Secondary PGCE Interview Day Appendix: Geography specialism information

2013 entry

PLEASE READ THIS BOOKLET IN PREPARATION FOR THE INTERVIEW AND BRING IT WITH YOU ON THE DAY

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Part One The interview process will take the following form: A group discussion outlining the course led by the Secondary PGCE Geography Course Leader and a mentor from a partner school. A tour of the campus. A 30 minute written exercise on geographical issues related to your undergraduate studies. A comprehension exercise on a topic related to an aspect of Geography/the place of Geography in the curriculum. This activity will form the basis for a discussion within the formal interview. A formal interview of approximately 20 minutes with the course leader and a mentor from a partner school. The interview is designed to determine the motivation of candidates and to give evidence of their personal qualities appropriate to a career in teaching. Candidates will be asked questions on themes such as their specialist subject background, teaching and educational issues and school experience.

Part Two

Please read the following in preparation for the Secondary PGCE Geography interview Interview panel At each interview, candidates will be interviewed by course tutors currently teaching and supervising on the Geography PGCE programme and geography teachers who are part of the Edge Hill Partnership and who are currently mentoring Edge Hill Geography PGCE trainees. The interview process There are a number of stages to the selection process. They are designed to give you a number of opportunities to demonstrate that you have the potential to make a good geography teacher. Please read through these notes carefully before the interview

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1. Introduction A short outline of the course will be given by the Course Leader. This will describe the nature of the training process and the way the different parts of the college and school-based elements work. This session gives you an initial opportunity to ask any questions which you might have about partnership schools, mentoring, the location of placements and the assessment process. 2. The written test This aspect of the interview is designed to test your ability to communicate effectively and accurately in standard written English. The task requires you to reflect on the nature of your degree studies. The task provides tutors with a useful insight into your subject knowledge and your ability to write in an analytical manner. Details of the written task are included over the page. 3. The interview The interview will last approximately 20 minutes and will allow you to demonstrate your commitment to teaching and to discuss your awareness of contemporary developments in both general educational issues and issues specific to Geography. The written test As part of the interview process you are required to complete a short written test (30 minutes). This is a TDA requirement and is designed to enable you to demonstrate that you can communicate effectively in standard written English. We also use this element of the interview to gauge the extent to which you can reflect in a critical or analytical manner with the subject you are hoping to teach. This is the first element of the process of developing your subject knowledge by becoming more aware of your own geographical abilities. The following table lists features which the QAA believe are qualities which a Geography graduate should be able to demonstrate. The 15 statements have been subdivided into three categories. You are required to select one statement from each of the three categories and:

Explain how your Geography course (or the geography elements of your course) enabled you to develop these qualities.

Explain how you can demonstrate these qualities We would like you to be reflective and analytical about your experience of studying Geography in Higher Education rather than simply describe the courses you have followed.

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Knowledge and understanding

1. Demonstrate comprehension of the nature of change within human environments.

2. Demonstrate comprehension of the nature of change within physical environments.

3. Demonstrate comprehension of the reciprocal relationships between physical and human environments.

4. Demonstrate comprehension of the significance of spatial relationships as influences upon physical and human environments.

5. Demonstrate comprehension of the diversity and interdependence of places at various spatial scales.

Intellectual (thinking) skills

1. Illustrate and discuss the contested and provisional nature of knowledge and understanding

2. Identify / formulate and evaluate questions or problems 3. Identify and evaluate approaches to problem solving 4. Synthesise information and recognise relevance 5. Development a sustained and reasoned argument.

Key skills

1. Communicate geographical ideas, principles and theories effectively and fluently by written, oral and visual means

2. Relate material appropriately to the intended audience 3. Use Communications and Information Technology effectively and

appropriately to select, analyse and communicate geographical information

4. Effectively and appropriately interpret and use numerical statistical information

5. Apply basic and more advanced numerical skills effectively and appropriately to geographical information

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PLEASE READ THIS BOOKLET IN PREPARATION FOR THE INTERVIEW AND BRING IT WITH YOU ON THE DAY