Course Catalogue

To develop informed, knowledgeable education practitioners, espousing creativity and research-informed teaching through deliberate practice;

To develop students' critical reflection and reflexivity within the field of physical education and schooling, through analysis, synthesis and evaluation of evidence, theory and practice;

To enable students to access, assess and effectively apply educational research, advanced scholarship and new insights from the discipline of education (and other related disciplines) in the classroom;

To develop an understanding of the factors that influence effective, inclusive curriculum design and pedagogy and impact on pupils/learners;

To provide opportunity for students to achieve their full academic potential, through study encouraging self-motivation, self-awareness and application of initiative

To encourage professional accountability informed by an understanding of evidence based practice.

The methods used to enable outcomes to be achieved and demonstrated are as follows:

The programme will be delivered with a mixture of formal contact time, directed study and private study. Students are encouraged to develop their learning skills and to become progressively more independent in their learning. Core knowledge and understanding is acquired through a wide range of teaching methods including lectures, seminars, tutorials, online tasks, group work, supervised placement activity and guided independent study.

Assessment methods and marking criteria and deadlines are specified in advance in each module guide. A range of assessment methods are adopted throughout the programme including individual and group coursework, portfolios, presentations, reflective assessments, vivas, dissertations, and teaching efficacy and skill evaluation(s).

Intellectual skills are promoted, practised, and developed through more active learning processes and a wide range of teaching methods including assignments of projects, group-learning activities such as lectures, seminars, tutorials, and guided independent study. Practical and project work is designed to permit students to demonstrate achievement of all the learning outcomes in this category.

Intellectual skills are assessed, via a range of assessment methods which are adopted throughout the programme including, individual and group coursework, oral and poster presentations, reflective assessments, lesson plans, podcast development, teaching portfolios practical skill evaluations and projects. Independent project work is also used to demonstrate student capability in a range of intellectual skills.

Practical skills are developed in a co-ordinated and progressive manner throughout  the programme. Consequently, students are encouraged to develop their practical skills progressively and are gradually given more practical and independent applied tasks. 

Subject practical skills are assessed through a range of assessment methods and are adopted throughout the programme including  professional reports, portfolios, presentations, and demonstrations of practical skills.

Transferable skills are generally developed throughout the activities undertaken in the curriculum and are related to relevant assessments as appropriate. Written communication skills are developed and assessed through, reports, dissertations; oral communication skills are developed and assessed through presentations; team-working skills are developed and assessed through collaborative work. Problem solving, reflection, time and learning management are implicit to varying degrees throughout all assessments.

Transferable skills are assessed using a range of assessment methods throughout the programme including, individual and group coursework, presentations, reflective assessments, reports, teaching practice evaluations,  skill evaluations and research project(s).

Placement is an integral part of the MSc Physical Education students learning experience. Students will complete placement hours during three of the MSc Physical Education modules (7503SPOPID; Physical Education as a learning process;(7504SPOPID;Physical Education, Teacher Education and Development;(7507SPOPID; Teaching Efficacy and Teacher Development). Students will need to complete placement activity supported by the collaborative partner to take place in an appropriate educational context. Students will need to be able to draw on current educational practice to inform their work for module assessments on this programme.

Placement modules aim to enable students to:

• Develop their critical reflection skills.
• Enhance and extend their understanding of effective practice.
• Evaluate their practice in relation to professional guidance, standards and regulation.
• Apply their knowledge about learning and development theories and approaches to working with children in a work-based context.
• Make critical connections between learning across modules, their work context and wider practice.
• Set professional goals and plan for personal growth and development.
• Observe and evaluate pedagogical approaches and work practices in different types of settings.
• Experience the socially constructed way of learning. Engage in peer observation, provide and learn from peer feedback.
• Build relationships and network with colleagues.
• Explore how theoretical perspectives and learning across all areas of professional knowledge underpin their personal and professional values, principles and behaviours.
• Understand the concept of mentorship in educational and care settings.
• Use the opportunities to draw on their knowledge, skills and competence in context of reflective thinking and practice in order to support their colleagues.
• Promote good practice and shared values.
• Evaluate their effectiveness by reflecting on feedback and making judgements about their choices and decisions.

A comprehensive placement support network is in place to support and monitor both the student and the placement provider. The Placement Coordinator at Portobello Institute will oversee the placement process throughout the programme, will allocate placement tutors and will ensure the contracts between placement providers, supervisors and tutors are in place. In addition they will ensure that placement supervisors is appointed to  help  skills and competencies development during placements. A Placement Tutor at Portobello Institute will provide both support and monitoring of placements via one to one pastoral and academic support and advice on the practical application of the programme content in the setting and facilitate documentation of the learning experiences for assessment purposes.  They  will conduct formal assessment of placement activity  based on students’ portfolio of work and monitor progress. Peer supervision to facilitate reflection on practice will be encouraged. To prepare students for the placement, large and small group briefings will facilitate sharing of information on establishing effective relationships with the supervisor and colleagues, reflective practice, and assessment requirements. Students undertaking placements in different types of settings will be grouped together, which will expose all students to a range of  scenarios that may arise in a workplace context within the Inclusive Education practice sector. Digital content provision on ePortobello  will support placement provision.