Faculty of Social Sciences

Diploma in Education (2+3)

The full-time “2+3” programme leads to a first degree qualification in an academic major discipline plus a Diploma in Education qualification for teaching in local schools. This is for undergraduates aspiring to a teaching career. The students will receive teacher training together with their major degree programme in the final three years of their studies. The advantage of this programme is that it provides professional teacher training alongside academic study of a major discipline, thus better integrating the two domains of knowledge. Students taking the 4-year curriculum will primarily be admitted to the Diploma in Education programme at their third year of study. With an additional year of study, they are required to complete the teacher education curriculum cum their remaining major studies in a period of 3 years. Students may also be admitted to the programme at their fourth year of study on a discretionary basis.

The “2+3” programme based on the same philosophy as the PGDE programmes, has a special focus on pre-service learning needs. The programme provides undergraduate majors with professional preparation for teaching in local schools. As a teacher, one has to assume several roles, some more prominent than others at different stages of one’s career. The roles are social and autonomous individual, facilitator of learning, educational innovator, and professional educator. These four roles serve as the building blocks of the programme. The aims of the programme are to develop in students:

1.	Personal qualities which support their daily work and professional development. These personal qualities include interpersonal effectiveness, creativity, self-understanding, and the motivation and readiness for self-reflection and self-improvement;
2.	A functional knowledge of disciplines which informs educational practice. A functional knowledge of disciplines means basic knowledge of psychology, sociology and philosophy essential for the understanding of the aims and processes of education;
3.	Expertise as subject specialist teachers in local schools. This expertise consists of effective strategies for the planning, conducting and evaluating of teaching of given school subjects; and
4.	Knowledge essential for effective functioning within the profession and the wider school context. This knowledge encompasses issues in the professionalization of teaching, educational management, organization and policy.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the programme, graduates are able to:

Knowledge﹣
1.	Develop functional knowledge of psychology, sociology and philosophy that are essential for the understanding of the aims and processes of education.
2.	Develop pedagogical content knowledge for effective teaching of given school subjects.
3.	Develop essential knowledge for effective functioning within the profession.
Skills﹣
4.	Acquire effective strategies for planning, conducting and evaluating of teaching of given school subjects.
5.	Enhance generic skills to support their daily works and professional development.
Attitudes﹣
6.	Demonstrate a reflective and sensitive mind in educational practices and social issues.
7.	Show commitments to uphold professional integrity and advancement of the profession.

Structure

This 32-unit programme is to be taken in tandem with the major degree programme during the period of full-time study. A total of 30 courses are offered; 7 are core courses, 3 are the integrated practicum and 20 are elective courses.

The programme adopts a student-centred approach, using a variety of teaching and learning strategies to support classroom learning and teaching practice. These strategies emphasize reflection, creativity and continuous development of the student. Teaching is conducted through lectures, lecture-discussions and seminars. Furthermore, real-life experience of life at school as a teacher is provided during the Field Practice periods and on-site supervision and peer observation are included in the different elements of the integrated practicum, i.e. subject instruction, microteaching, school experience and supervised teaching practice.

The structure of the curriculum is as follows:

I)	Core Courses	16 units
II)	Elective Courses	4 units
III)	Integrated Practicum	12 units
		───────
		32 units

Requirements

To be eligible for the award of the Diploma in Education, students must (1) complete a total of 32 units as required by the Department, (2) obtain grade C- or above in all education-related courses, (3) obtain a pass in EDUC 7341-2 Supervised Teaching Practice I & II, (4) achieve a cumulative GPA of 2.50 or higher, and (5) satisfy the graduation requirements of the undergraduate major degree. To be awarded distinction for the programme, students should attain a cumulative GPA of 3.67 or above, with no course grade below B- and no repeated courses. Students attaining a cumulative GPA between 3.40 and 3.66 will be awarded merit.

I.	Core Courses			16 units
	EDUC	7020	Psychological Foundations of Teaching & Learning	2 units
	EDUC	7030	Teacher Self Development	2 units
	EDUC	7040	Social Foundations of Education	2 units
	EDUC	7050	Philosophical Foundations of Education	2 units
	EDUC	7210	Foundations of Information Technology in Education	2 units
	EDUC	7360	Curriculum & Assessment	3 units
	EDUC	7370	Classroom Management & Communication	3 units

II.	Elective Courses*			4 units
	Each student must select two courses from the elective courses listed below. Students are advised to base their decisions on their interest or the relevance of the courses to their work.
	Area A: Social and Autonomous Individual
	EDUC	7070	Student Self Development	2 units
	EDUC	7110	Psychology of Adolescence	2 units
	EDUC	7150	Creative & Critical Thinking	2 units
	EDUC	7230	Advanced Communication Skills	2 units
	Area B: Facilitator of Learning
	EDUC	7170	School Guidance	2 units
	EDUC	7250	Inclusive Education	2 units
	EDUC	7901	Teaching of a Second Subject (Chinese)	2 units
	EDUC	7902	Teaching of a Second Subject (Information & Communication Technology)	2 units
	EDUC	7903	Teaching of a Second Subject (History)	2 units
	EDUC	7904	Teaching of a Second Subject (Mathematics)	2 units
	EDUC	7905	Teaching of a Second Subject (Economics)	2 units
	EDUC	7906	Teaching of a Second Subject (Putonghua)	2 units
	EDUC	7907	Teaching of a Second Subject (Science Education)	2 units
	EDUC	7908	Teaching of a Second Subject (Liberal Studies)	2 units
	EDUC	7909	Teaching of a Second Subject (Geography)	2 units
	Area C: Educational Innovator
	EDUC	7130	School Management & Decision Making	2 units
	EDUC	7180	Action Learning in the Classroom	2 units
	Area D: Professional Educator
	EDUC	7100	Education System & Policy in Hong Kong	2 units
	EDUC	7140	Teaching as a Profession	2 units
	EDUC	7290	Moral & Civic Education	2 units

III.	Integrated Practicum			12 units
	EDUC	7310	School Experience	0 unit
	EDUC	7341-2	Supervised Teaching Practice I & II	4 units
	EDUC	7381-2	Subject Instruction I & II	8 units
				──────
				32 units

*	The provision of electives, including options of EDUC 7901-9 Teaching of a Second Subject, will depend on students’ needs and resources of the Department.