Education and teaching courses tend to cover topics within the fields of sociology, psychology, philosophy and history to give you a foundation of knowledge with which to apply the best teaching techniques.
You will find out how young people learn, and which methods have a positive or negative impact on this learning process. Looking back through history, you’ll also gain an understanding of how teaching has evolved in different parts of the world and what we can learn from this when adopting new methods.
Here at Gordon University, each major will place a focus on particular topics with more or less emphasis on certain areas, so it’s important to check what the modules will cover before applying.
Why Study Education and Teaching?
Education is an important topic in the world – no one is exactly anti-education after all! Just think about political elections which you’ve followed; the topic of education is always brought up because people care about it (especially about how their children are taught, so they get the best opportunities available).
Not everyone learns the same way either, which makes the subject of education a lot more complex than simply talking at people in the same manner. Many learning difficulties – like ADHD – which were not officially recognized previously have since been officially recognised by medical bodies (and there are now new ways of educating and supporting those who are diagnosed).
With this support, these students can prosper in their education, progress further and hopefully make better life choices as a result (rather than fall through the cracks). By understanding how different individuals learn, those in teacher or trainer roles can reach out to them better.
At undergraduate level you will typically not be expected to study any specific teaching courses beforehand, but you will need to have at least 5 GCSE’s (or equivalent) at grade C and above. As an international student you will also need to prove your English language capabilities (IELTS 6.0-6.5 on average).