Pgce-I

[BOOKEMDANO]

Hi,

Could someone please advise me on the PGCE-I course that Nottingham and Sunderland Universities run?

Is it worth the £3k and do you 'learn' much from it?

Any teachers out there with this, or heard of any, who have gained this post-grad qualification?

Would you say that this would be well suited to those who plan on staying in Asia and help them advance in their chosen TEFL careers?

Or is this course a complete waste of time?

[Ijustwannateach]

I don't know about the particular universities you mention, but I have acquired a PGCE through a different university.

To answer your questions as well as I can:

1. Is it 'worth' it? Depends on whether or not you use it, I suppose. It does (usually, anyway, the TCT is not always consistent) qualify for the 'one-year post graduate educational study' requirement for Thai teachers' licenses for foreigners.

2. Do you 'learn' anything? I did, quite a lot. It involved a great deal of reflection about study, learning, and thinking itself. I believe my students have benefited from the changes the study prompted me to make in practice.

3. Yes, me, even though I'm a North American, and probably nearly all the teachers posting here who came from the UK who recently taught in that country.

4. As per #1, earning that qualification *should* in theory, in a perfect world, qualify you for the Thai teacher's license, depending on the whims of the TCT. I would imagine other Asian countries you would want to teach in would also be looking for some kind of educational credential and this one is a good place to start.

It is doubtful how much the qualification would be worth it for the kind of jobs in Thailand that are ONLY TEFL. However, do you really want to have just a TEFL 'career'? 10 years or 20 years of TEFLing down the line, or maybe sooner, wouldn't it be nice to have more strings to your teaching bow? If you're ONLY planning to do a few years of TEFL, then maybe it's not worth it; but if you're going to be a career teacher, you need professional development like everyone else.

5. I wouldn't have regretted earning the PGCE even if I were not going to teach for very long after this.

[BOOKEMDANO]

I don't know about the particular universities you mention, but I have acquired a PGCE through a different university.

To answer your questions as well as I can:

1. Is it 'worth' it? Depends on whether or not you use it, I suppose. It does (usually, anyway, the TCT is not always consistent) qualify for the 'one-year post graduate educational study' requirement for Thai teachers' licenses for foreigners.

2. Do you 'learn' anything? I did, quite a lot. It involved a great deal of reflection about study, learning, and thinking itself. I believe my students have benefited from the changes the study prompted me to make in practice.

3. Yes, me, even though I'm a North American, and probably nearly all the teachers posting here who came from the UK who recently taught in that country.

4. As per #1, earning that qualification *should* in theory, in a perfect world, qualify you for the Thai teacher's license, depending on the whims of the TCT. I would imagine other Asian countries you would want to teach in would also be looking for some kind of educational credential and this one is a good place to start.

It is doubtful how much the qualification would be worth it for the kind of jobs in Thailand that are ONLY TEFL. However, do you really want to have just a TEFL 'career'? 10 years or 20 years of TEFLing down the line, or maybe sooner, wouldn't it be nice to have more strings to your teaching bow? If you're ONLY planning to do a few years of TEFL, then maybe it's not worth it; but if you're going to be a career teacher, you need professional development like everyone else.

5. I wouldn't have regretted earning the PGCE even if I were not going to teach for very long after this.

I found this from the University of Nottingham:

http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/education/prospective/offsite/pgce-international.aspx

You make some very valid points. " It is doubtful how much the qualification would be worth it for the kind of jobs in Thailand that are ONLY TEFL. However, do you really want to have just a TEFL 'career'?" being the most salient.

Having said that, this course seems designed for only those who are willing to work 'abroad'. No good on its own right in the UK, it does however, qualify for 60 points towards an MA later on; so not a complete waste of time and money.

[Kilgore Trout]

I don't know about the particular universities you mention, but I have acquired a PGCE through a different university.

To answer your questions as well as I can:

1. Is it 'worth' it? Depends on whether or not you use it, I suppose. It does (usually, anyway, the TCT is not always consistent) qualify for the 'one-year post graduate educational study' requirement for Thai teachers' licenses for foreigners.

2. Do you 'learn' anything? I did, quite a lot. It involved a great deal of reflection about study, learning, and thinking itself. I believe my students have benefited from the changes the study prompted me to make in practice.

3. Yes, me, even though I'm a North American, and probably nearly all the teachers posting here who came from the UK who recently taught in that country.

4. As per #1, earning that qualification *should* in theory, in a perfect world, qualify you for the Thai teacher's license, depending on the whims of the TCT. I would imagine other Asian countries you would want to teach in would also be looking for some kind of educational credential and this one is a good place to start.

It is doubtful how much the qualification would be worth it for the kind of jobs in Thailand that are ONLY TEFL. However, do you really want to have just a TEFL 'career'? 10 years or 20 years of TEFLing down the line, or maybe sooner, wouldn't it be nice to have more strings to your teaching bow? If you're ONLY planning to do a few years of TEFL, then maybe it's not worth it; but if you're going to be a career teacher, you need professional development like everyone else.

5. I wouldn't have regretted earning the PGCE even if I were not going to teach for very long after this.

I found this from the University of Nottingham:

http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/education/prospective/offsite/pgce-international.aspx

You make some very valid points. " It is doubtful how much the qualification would be worth it for the kind of jobs in Thailand that are ONLY TEFL. However, do you really want to have just a TEFL 'career'?" being the most salient.

Having said that, this course seems designed for only those who are willing to work 'abroad'. No good on its own right in the UK, it does however, qualify for 60 points towards an MA later on; so not a complete waste of time and money.

If it doesn't qualify you to teach in the UK then it doesn't appear to be a real PGCE (I guess that is why the "i" is inserted).

I think if you are really serious about teaching abroad you should get a qualification in your home country; I think for that amount of money you could take most of the courses from distance; in either respect you will probably have to return home for awhile.

Worth it in the long run though....IMHO....

[BOOKEMDANO]

Your both right, of course. Ideally gaining the PGCE from the UK would be the ideal choice; however, have you seen the cost of the PGCE now?

Besides, from what I have read of NQTs' fresh out of Uni and looking for their first year job placement, it is a tough market for them to crack. You need a speciality in biology or mathematics, where subjects are in demand, to be confident of landing a job successfully in the UK now.

[janetdoe]

It doesn't 'qualify' you to teach in the UK because it's a only the PGCE element, it's not the working/training in schools and standards etc. that leads to QTS.

I have completed the Nottingham course, a good friend the Sunderland. His course was tougher, more expensive (£5K) and included classroom observation.

My course was very useful, I learnt a lot.

It's worth the money if you don't want to return to the UK and study and want a chance to apply for international schools worldwide as most state basic requirements as 'B.Ed or PGCE'.

I found employment with an international IB school with my PGCEi.

Good luck whatever path you choose...

[Kilgore Trout]

It doesn't 'qualify' you to teach in the UK because it's a only the PGCE element, it's not the working/training in schools and standards etc. that leads to QTS.

I have completed the Nottingham course, a good friend the Sunderland. His course was tougher, more expensive (£5K) and included classroom observation.

My course was very useful, I learnt a lot.

It's worth the money if you don't want to return to the UK and study and want a chance to apply for international schools worldwide as most state basic requirements as 'B.Ed or PGCE'.

I found employment with an international IB school with my PGCEi.

Good luck whatever path you choose...

From my experience, most of the better int. schools require you to be qualified for what you are hired to teach in your home country.

I have heard of exceptions being made such as people who are qualified to teach in another western country than their own, and as it seems in your case Janet, with the pgce-i, which appears to be the classroom part of becoming a teacher minus the practicum and state/national testing.

However, not all IB schools are ISB or NIST etc. and I am under the impression that search associates won't solicit your resume unless you are not only qualified in your home country, but experienced as well.

I think for those reasons, in the long run, a serious int. school teacher should get the proper credentials in their respective country of origin.

[sushi5734]

Does having the PGCEi mean that you were able to obtain a full teachers licence without taking the MOE exams?

If that is the case I think I would learn more and gain a more useful qualification, by taking an online course of study from a highly reputable institution like the university of Nottingham, rather than any course organised by the MOE or TCT, that is a money grabbing exercise and of no use anywhere except Thailand and liable to them changing their minds on a whim.

[aidenai]

Does having the PGCEi mean that you were able to obtain a full teachers licence without taking the MOE exams?

That has to be seen. There are some discussions about the PGCEi on other teacher forums but I haven't read a report that somebody actually was granted a TCT teacher license because of having a PGCEi.

The question is whether the PGCEi will be accredited by the TCT as a Graduate Diploma in Education as described in the document below.

http://www.ksp.or.th...ownload/011.pdf

[paully]

Does having the PGCEi mean that you were able to obtain a full teachers licence without taking the MOE exams?

I would think so, if there is a genuine certificate awarded for it by a university. I don't think the word 'international' appearing after Post-Graduate Certificate (or Diploma) in Education would put the MOE off.

Edited March 5, 2012 by paully