Postgraduate Diploma in Education

Programme Overview

The Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PgDE) programme is anchored on the conviction that the school ethos, the curriculum, teaching, learning and assessment approaches must impart values, skills and knowledge that make school graduates confident, competent and effective communicator for the complex challenges of the 21^st century. Consequently, the programme aims to prepare University graduates with professional training to teach at the secondary level schools (Classes VII-XII). The programme also aims to produce passionate, knowledgeable and skilled teachers who are competent, committed and possess right attitude towards their teaching profession, and are responsive to the changing needs of the Bhutanese society and the wider world. Further, the programme will provide pedagogical competencies in teaching their specific subject of specialization, and will develop understanding of diverse learners within their classroom settings. Therefore, it is expected that upon successful completion of this programme, the students will have acquired appropriate pedagogical knowledge, deepened their understanding of educational goals and development, and gained professional teaching confidence to be served as beginning teachers at the secondary level schools teaching.

Learning outcomes of the Programme

On completion of the programme, students will be able to:

• use enduring content and pedagogical knowledge that can be applied in different teaching learning settings;
• teach the subject of specialization effectively catering to the needs of diverse learners at secondary level schools;
• design curriculum including learning and teaching methodologies and assessment models in accordance to school curricula;
• create conducive classroom environment that supports optimum learning opportunities for all type of learners;
• integrate knowledge, skills and values in Bhutanese classroom contexts;
• perceive the good practices of a cyclical mechanism of educational action research that yields a maximum research-based evidence for their self-reflective professional development;
• develop sense of professionalism and passion for teaching profession;
• exhibit knowledge on theories of human development and learning process to positively respond to the psycho-social needs of adolescence;
• establish ethical relationships, and work collaboratively with colleagues and community in the school settings to achieve educational goals;
• gain insights into the opportunities, challenges of education in schools in the country through the School Immersion and Teaching Practice;
• exhibit good classroom practices and experiences to time management, communication skills, and record keeping procedures that support and enhance student learning;
• display the sound knowledge of educational technology that can help them design, develop and implement ICT related multimedia instructional materials to improve their educational practices; and
• exhibit the outlooks of professional beginning teachers in their teaching and commitment to continuous self-improvement process by participating in meaningful professional engagement, collaboration, reflective classroom practices and innovation that contribute to the renewal of their teaching profession.

Curriculum Structure

The programme is offered on a modular basis and consists of a total of 180 credit points spread over three academic semesters. The programme curricula consist of five professional development modules, one personal development module, two elective modules for the subject of specialization), and a semester long School Immersion and Teaching Practice (SITP). Each module is equivalent to 15 credit points (1 credit is equivalent to 10 notional hours), and SITP is 60 credit points (equivalent to 4 modules).

Modules are arranged and offered in a coherent and progressive manner in order to allow students gain maximum benefits and attainment of required teacher professionalism.  Professional modules such as Introduction to Educational Psychology (PSY501), Educational Assessment and Evaluation (AST501) and Teaching Methods (PGY501) along with first elective module of the subject of specialization will be offered prior to students leave for the field teaching practicum. Students will undertake their field teaching practicum in the second semester of year I. Likewise, two professional modules such as Curriculum studies (CUS501) and Introduction to Educational Research (RES501), one personal development module i.e. Introduction to Counselling and Career Education (COT501) in concurrent with second elective module of the subject of specialization will be offered in the third semester of year II.

Professional modules are designed to facilitate the growth of professional knowledge such as understanding the psychology of adolescence age, teaching skills and strategies, curriculum development process, assessment practices and researching skills and techniques to develop new teaching styles in students. While the personal module aims to facilitate students’ personal growth such as basic counseling skills and techniques, effective communication and promote effective teaching and positive interactions with their learners.

Elective modules pertain to their subject specialization that will allow students to major in the area that they intend to teach at the secondary level schools. The semester-wise progressive arrangement of programme modules is indicated in Table 1.

Table 1. Programme structure for the Post Graduate Diploma in Education