Master of Teaching

This course prepares graduates for careers as educators in the early childhood sector, primary schools or secondary schools, or a combination of these. The course is designed for those with an undergraduate degree in any discipline who want to gain a teaching qualification.

You will build a high level of expertise in one of five specialisations:

• Early years education
• Early years and primary education
• Primary education
• Primary and secondary education
• Secondary education.

The course will prepare you for teaching in an increasingly diverse, complex and changing world. You will engage with contemporary ideas and practices and learn how to foster the learning of children and young people with varied needs. This will enable you to develop your students' creative, intellectual, physical, personal and social capabilities.

While learning to handle the complex nature of teaching, you will develop the specific professional knowledge and teaching skills needed to engage students of various ages and developmental stages with particular school subjects. As a result, you will become a thoughtful, effective and inclusive educator, able to design learning experiences that ensure your future students have the right balance of challenge and support to progress in areas such as the arts and music, English, mathematics, civics and citizenship, physical education, health and wellbeing, science and humanities.

You will build on your practical knowledge of teaching and learning through a minimum of 60 days of professional experience throughout the course in urban, rural, remote or international settings and schools. This includes opportunities to gain first-hand teaching experience in locations such as the China, Cook Islands, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Malaysia, South Africa and Unit Arab Emirates (UAE).

The Master of Teaching prepares professional educators for the global workforce. As a graduate of the course you will have a strong base for decision making about your practice and be in a position to establish yourself as a leader of the future.

These course outcomes are aligned with the Australian Qualifications Framework level 9, the Bologna Cycle 2 and Monash Graduate AttributesAustralian Qualifications Framework level 9, the Bologna Cycle 2 and Monash Graduate Attributes (http://monash.edu/pubs/handbooks/alignmentofoutcomes.html).

Upon successful completion of this course you will be able to:

1. demonstrate advanced skills, knowledge and capabilities relevant to your specialisation and disciplines
2. understand and engage with education policy, theories, legislation and research, and apply these to your pedagogical practice
3. understand, design and implement relevant curriculum and pedagogy that responds to learners in Australian and international contexts
4. understand the diversity of learners and demonstrate responsive relationships and pedagogical practices
5. develop teaching and learning strategies that widen participation and inclusion of learners to enhance their individual and social prospects
6. use and creatively integrate information and communication technologies to enhance learning
7. work independently and collaboratively within an educational workplace and participate in and lead complex problem-solving
8. demonstrate advanced capacity as knowledgeable, articulate and reflective practitioners who can be future leaders in education
9. engage with local and professional communities to inform responses to education priorities
10. demonstrate scholarly practice to extend professional understanding through inquiry and research
11. design and implement effective assessment and apply data-based and research-led decision making to report on and improve student learning outcomes
12. demonstrate commitment to lifelong learning and leadership as core aspects of collaborative professional practice
13. articulate professional values and commitment to education to secure socially just and sustainable futures for learners.

Students who have previously completed postgraduate study may be eligible for credit for prior studiescredit for prior studies (http://monash.edu/education/future-students/apply/credit/).

Mandatory checks and security clearances

Before participating in a professional experience placement in any educational setting, students must meet specific security clearancessecurity clearances (http://www.monash.edu/education/current-students/professional-experience/teacher-placements/clearances) that apply to the state or territory where the placement is being undertaken.

Students must satisfactorily complete supervised professional experienceprofessional experience (http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/2016handbooks/postgrad/edu-04.html) as required for their specialisation. For advice on professional experience intervention, support and unsatisfactory progress refer to the Professional experience intervention and support policyProfessional experience intervention and support policy (http://monash.edu/education/current-students/policies-and-procedures/professional-experience-intervention-and-support-policy/).

The specialisations in this course are accredited by professional bodies. Refer to the faculty's Professional recognition page in this Handbook for information.

The course is structured in three parts. All students complete Part A. Orientation studies, while Part B. Specialist education studies and Part C. Applied professional practice are differentiated by specialisation.

Part A: Orientation studies

These studies provide an orientation to the field of education. You will consider the nature of learning and the influences upon it, and the nature of teaching and teachers' work within the broader family and community context within which children's and young people's learning takes place. You will also develop your understanding of literacy as the basis of how we learn, both formally and informally, across the age span.

Part B: Specialist education studies

These studies will provide you with advanced knowledge and skills relevant to thoughtful, innovative and evidence-based practice within your chosen specialisation. You will acquire both the broad principles of curriculum, pedagogy and assessment that underpin the teaching and learning of children and young people in varied education settings, and the specific knowledge required to apply these principles in particular school learning areas.

Part C: Applied professional practice

Professional experience placements in educational settings relevant to your teaching specialisation will enable you to connect the theoretical components of your course with practical aspects of teaching and learning under the valuable guidance of practitioners. You will also study the complex and powerful role that teachers have as leaders in classroom, school and community settings, with the power to change, and develop strategies to enable you to take your place as an active contributor to shaping education locally and globally. If you are in a single sector specialisation, you will also have the opportunity to undertake an extended professional project.

Requirements

The course requires the completion of 96 points including Part A. Orientation studies, Part B. Specialist education studies and Part C. Applied professional practice.

All students complete Part A. but Parts B. and C. are differentiated by specialisation. The units required for Part A are detailed below. For the units required for Parts B. and C. in each specialisation, refer to the links under 'Specialisations' below.

The course progression mapcourse progression map (http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/2016handbooks/maps/map-d6001.pdf) will assist you to plan to meet the course requirements, and guidance on unit enrolment for each semester of study.

You must be available to undertake professional experience on a full-time basis and attend your placement at times determined by the faculty, typically 15 days per semester for the two-year course. The dual specialisation in early years and primary education requires an additional 10 days in one semester.

You must satisfactorily complete the supervised professional experience as indicated for your specialisation in order to graduate with the Master of Teaching. For advice on professional experience intervention, support and unsatisfactory progress refer to the Professional experience intervention and support policyProfessional experience intervention and support policy (http://www.monash.edu/education/current-students/policies-and-procedures/professional-experience-intervention-and-support-policy).

Permission to complete a placement in your place of employment will only be given in exceptional circumstances and if the required level of supervision is available. Where permission is granted, you will not be permitted to undertake more than 50 per cent of the placements in your place of employment.

Units are 6 credit points unless otherwise stated.

Part A. Orientation studies (24 points)

Students complete:

• EDF4120 Learning at the heart of teaching
• EDF4121 Teaching: The power to change
• EDF4122 Teaching partnerships: Working with families and communities
• EDF4123 Literacy across the years

Parts B./C. Specialist studies and professional studies (72 points)

Specialisations

Students complete specialist and professional studies in one of the following specialisations:

• Early years education
• Early years and primary education
• Primary education
• Primary and secondary education
• Secondary education

Master of Education

Students who have achieved a high credit average (65 per cent) in all units in the Master of Teaching and completed EDF5099 (Education research project) with a high credit (65 per cent) will be eligible to apply for admission to 0077 Master of Education, which is a research degree by thesis or 3204 Master of Education, a research degree by thesis and coursework. For the latter course, students may receive up to 24 points of credit towards the coursework requirement.

Doctor of Philosophy

Students who have achieved a distinction average (70 per cent) in all units in the Master of Teaching and completed EDF5099 (Education research project) with a distinction (70 per cent) will be eligible to apply for admission to the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). Students admitted to the PhD directly from the Master of Teaching who have not completed an honours thesis, will undertake within the first six months of candidature a mandatory 40 hours of research program design to support independent research development.

Students may exit this course early and apply to graduate with the following, provided they have satisfied the requirements for that award:

• Graduate Certificate of Education Studies after successful completion of 24 points of study
• Graduate Diploma of Education Studies after successful completion of 48 points of study
• Master of Education after successful completion of 96 points of study with a minimum of 48 credit points at level 5.

Note: These exit awards do not qualify graduates to be registered or employed as teachers.