Master of Teaching (MTeach)


General information

Clayton, Gippsland and Peninsula campuses
Course code: 1582
Contact: Dr Ian Mitchell (Clayton - please telephone 9905 2819 or 9905 2784 for initial inquiries), Associate Professor Tony Taylor (Gippsland - please telephone (03) 51 22 6969 or (03) 9902 6969 for initial inquiries) or Ms Margrette Fairbanks (Peninsula - please telephone 9904 4291 for initial inquiries)

Introduction to course

The course extends the work undertaken during the (preservice) graduate diploma through to the stage where the teacher can realistically be expected to have established a degree of authority in her/his professional practice. In short, it traces the journey from competence to mastery.
The Master of Teaching also formalises the extensive professional development and research work that members of the faculty have been carrying out with practising teachers over many years. This work in developing teacher knowledge has received world-wide recognition but has not been acknowledged in any formal award recognition. This award will enhance this focus on teaching and learning within the faculty.

Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course students should have:

The course also aims to:

Admission requirements

The course will be available to four-year-trained teachers.
Students taking the course will normally be in full-time or substantial part-time employment in schools. Other situations will be approved if the student has access to sufficient teaching to provide the basis for the core subject, project and practicum. International students will be able to enrol in the course where the faculty is able to provide appropriate supervision. For admission to stage 2 of the course, students must have completed a minimum of one year's approved teaching.

Credit provision

Applicants contemplating admission to this course may seek formal credit or recognition of prior learning. Applicants should apply for credit prior to enrolment but currently enrolled students may also apply. The Faculty of Education considers each application on its merits within the context of the faculty guidelines on credit transfer which are contained in a booklet Learning from experience available from the Professional Development Institute, Faculty of Education, Monash University, Gippsland campus, Churchill 3842 ($7 postage and packing).

Course structure

The course is structured in two stages. At the end of the first stage, the student/teacher should have consolidated her/his understanding of the teaching/learning process. At this point students may either take out the Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching and Learning or continue in the program, in which case their academic record will reflect that they have satisfied the requirements for Master of Teaching, Preliminary.
The second stage requires the student/teacher to subject her/his practice to systematic analysis and reflection over an extended period. In the process, she/he will acquire techniques of action-research which can be utilised throughout her/his career.

Stage 1 (coursework)

As the course is specifically directed towards the developmental needs of qualified teachers with a significant amount of professional experience, the varied backgrounds and differing career aspirations of such teachers require a program which balances individual interests and initiatives with a common focus on continuing development in professional practice. The course therefore contains a core subject which maintains this focus, and a program of elective subjects which may be put together in many different ways.
All students will undertake the core subject EDN8038 (Improving professional practice) which is a twelve-point, year-long subject which helps students review and reflect on their teaching practice. This subject will also provide the framework and foundation for the second-year requirements carried out in the teaching context. Students will also take one of a list of approved teaching and learning subjects currently available in the faculty's masters program.
Students choose elective subjects equivalent to a further thirty-six to forty points, which must form a coherent program of study, to be approved by the course leader. Normally, at least twenty-four points must be taken from MEd subjects. The remaining twelve to sixteen points may be taken as one MEd subject or two BEdSt subjects or, with approval from the course leader, as appropriate third or fourth-year subjects.
Students should have access to subjects offered on any campus of the faculty, and in distance mode as well as face-to-face. The entire pool of fifth-year-level subjects available within the faculty gives students an unprecedented opportunity to build programs suited to their individual needs. The course leader may, however, identify a subset of subjects that are most appropriate for a particular student. An opportunity also exists for students to readjust their academic qualifications by taking up to twelve to sixteen points from another faculty to upgrade or readjust qualifications to meet employment needs. (See the examples of possible programs below.)
A number of EdD subjects will be available to approved masters level students. A list of these subjects can be obtained from the inquiry office, Clayton campus.

Example one

Total: 48 points

Example two

Total: 48 points

Stage 2

1 Students will be required to provide evidence and demonstrate mastery of teaching. The subject EDN8038 will have introduced ways of doing this, eg developing portfolio items of curriculum development items, students' work and other records of teaching. Students will also need to demonstrate mastery of the teacher competencies recently developed. These demands will be part of the advanced practicum which will be completed in association with a university and school supervisor over a minimum of two years. To this end they will complete a (twenty-four points) advanced practicum requiring a minimum of two years (or equivalent part-time) supervised teaching.
2 Teachers will be expected to reflect carefully and critically on their experience and develop ways of communicating their knowledge and understanding. To this end they will undertake the twenty-four points project currently offered to MEd and MEd(Pol&Mgt) students. The project undertaken will relate to their professional practice.
3 Graduates from the MTeach course will be expected to have accumulated a substantial body of experience. To this end they will also be required to have completed a minimum of three years equivalent full-time teaching consisting of one year's approved experience prior to undertaking stage two and the two years required for the advanced practicum.
Thus, the assessed component of the second stage would consist of:

Total: 48 points

Length of course/workload required

The course will involve two equivalent full-time years of study over a number of calendar years, depending on the balance of full-time and part-time study undertaken.
The course will be offered through a combination of on-campus and distance mode from each campus. Where practicable, students may select subjects from more than one campus. The expected number of hours per week for a full-time student is forty-eight.

Further information

Details of all subjects, including reading lists, follow the course information in this handbook. Not all subjects are offered each year and students should consult the timetable or the course adviser.
Further information regarding this course may be obtained from one of the faculty's campuses: the inquiry office, Clayton campus (telephone 9905 2819 or 9905 2784); the senior administrator, Gippsland campus (telephone (03) 51 22 6969 or (03) 9902 6969); the senior administrative officer, Peninsula campus (telephone 9904 4291) or visit our web site at http://www.education.monash.edu.au/