PGCE Secondary - History

University of Leicester

Student teachers within the Geography, RE and History subject specialisms are taught as a Humanities PGCE group. You will have specialist inputs on your chosen subject and also gain experience of issues in planning and teaching cross-curricular work within the Humanities. Your two school placements are in your specialist subject. History is one of the oldest subjects in the school curriculum and has undergone something of a transformation in recent decades. We are committed to History being taught as a lively, thought-provoking subject. Throughout the course you are expected to develop your subject knowledge. This is one of the joys of teaching your subject - you will develop more knowledge yourself. Enhancing your subject knowledge is a priority and you will need to take responsibility for your own learning and adapt to whatever is required in schools. You will be well-supported and encouraged in developing your knowledge and understanding of how History can be taught well. We will help by auditing your knowledge, organising peer teaching and sharing of expertise, and recommending reading when appropriate. The History PGCE course aims to: Model good practice for your work with pupils, with an emphasis on active, student-centred learning Help you develop varied, imaginative strategies for use in the classroom Demonstrate how artefacts, original documents and photographs, drama, role play and re-enactment, oral and local history and fieldwork can be used to enhance pupils' learning Develop your capacity to reflect on the nature of the key concepts of History in order to be able to teach them well Provide you with opportunities to develop collaboratively with other History specialist trainees by sharing expertise from your prior study of History and by working closely with your peers in developing and evaluating your teaching Develop your understanding of your professional role as one which contributes within a department and in relation to whole-school communities