ED3PSP3: "Professional Studies, Research Engagement and School Placement 3"

Module code: ED3PSP3

Module provider: Institute of Education

Credits: 40

Level: 6

When you’ll be taught: Semester 1 / 2

Module convenor: Mrs Laura Purser , email: l.purser@reading.ac.uk

Module co-convenor: Miss Cara Broadhurst, email: c.broadhurst@reading.ac.uk

Additional teaching staff 1: Mr Simon Floodgate, email: s.floodgate@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s): BEFORE TAKING THIS MODULE YOU MUST ( TAKE ED1PSP1 AND TAKE ED2PSP2 (Compulsory)

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: Micro placement

Academic year: 2025/6

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 3 April 2025

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module builds on ED1PSP1 and ED2PSP2 as the students who passed ED2PSP2 continue their journey towards QTS. (Students who did not pass ED2PSP2 are directed to take ED3PSPA in place of this module.)

The university-based content of this module again provides a basis for students to be successful on the school placement element of the module, where they will synthesise their learning to allow them to assume the full role of the teacher (under guidance). The module considers the widest aspects of a teacher’s obligations to meet the diversity of challenges encountered daily. At the same time the module is concerned with ensuring students become critical consumers of the research they are expected to engage with, and that their application of research to practice is well-considered, intentional and context-driven. As in ED1PSP1 and ED2PSP2, the role of the student as a reflective practitioner underpins the whole module as students are required to critically review their own and others’ practice. 

The aims are therefore to: 

• Develop students’ ability to plan for enriching and successful learning challenges across the breadth of the curriculum and the diversity of pupil need. 
• Promote ways of engaging with parents that show understanding of background and barriers. 
• Ensure students are equipped to tackle potentially challenging conversations with parents in a structured and calm way. 
• Develop understanding of effective TA deployment and allow experimentation with that. 
• Develop research engagement and criticality to a point that informs their next steps as teachers. 
• Ensure reflective practice is fully embedded in their identity as an autonomous, curious and intentional teacher. 
• Ensure students are able to self-organise and manage workload relating to the classroom practice of a trainee teacher. 

Create teachers who feel confident about their forthcoming Early Career Teacher induction period knowing what the transition period and profession expects from them

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to: 

1. Meet the national Teachers’ Standards for Qualified Teacher Status (this outcome is necessary for the award of QTS at the end of the programme). 
2. Demonstrate ability to engage with research critically, expecting high quality research design and ethical conduct. 
3. Make links between research and classroom pedagogy in an analytical way that informs future practice. 
4. Produce detailed written reflection that appraises practice and suggests next steps. 

Module content

All five ITE strands are explored to a greater depth than they have been in previous years, with lesson pedagogy, behaviour management and assessment being looked at through the lenses of pupil diversity, parental perspectives and colleagues’ needs. There is a specific focus on how to develop greater depth learning with pupils. Students consider the role of external partners and agencies in supporting pupil wellbeing and learning. Students probe what it means to be an anti-racist and LGBTQ+ aware teacher. Research criticality is explicitly taught, and students are expected to select an aspect of education that they can investigate through engagement with the research before exploring it on their placement at an assigned primary school. After the placement, students are supported to write up their - reflections, as well as engaging with forward planning for the transition to their ECT induction, although support is also given for those who would prefer to try other career paths. 

The module makes reference to relevant and key aspects of the Primary Phase National Curriculum and the Initial Teacher Training Early Career Framework (ITTECF) to inform design. 

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

This module is predominantly taught through face-to-face large group sessions which include some lecture style presentation and also small group tasks and discussion. There is an expectation that some small preparatory or background reading tasks will be completed outside of sessions. Some content is reserved for students to work through digitally at their own pace, e.g. screencasts or readings. An eight-week QTS block school placement (as well as two weeks of ‘Intensive Training and Practice’) halfway through the module is well placed for students to put theory into practice, before returning to complete final assessments and attend consolidation sessions.

Students are expected to pay £3.00per day towards travel costs to their placement school. The remainder of the costs (minus usual daily travel costs) can be reclaimed from the University but only based on economy mileage or if standard class transport has been used and the cheapest ticket obtained

Study hours

At least 30 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve all of the following to pass this module:

1. A mark of 40% in the research engagement project

Additionally, a pass in the placement means the student will become eligible to be recommended for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

Placement

Students only continue the placement after the submission date if required to do so by the module convenor, because an exceptional circumstance earlier in the placement caused them to be absent and affected their progression. Late finishers will therefore have programme approval and an approved ECF for any late submission.

Written assignment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: /cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

A range of activities are carried out in sessions for immediate feedback. A longer dialogue is about the development of each student’s individualised research project for which students will receive feedback for related short tasks that will help them prepare. 

Reassessment

Additional costs