Faculty of Social Sciences

Postgraduate Diploma in Education (Two-year Part-time)

This Postgraduate Diploma in Education is a taught programme to be completed in two years by part-time study. The overall aim of the programme is to provide degree holders with professional education for teaching in local schools. The programme enables students to develop their personal qualities, knowledge skills, abilities and philosophies thus putting them in a fit position to assume their roles within the teaching profession. The programme focuses on four key roles of a teacher: social and autonomous individual, facilitator of learning, educational innovator, and professional educator. The aims of the programme are:

1.	To develop in students 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.	To develop in students 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.	To develop in students 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.	To develop in students 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.

The programme adopts a student-centred approach, building on the knowledge and experience that the students bring with them. Teaching is conducted through lectures, lecture-discussions, seminars, workshops, microteaching, peer observation and supervised teaching practice. Coursework emphasizes reflection, creativity and continuous development.

Students are required to attend class on weekday evenings and/or Saturday. Normally, no more than three and no less than two courses may be taken by any student in a semester. Students are advised, on entry, on the combination and sequence of courses to be taken in order to complete the programme in two consecutive years.

Along with the taught education courses, students are required to satisfactorily complete their supervised teaching practice assessment.

Double Registration

Unless otherwise approved by the University, students admitted are normally not permitted to register part-time or full-time for any other qualification either at the University itself or at any other local institutions of higher learning. Students breaching this regulation are subject to discontinuation of their studies at the University.

The structure of the curriculum is as follows:

I)	Core Courses	20 units
II)	Elective Courses	2 units
III)	Supervised Teaching Practice Course	4 units
		───────
		26 units

Requirements

For graduation, students must (1) complete a total of 26 units, (2) obtain grade C- or above in all courses, (3) obtain a pass in Supervised Teaching Practice Assessment, and (4) achieve a cumulative GPA of 2.50 or higher. 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.

Normally students should complete the programme in two calendar years. With special permission a student may extend the programme of study for a period of not more than 12 months.

Traditional Stream

I.	Core Courses			20 units
	EDUC	7260	Professional Teacher Development I	3 units
	EDUC	7270	Professional Teacher Development II	4 units
	EDUC	7280	Education Foundations	4 units
	EDUC	7360	Curriculum & Assessment	3 units
	EDUC	7391-2	Subject Teaching I & II	6 units

II.	Elective Courses*			2 units
	Each student must select one course from the elective courses listed below. Students will be advised to base their decisions on their interest or the relevance of the aims 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	7200	Information Technology in 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.	Supervised Teaching Practice Course			4 units
	EDUC	7930	Supervised Teaching Practice Assessment	4 units
				──────
				26 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.

English Subject Teaching and Subject Knowledge Stream

	Part A: Subject Teaching and Field Practice			10 units
	EDUC	7391-2	Subject Teaching I & II	6 units
	EDUC	7930	Supervised Teaching Practice Assessment	4 units

	Part B: Subject Knowledge			18 units
	EDUC	7660	Phonetics & Phonology	3 units
	EDUC	7670	Lexis, Morphology & Semantics	3 units
	EDUC	7680	Grammar for Teaching	3 units
	EDUC	7690	Written & Spoken Discourse	3 units
	EDUC	7700	Psycholinguistics & Sociolinguistics in English Language Teaching	3 units
	EDUC	7710	Literature & Language Arts	3 units
				──────
				28 units

*Liberal Studies Subject Teaching and Subject Knowledge Stream*

	Part A: Subject Teaching and Field Practice			10 units
	EDUC	7391-2	Subject Teaching I & II	6 units
	EDUC	7930	Supervised Teaching Practice Assessment	4 units

	Part B: Subject Knowledge			18 units
	EDUC	7870	Self & Personal Development	3 units
	EDUC	7880	Globalization Studies	3 units
	EDUC	7920	Issues in Hong Kong Society & Culture	3 units
	EDUC	7940	China & Chinese Culture in Global Society	3 units
	EDUC	7950	Public Health	3 units
	EDUC	7980	Energy Technology & the Environment	3 units
				──────
				28 units

*Mathematics (Junior) Subject Teaching and Subject Knowledge Stream*

	Part A: Subject Teaching and Field Practice			10 units
	EDUC	7391-2	Subject Teaching I & II	6 units
	EDUC	7930	Supervised Teaching Practice Assessment	4 units

	Part B: Subject Knowledge			18 units
	EDUC	7420	Foundational Mathematics	3 units
	EDUC	7430	Development in Mathematical Thinking	3 units
	EDUC	7440	Understanding Number Theory	3 units
	EDUC	7460	Geometries in Perspective	3 units
	EDUC	7470	Statistics and Society	3 units
	EDUC	7990	Mathematics in Action-Applications of Contemporary Mathematics	3 units
				──────
				28 units

*Physical Education Subject Teaching and Subject Knowledge Stream*

	Part A: Subject Teaching and Field Practice			10 units
	EDUC	7391-2	Subject Teaching I & II	6 units
	EDUC	7930	Supervised Teaching Practice Assessment	4 units

	Part B: Subject Knowledge			18 units
	At least two of the following courses:
	EDUC	7770	Scientific Foundation of Physical Education in Schools	3 units
	EDUC	7780	Humanities & Social Sciences Foundations of Physical Education in Schools	3 units
	EDUC	7790	Independent Inquiry Study in Physical Education	3 units
	At least three of the following courses:
	EDUC	7800	Athletics & Swimming in Schools	3 units
	EDUC	7810	Dances & Gymnastics in Schools	3 units
	EDUC	7820	Ball Games in Schools	3 units
	EDUC	7830	Racket Games in Schools	3 units
	EDUC	7840	Outdoor Pursuit & Tai Chi in Schools	3 units
	EDUC	7850	Fundamental Movement & Fitness Training in Schools	3 units
				──────
				28 units