BEd (Hons) Science Education - CK413
Overview
NFQ Level 8, Major Award
Course Outline
This full-time degree programme is of four years duration and enables you to become a fully qualified science teacher of two specialist subjects within these four years. Training takes place in UCC's state-of-the-art Eureka Centre for Inquiry-Based Education in Science and Mathematics and also in the science laboratories of the College of Science, Engineering and Food Science.
The course is designed to ensure that it is compliant with all requirements of the Teaching Council as specified in the relevant Teaching Council documentation: https://www.teachingcouncil.ie/en/news-events/latest-news/curricular-subject-requirements.pdf
On completion of the programme you will be fully qualified to teach your two specialist subjects to Leaving Certificate standard. The total number of credits studied in each subject area over the four years of the programme is summarised in the following table:
| Science Subject 1 | Science Subject 2 | Education | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60 credits | 60 credits | 120 credits (inclusive of 60 credits of School Placement) | 240 credits |
On entering the programme, students choose one of the following five routes:
Route 1: Biology + Chemistry
Route 2: Physics + Mathematics
Route 3: Computer Science + Mathematics
Route 4: Chemistry + Mathematics
Route 5: Computer Science + Chemistry
In Year 1 all students study 10 credits of Education and a total of 50 credits of their two specialist subjects. In this year you will study the foundations of your two specialist science subjects and will receive an introduction to science teaching and science education.
In Year 2 all students study 20 credits of their first specialist science subject, 20 credits of their second specialist subject and 20 credits of Education. You will study your two specialist subjects in more details and will spend some time on School Placement (minimum of 3 hours per week over 10 weeks) in a local secondary school. Your School Placement will be fitted in around your UCC lectures and laboratory practical sessions.
In Year 3 all students study 30 credits of Education and a total of 30 credits of their specialist science subjects. You will continue studying your two specialist subjects in more details and will spend some time on School Placement (minimum of 3 hours per week over 10 weeks) in a local secondary school. Your School Placement will be fitted in around your UCC lectures and laboratory practical sessions.
In Year 4, all modules are education modules, with increased time spent on School Placement (minimum of 4 hours per week from August to May) and also time spent at lectures and laboratory practical sessions at UCC.
Course Practicalities
Year 1: A mixture of lectures, laboratory practical sessions, seminars and microteaching sessions.
Years 2, 3, & 4: A mixture of lectures, laboratory practical sessions, and School Placement in local secondary schools. Your workload will consist of studying lecture notes, writing up practical laboratory notes, and preparing lesson plans for the lessons that you teach in school. Your School Placement is fitted in around your normal lectures in UCC.
Assessment
Written exams take place before Christmas and in May. Not all modules will have formal examinations. Many modules use other types of assessment. In Year 1, the assessment methods consist mainly of written examinations and continuous assessment of laboratory practical work. In years 2 and 3, the assessment consists of written examinations, continuous assessment of laboratory practical work, and School Placement. Your School Placement will be supervised by a member of staff of UCC's School of Education. In year 4, the entire year is assessed mainly by means of continuous assessment involving project work, laboratory practical work, and supervision of School Placement.
Who teaches this course
Teaching is carried out by staff drawn from the following:
School of Education
Department of Physics
School of Biochemistry and Cell Biology
School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Science (BEES)
School of Chemistry
School of Computer Science and Information Technology
School of Mathematical Sciences
School of Microbiology
Programme Requirements
For information about modules, module choice, options and credit weightings, please go to Programme Requirements.