Faculty of Education, The University of Hong Kong

Programmes

Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE)

ABOUTADMISSIONS

Enquiries
Tel
+852 2241 5413
Email
pgdeadm@hkucc.hku.hk
Address
Main Office:
 
G/F Hui Oi Chow Science Building
Programme Overview

The Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) programme is designed to prepare University graduates to teach within Hong Kong in areas ranging from kindergarten to tertiary institutions. The PGDE programme is also relevant to teachers teaching in training institutions, community colleges and international schools.

Discussion
Full-Time (one year)

The full-time programme is primarily intended for graduates without formal teaching experience.

The programme runs throughout the academic year from September to June. It emphasizes methods and practices of teaching and the theoretical aspects of education. Course participants will be given the opportunity to gain practical teaching experience in Hong Kong schools in the first semester and to undertake further teaching practice in the second semester under the guidance of a University teacher and school mentor.

Students may be required to join evening classes or Saturday classes for some courses.

Part-Time (two years)

The part-time programme is primarily designed for students who are serving teachers normally with at least one year of relevant teaching experience. It covers the methods and practices of teaching and the same theoretical aspects of study as the full-time programme.

The programme extends over two academic years of part-time study. Classes are held on two evenings per week in Year 1, and one evening per week in Year 2, from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. or from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. depending on different courses and run through each academic year from September to June. However, some Major Methods tutors may schedule classes on Saturdays.

Intending candidates should seek prior approval from their principals or employers to ensure that they are willing to release you to attend classes punctually.

Course Outline

The following are the major components of the Programme:
(In-service teachers will be observed in their normal course of teaching)

Major Methods Course

The Major Methods course helps students develop specialist subject teaching competence within a Key Learning Area (KLA) of the Hong Kong school curriculum. It is delivered in group seminars and workshops as well as in lectures. Students will work on the analysis and development of effective classroom practice. This involves, in part, the synthesis of the best of traditional and newer methods, developed with the support of relevant theory and empirical evidence. The practical focus of the course is supported by microteaching and information technology.

Major Methods courses are offered in a number of subjects/KLAs. These courses have some distinctive characteristics and ways of working. They may vary in emphasis, organisation, content and activities. However, all are concerned with teaching and learning in Hong Kong schools. They focus on issues such as the organisation and management of students in classrooms/laboratories; the place, value and particular difficulties of each subject/KLA in the school curriculum; the planning, design and evaluation of lessons, programmes and syllabuses and reflective practices. New developments in the teaching of subjects in Hong Kong and overseas, methods of assessment, the production of resources, and the evaluation of textbooks and other teaching materials such as those from the internet will also be considered. Certain groups will be involved in field work/laboratories, and groups may meet for discussions or activities of common interest at times not specified in the timetable.

Practical
Key Learning Areas / Major :
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English is used as the medium of instruction in all courses, except Chinese Methods courses which are taught in Chinese.
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Graduates of the PGDE (Major in Early Childhood Education) programme are eligible for registration as kindergarten (KG) teachers, and as child care workers and child care supervisors, with the Education Bureau (EDB) and the Social Welfare Department respectively. Moreover, the EDB considers that a Bachelor Degree plus a Certificate (ECE) or equivalent (including PGDE[ECE]) as having met the required B(ECE) for KG principals. Serving KG teachers and principals may apply for course fee reimbursement from the EDB .
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English as a Second Language
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Serving language teachers may apply for grants under the Professional Development Incentive Grant Scheme for Language Teachers. PGDE students majoring in relevant language subjects are recognized by the Standing Committee on Language Education and Research (SCOLAR) as having fulfilled the "Language Major Teacher Training".
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The emphasis given to primary / secondary education in the chosen stream should not confine you to teaching only within that context.
Educational Studies Course

The Educational Studies (ES) course consists of two Strands (Strand 1 and Strand 2). The course adopts an inter-disciplinary approach to the analysis of a range of fundamental issues encountered by educational practitioners in order to help you make informed decisions and judgements in different aspects of a teacher's life. Issues addressed include the nature of learning, classroom management, guidance and counselling, special educational needs, curriculum and assessment reform, the aims of education, values and ethics in education, educational stratification and the medium of instruction. ES Strand 1 is designed to focus more on learning from a psychological perspective while ES Strand 2 aims at facilitating your understanding of the processes and contexts of education from a more social perspective.

Due to the nature of educational issues, the sessions of both ES Strand 1 and Strand 2 are generally interactive in nature. You are often required to read book chapters and/or journal papers and to prepare responses to questions before the sessions. During the sessions, teachers will guide students in identifying relevant issues from the readings for collaborative analysis, critical discussion and more thorough understanding.

Elective Course

The electives are provided to help participants develop their capability to teach in an area other than their Major subject (such as Mathematics, Integrated Science, Language Arts, Liberal Studies and others) or to deepen their understanding of educational issues (such as global citizenship, classroom interaction, mistake management, school-based management, technology applications in education, ways to enhance students’ self-esteem). The list of electives to be offered varies slightly from year to year.

For electives offered in 2008-09, please visit:
http://web.edu.hku.hk/programme/elective/bed_pgde/index.htm

Practical Teaching Course

This course aims to equip students with the practical knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary for teaching mainly in a school setting. Full-time PGDE students will be placed, with experienced teachers (mentors) to help, in schools within Hong Kong, to observe, reflect upon school processes, and try out their developing teaching skills. The Partnership Office will arrange practicum placements for all full-time students.

Part-time PGDE students are normally expected to have a teaching responsibility in a school to allow the University tutors to assess their teaching.

Self-Directed Learning

An important element of the PGDE programme is the component known as Self-Directed Learning (SDL) sessions. These are timetabled sessions that aim to empower students to take responsibility for their own learning and professional development. During the SDL sessions, students are given the autonomy to decide on what to explore and how to conduct the lessons in a meaningful way.

External Experience

Full-time students majoring in Chinese and English Language Education are required to participate in a compulsory immersion programme of 6-8 weeks (in around October/November 2009) in Mainland China and Australia or another English speaking country respectively, for a mixture of school experience, language study and cultural activities. Subject to confirmation by the HKSAR Government, a large part of the total immersion cost will be subsidized by the Government. Students are required to contribute the remaining amount of the total immersion cost. Financial assistance may be available from the Tertiary Student Finance Scheme - Publicly-funded Programmes (TSFS) for eligible students.

External
Students' Perspectives

Hear what our PGDE graduates say:

“ The course was generally quite stimulating; the way it was structured is effective, neatly progressing from one part to the next; we have been given ample material for further studying and reference; I enjoyed learning from my teachers who are hard-working and motivational role-models, they have been supportive throughout. ”

“ Throughout the course, there are many sharing sessions which are very useful for me to learn from others and reflect on my teaching. Our tutor is very helpful and nice! The classroom atmosphere is excellent! It definitely improves my teaching skills. ”

“ I was definitely challenged to think more in-depth with regards to my teaching strategies and whether my lessons are meaningful and purposeful, whether students are generating meaningful conversations/discussions. I also learned to critic my own teaching, to point out my strengths and weaknesses and areas to improve on. ”

“ It has changed the way I look at teaching! I am now able to reflect on my teaching and am able to identify ‘Why’ something works. I feel confident of making my own resources. ”

Tuition and Fees

Fees for 2009/10 intake are as follows:

Local Students Non-local Students #
Application Fee ^ HK$300 (non-refundable)
Caution Money HK$350 *
Deposit ## HK$10,525 HK$25,000
Composition Fee
Full-time (2009-2010) HK$42,100 ** HK$100,000 (Payable in 2 instalments)
Part-time (2009-2011) HK$42,100 ** HK$100,000 (Payable in 4 instalments)

Candidates are required to pay a non-refundable deposit of HK$10,525 for local students and HK$25,000 for non-local students# on acceptance of offer of admission.

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Payment instructions:
Please refer to the “Instruction for Application Fee Payment for Taught Postgraduate Programmes” which is attached to the application form. If in a special case, you cannot use the mentioned payment methods, you may make payment through Bank of East Asia (BEA) counter to HKU bank account no. “015-514-40-59222-6” by cash or crossed cheque payable to “The University of Hong Kong”. After the completion of the payment transaction, please ensure that the 19-digit payment reference (i.e. 2099999983 00000 4001) printed on the bank pay-in slip is correctly input by the bank teller.
Enquiry: Please call Finance and Enterprises Office (FEO) at 2859 2322 or send email to student@fo.hku.hk if you have any question on the payment instruction.
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On leaving the University, a student’s caution money shall be used to offset the graduation fee or, if the student is not graduating, be returned to the student.
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Provisional
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For the purpose of admission of non-local students, “non-local students” are defined as persons entering Hong Kong for the purpose of education with a student visa/entry permit issued by the Director of Immigration.
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Due on acceptance of offer of admission and will be credited to the composition fee.
Admissions Requirements
The Full-time Programme

To be eligible for admission to the full-time programme, applicants should hold a Bachelor's degree of this University, or the equivalent. Applicants are normally expected to have completed a substantial portion of their undergraduate studies in the major subject for which they wish to apply. Intending applicants who have not completed such studies in their first degree will however be considered in special cases.

The Part-time Programme

To be eligible for admission to the part-time programme, students should hold a Bachelor's degree of this University, or its equivalent and normally be serving teachers in Hong Kong schools with a minimum of one year of relevant teaching experience.

Applicants are normally expected to have completed a substantial portion of their undergraduate studies in the major subject for which they wish to apply and be teaching that subject for a substantial part of their school timetable. Those who are unable to meet the first expectation, but who satisfy the second, will be considered sympathetically. Intending applicants who are unable to satisfy either criterion may be considered as special cases.

Decision
Subject Test / Interview
  • Shortlisted applicants may be invited to attend an interview.
  • Details of the interview and/or subject tests arrangements will be sent to applicants by EMAIL only (at least one day before the subject test/interview).

Applicants applying to do an English (full-time and part-time) major are required to take a subject test (written) and a speaking test. Applicants who submit applications by January 9, 2009 will be invited to attend the English subject test (lasts for 1.5 hours) which is tentatively scheduled on January 17, 2009 (Saturday) during 9am – 5pm. Email notifications will be sent to applicants by noon, January 15, 2009 (Thursday). Please arrange for leave of absence from work to attend the subject test as necessary.

Shortlisted candidates for Chinese (full-time and part-time) major will be required to attend an interview scheduled on January 17, 2009 (Saturday) during 9am – 5pm.

Initial round of interviews for most of the Majors may be conducted before the Chinese New Years on January 17, 2009 (Saturday) or during January 21-24, 2009 (Wednesday to Saturday). Please check EMAIL frequently for confirmed arrangements nearer the dates.

Please note that the above arrangements are tentative and subject to change as necessary. Applicants are advised to visit this website for the latest information, and to check EMAIL for confirmed arrangements.

Application
Application for 2009 intake has closed.
Admission Decisions
Ceremony Successful applicants will be informed of their PGDE admission results by EMAIL, and will receive an official Offer of Admission letter enclosing a Notice of Admission statement by post.

Applicants are required to complete and return the Notice of Admission statement and pay the deposit to secure their place on the PGDE programme. The offer will automatically be withdrawn if the Notice of Admission statement and the deposit are not received by the deadline as stipulated in the Offer of Admission letter.

The above information is accurate at the time of posting but may be subject to change at any time. The Faculty reserves the right at all times to suspend the offering of any Major Method Course if the number of applications makes it insufficient to form a class. In the event that a Major is suspended, applicants may have their deposit refunded or they may change to another Major.

© 2007 Faculty of Education
The University of Hong Kong. All rights reserved.