classroom products.
- Control, management and lesson planning all need to be good before they feel confident in using feedback received during a lesson to modify the content of that (and subsequent) lessons - especially with individual pupils
However, by the end of your first period of PTE, you should aim to provide evidence that you meet (at least) Standards b, d, e, f and h in this section and are making progress towards meeting the others.
During the break between the two periods of PTE the individual tutorial with Tim Brosnan will assess your progress towards this aspect of the Standards and set targets for PTE 2.
Evidence for 'Annexe B' - the use of ICT
Annexe B has two aspects: technical knowledge of and ability in a variety of software packages; and the ability to use ICT effectively to promote learning.
Uniquely for people on this course, the first of these is subsumed into 'subject knowledge' and if you meet the subject knowledge requirement detailed above you will have demonstrated that you meet this aspect of the use of ICT. Note though that the subject knowledge requirement for IT PGCE BTs is not just knowledge of software, knowledge of ideas and concepts is (at least) as important.
Evidence of the second aspect, your ability to use ICT effectively in your teaching, will come from your PTE and Assignment 1.2. Your lesson plans and evaluations will provide evidence that you use ICT appropriately to develop pupils' IT capability. In assignment 1.2, there is a section in which you discuss your use of ICT in the topic chosen.
.The key dates by which you need to provide evidence of this aspect of the Standards are:
- the end of PTE1 - when your progress will be reviewed;
- the end of the Easter vacation - when the draft of Assignment 1.2 is due;
- the end of the course.
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by Tim Brosnan. Please send any comments to: t.brosnan@ioe.ac.uk
Last updated on 14th
June 2001 .
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