Program Overview

Programme: BEdHons Teacher Education and Professional Development (Distance Education)

Programme Information

The BEdHons Teacher Education and Professional Development programme is offered by the Faculty of Education at the University of Pretoria. The programme is designed to be completed over a period of 2 years, with a total of 128 credits.

Admission Requirements

To be admitted to the programme, a candidate must hold one of the following qualifications:

• A Bachelor's degree and a teacher's diploma/Postgraduate Certificate in Education (e.g., BA + HED)
• A four-year composite degree in Education (e.g., BEd, BAEd)
• An M+4 appropriate teacher's diploma, subject to specific approval
• An appropriate Advanced Diploma in Education
• Another academic qualification and appropriate prior learning, considered equivalent by the Dean for admission to a specific package

Additional Requirements

Selection for the programme is based on:

• Meeting the minimum academic requirements required for admission
• Previous academic performance
• Applicable academic and/or teaching background
• Availability of supervision for the required research project
• Proven academic potential, which may include academic communication and computer application skills
• An interview may be requested
• The requirements of professional registration bodies
• The discretion of the head of department

Examinations and Pass Requirements

Subject to exceptions approved by the Dean, on the recommendation of the head of the department, a student may not sit for an examination for the honours degree more than twice in the same module. A final-year student who has failed a maximum of three semester modules or their equivalent, with a final mark of at least 40% in each, may be admitted by the Dean to a special examination/s in these modules during January of the following year, provided that this will enable the student to comply with all the requirements for the degree.

Research Information

A research project is compulsory and must be handed in for examination, as prescribed by the particular department.

Pass with Distinction

The degree is conferred with distinction on a student who has obtained an average of at least 75%, with a minimum of 70% in each module.

Core Modules

The following core modules are required:

• NMQ 734: Educational research methodology 734 (Credits: 16.00)
  • Module content: The nature of educational enquiry, research ethics, truth, rationality, subjectivity, and objectivity; quantitative and qualitative modes of enquiry, research designs, and data collection techniques.
• EDS 733: Philosophy and social imperatives of education 733 (Credits: 16.00)
  • Module content: Meta-theories in education, empiricism, rational empiricism, critical rationalism, critical theory, phenomenology, hermeneutics, system theory, philosophies in education, traditional philosophies, indigenous (African) philosophies.
• CDD 733: Curriculum development 733 (Credits: 16.00)
  • Module content: Principles and foundations of curriculum/programme design and development, international and national models and trends in curriculum/programme development.
• API 733: Assessment approaches and instruments 733 (Credits: 16.00)
  • Module content: Foundations, principles, and ethics of assessment practices, international trends, quantitative and qualitative modes of assessment, and appropriate instruments.
• CDV 781: Research report 781 (Credits: 16.00)
  • Module content: Write a short report, small-scale action research in the school or work place, research proposal development, use qualitative and/or quantitative methods.
• PFO 733: Professional development 733 (Credits: 16.00)
  • Module content: Professional development as educator to optimise independence, interdependence, and self-renewal, implementing principles of personal vision, personal leadership, personal management, interpersonal leadership, creative cooperation, and balanced self-renewal through action research.

Fundamental Modules

• NMQ 735: Research proposal 735 (Credits: 16.00)
  • Module content: Guided literature research, formulation of a conceptual framework, and development of a research proposal for a supervised research project of limited scope.

Elective Modules

• JGL 733: Multi-literacies 733 (Credits: 16.00)
  • Module content: Concepts of multi-literacies and multimodality, highlighting the importance of these when teaching learners from diverse linguistic and cultural communities, language and literacies, language acquisition theories, current language policies.