Design & Technology
- What will I study?
- Who will support me?
- Who comes on the course?
- How does this fit in with the MEd?
- Do you have any advice for my application?
A Video of recent trainees talking about the Design and Technology PGCE is available here.
Introduction
The Design and Technology PGCE at the University of Cambridge was established in 2000 and has adopted a philosophy that is both progressive and focused on the development of young people's thinking, learning and development. The provision of Initial Teacher Education and Training (ITE/ITT) via the Design and Technology PGCE combined with recent empirical research reflects a PGCE course that is a leading provider of Teacher Training both locally and nationally. The course has consistently been awarded top grades (1) following inspections by OFSTED from 2000 to 2008 with many aspects regarded as 'very good with many outstanding features'. Furthermore, the course has been given a 'Category A' award for the Teacher Training Agency (TTA) to reflect the quality of the University of Cambridge PGCE as a course provider.
In design and technology pupils combine practical and technological skills with creative thinking to design and make products and systems that meet human needs. They learn to use current technologies and consider the impact of future technological developments. They learn to think creatively and intervene to improve the quality of life, solving problems as individuals and members of a team. (Qualifications and Curriculum Agency, QCA).
Design and Technology as a subject provides young people with an ideal opportunity to develop their learning and understanding of the world around them through problem identification; problem solving; abstract thinking; and the application of diverse knowledge domains and intellectual abilities. Cambridge offers trainee teachers an excellent opportunity to explore the creative abilities of young people and challenge established practices in Design & Technology education. You will be given opportunities to develop innovative and progressive teaching and learning strategies, which will contribute to making Design and Technology both an enjoyable and modern subject for young people in secondary schools. All trainees will be trained in two of the following fields of knowledge to Key Stage 3 (11-14 years) and will specialise in one of these up to Key Stage 4 and beyond (14 – 19 years);
- Resistant Materials
- Systems and Control (inc. Electronics and Communications Technology, ECT)
- Textiles
[Note: All trainees will experience teaching post–16. Teacher Trainees will gain an awareness of food technology although we do not train teachers in this field of knowledge].
What will I study?
The Design & Technology PGCE course promotes teaching as a profession in which critical understanding is an integral part of practical competence. Much of the Design & Technology course consists of sessions organised in a practical, workshop atmosphere that gives trainees an opportunity to reflect on their understanding of the teaching and learning of young people and its application in the classroom. The training will provide practical experience in core activities such as:
- Subject specific Pedagogy (to develop teaching and learning strategies)
- Subject Specific Knowledge
- Designing that includes Making (e.g. casting; laser cutting; electronics; plastics manipulation)
- Communication Skills
- Investigating New Products and Applications
- An Understanding of Technological Concepts
- Information Technology Related Skills
- Design & Technology Health and Safety Certification for using Workshop Equipment
The practical sessions complement the latest thinking in education. The Faculty is currently investigating aspects of creativity in Design & Technology education (an on-going 4 year research project). Teacher Trainees will develop the skills, knowledge and understanding to become reflective practitioners and critical thinkers in the area of Design and Technology education.
The course programme has been developed to combine Subject Studies sessions at the Faculty of Education with practical experience in schools. The first term's work concentrates primarily on preparation for the basic elements of classroom teaching, and introduces students to the wide range of resources and teaching strategies available to Design & Technology teachers. It also considers the nature of the subject itself, its representation in the National Curriculum and its desirable form in schools.
Later in the course, there is a focus on new technologies, fieldwork and wider curriculum issues, such as the role of Design & Technology in the changing landscape of educational provision. For example, we look at how an evolving rationale for the subject addresses the issues of creativity in schools and how developing the thinking processes of young people can reflect real-world designers, which are fundamental to both the careers and human well-being of young people after leaving school.
Towards the end of the course, trainees have the opportunity to undertake a wide range of activities focused on their individual interests and broader professional development needs. For example, in previous years school visits to a multi-cultural school have been undertaken and a 'Creativity in Design' day organised whereby school children visit the Faculty of Education and experience innovative teaching and learning strategies developed by trainees.
Who will support me?
The PGCE course is designed so that teacher trainees are able to obtain support from a number of areas during their training year. For example, the individual training needs for teacher trainees are identified and reviewed at an early stage so that they can be incorporated within the subject studies lectures and professional placements in schools. Furthermore, support in the form of feedback and guidance are given to trainees following the submission of written assignments and during their teaching practice in schools.
Support on the Design and Technology PGCE is provided by the:
- Subject Studies Lecturer (Faculty-based)
- Regional Link Lecturer (Regionally-based)
- Professional Tutor (School-based)
- Subject Mentor in (School-based)
- Faculty Lecturers (providing feedback to Improve Teaching Practice and Assignments)
- Faculty Library Staff and On-Line Library Access
Who comes on the course?
The diverse nature of Design and Technology as a subject has inevitably led to trainee teachers at Cambridge having a wide variety of backgrounds in terms of their disciplines and life experiences. Applicants for the Design & Technology PGCE could hold a degree (or equivalent) in the following disciplines (or design related disciplines):
- Product Design
- Industrial Design
- Fashion Design
- Textiles Design
- Mechanical Engineering
- Electrical or Electronic Engineering
- Manufacturing Engineering
- Process Engineering
- 3D Design
- Materials Technology
- Furniture Design
- Or Similar Creative or Technical Fields
Here are a few trainees' comments and profiles from previous cohorts:
"Becoming a teacher was a natural transition. I decided working in a design studio, sat in front of a computer monitor all day was just not for me. Teaching has allowed me to develop my knowledge and understanding of design and technology and then share this with the students. I selected Cambridge as my first choice because of its reputation within teaching and its excellent facilities." Andy
"The wide range of backgrounds that fellow students bring to the course has made the course fun, thought provoking and extremely enjoyable." Tom
"During my own education I have been fortunate enough to have enthusiastic and dedicated teachers of Design Technology. Their passion for the subject enthused me to do a Product Design degree, but I discovered that what I really enjoyed was teaching others skills and techniques. I chose a course at Cambridge because it offered the best facilities and teaching for me to improve my subject knowledge and teaching skills." Sophie
"I had thought about a career in teaching for a while and have been greatly inspired by teachers I had when I was as school. I also wanted to get more from my profession in terms of job satisfaction, so far teaching has definitely been the most rewarding job I have done." (Rebecca)
"I think that the course is well run, by people who make sure that we are getting on well with every aspect of the course. They understand that with a subject such as D&T we are not used to writing pages and pages of essay work, so they support us well and give guidance when it is needed.I feel that the school placements give us an excellent amount of teaching practice that is closely monitored by a mentor." Richard
A video of recent trainees talking about the Design and Technology PGCE is available here.
How does this fit in with the MEd?
Students who successfully complete all examined elements of the PGCE course (without failing any element at the point of examination) are able to register for the second year of the Faculty's MEd course. For such students, the Cambridge PGCE year is equivalent to 50% of the Cambridge Masters course and trainees will have the option of completing the second year of the Masters (on a part-time basis) within two years of qualifying.
Most students will follow modules on the Researching Practice MEd course, designed especially for early career teachers. For further information, take the following link:
http://www.educ.cam.ac.uk/pgce/linkmed/
Do you have any advice for my application?
Although entry onto the Design & Technology PGCE course can be competitive and early applications encouraged, applicants' qualifications are considered together with their experiences and rationale for becoming a teacher. The following advice should help to ensure that your application is considered as quickly as possible:
- Please make sure that the first reference on your GTTR form is an academic reference (unless your last academic course was more than 5 years ago).
- Ensure that you have undertaken some observation in a state secondary school before your interview – this will form the basis of some of the discussion we have at interview.
- If you are invited to interview, please remember to bring originals and copies of your examination and birth certificates.
For full application details visit our PGCE admissions page.