Programme Aims

This programme prepares university graduates to become competent and confident teachers in primary schools in Hong Kong. It provides opportunities for participants to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes required of fully qualified primary school teachers, together with an understanding of the responsibilities and obligations of belonging to the teaching profession. In addition, the programme seeks to foster a commitment of the participants to their students and to lifelong professional development.

Programme Structure

This programme is delivered in two different modes: One-year Full-time (FT PGDE(P)) and Two-year Part-time (PT PGDE(P)). It is a modularised programme normally consisting of 30-33 credit points (cps). Participants of FT PGDE(P) are normally required to attend classes during the week (Monday to Saturday), with some evening sessions. Participants of PT PGDE(P) are normally required to attend sessions on some weekday evenings and Saturdays. Classes will be held in Tai Po Campus and/or Tseung Kwan O Study Centre/ North Point Study Centre/ Kowloon Tong Satellite Study Centre or Sports Centre as decided by the University. The programme comprises a programme orientation and the following components:

Programme Orientation

All participants must attend a programme orientation which includes information sessions about the curriculum, campus facilities and services.

Teaching Subject Studies

Teaching Subject Studies (TSS) are focused on the primary curriculum, teaching methodologies and special features of the subjects. Participants will normally choose two Teaching Subject Studies, TSS1 and TSS2. TSS1 is the subject in which participants already have substantial relevant knowledge from their first degree. TSS2 is the participants' chosen second teaching area. Participants who study English have to study One-TSS Route (English) and have no credit points to study a second subject. Participants who cannot speak or read Chinese can choose only the One-TSS Route (English). Participants who study TSS1 Mathematics have the choice to study One-TSS Route (Mathematics) or TSS1 Mathematics and a TSS2 subject. Subject to sufficient demand, the following subjects may be offered in the 2024/25 academic year:

Teaching Subject Study 1 (TSS1)

• 中文
• English (One-TSS Route)
• General Studies (Humanities and Science)
• Mathematics (One-TSS Route or TSS1 Mathematics and a TSS2 subject)
• Music (FT only)
• Physical Education
• Putonghua
• Special Needs (PT only)
• Visual Arts (FT only)

Teaching Subject Study 2 (TSS2)

• 中文
• General Studies (Humanities and Science)
• Information Technology
• Mathematics
• Music (FT only)
• Physical Education
• Putonghua
• Special Needs

Click here for the list of courses offered in 2024/25

Education Studies

This component provides participants with an understanding of foundational disciplines required of classroom teachers, i.e. psychology, sociology and philosophy of education, together with generic skills for planning, teaching and assessment. This interdisciplinary knowledge helps participants understand their own teaching, their own personal development, and culture and society at large. The participants can also evaluate current local curriculum and assessment issues. They are introduced to the implications for teaching and learning arising from the diverse range of learners' needs, the organisational culture of the school and the need to create and maintain a positive classroom climate.

The courses are: 

• Foundations and Processes of Learning
• Teacher Leadership and Professionalism in Changing Contexts
• Curriculum and Assessment
• Philosophical and Socio-cultural Issues in Education

Elective Studies

The Elective Studies domain enables participants to fulfill specific subject requirements as well as to allow participants to have choices in directing their own professional development. Normally participants have to study 1-2 Elective Core courses from TSS1 and TSS2 respectively and 1 Elective Subject Methods Relevant course for TSS2. Also, they can study 0-1 Elective General course. These Elective General courses are interdisciplinary in design in order to encourage participants to develop new areas of interest connected to their academic and education studies. FT PGDE(P) participants of TSS1 English or Putonghua have to take part in the language immersion programme as their Elective Core course. PE participants have to study 2 PE Elective Core courses.

Field Experience

Field Experience provides opportunity for participants to engage and socialise in schools where they learn to teach, experience school life and work, and develop competence and readiness to enter the teaching profession. Participants on FT PGDE(P) will be arranged to undertake two blocks^# of teaching practice in local primary schools to try out teaching while participants on PT PGDE(P), who are serving teachers in schools, undertake Field Experience to broaden their experience in classroom practice, reflect and improve their practice by testing out new ideas and applying pedagogical principles in classroom teaching.

# except that FT PGDE(P) participants who have chosen English or Putonghua as their TSS1 will take part in the compulsory immersion programme in Semester One. 

Important Note: The University will ask students of our full-time teacher education programmes to declare whether they have been convicted of or are being prosecuted for any sex-related offence in Hong Kong or elsewhere, and to provide relevant details prior to undertaking teaching practice. Such information may be released to their placement schools. The University reserves the right not to allow these students to attend the block teaching practice. If so, they won't be able to meet the graduation requirements of the programmes. 
 

Immersion Programme

English Immersion

To enhance the participants’ cultural and academic experiences relating to English language teaching, a compulsory immersion programme will be arranged in an English speaking country in Semester One for FT PGDE(P) participants who choose English as TSS1. This component of the programme not only aims to enhance participants’ language proficiency, but with the campus-based input and teaching practice in local schools also aims to provide a comprehensive introduction to English language teaching to prospective English language teachers. Details of the immersion programme will be announced after the commencement of the full-time programme.

Putonghua Immersion

To enhance the language proficiency of participants in Putonghua, a compulsory immersion programme will be arranged in Semester One for FT PGDE(P) participants who choose Putonghua as their TSS1. Details of the immersion programme will be announced after the commencement of the full-time programme.

Medium of Instruction

The medium of instruction is Chinese and/or English. Applicant’s adequate proficiency in both Chinese and English is required. English is adopted as the language of instruction for relevant courses, as appropriate. TSS1 English participants are required to take Education Studies core courses in English, if available. Participants of other Teaching Subject Studies can choose to take additional language courses to enhance their English proficiency, if desired.

Information Technology Competency in Education (ITCE)

Before graduation, participants are required to:

1. complete and pass all the required courses in the programme to demonstrate the attainment of ITCE; and
2. complete and pass at least one of the followings:
   1. IT e-Portfolio Checking and a reflective statement
   2. Student Teacher Education Program (STEP) and a reflective statement
   3. Artificial Intelligence Literacy (AIL) program and a reflective statement

Entrance Requirements

To be eligible for admission, applicants should normally:

1. hold a recognised Bachelor's degree which includes a field of study relevant to their chosen Teaching Subject Study 1*, or equivalent;
2. have passed the admission interview/subject test(s) and/or language test(s), where required; and
3. be serving teachers in local primary schools (for PT PGDE(P)).

1. Applicants for English who do not hold a degree majoring in English are also welcome to apply.
2. Applicants for General Studies (Humanities and Science) (GSHS) should normally hold a degree in an area with strong relevancy to at least one of the six strands of GS curriculum. According to the six strands of GS curriculum, applicants who hold a degree majoring in one of the following disciplines/areas will be firstly considered: 
   1. Science (e.g. physics, chemistry, biology; or specialised areas such as biochemistry, environmental science, applied sciences);
   2. Social Sciences (e.g. sociology, politics, psychology, public administration, policy studies, geography, social work, etc.);
   3. Humanities (e.g. history);
   4. Computer Studies and Information Technology; and
   5. Education (including majors with thematic focus in education).
   Other applicants who do not hold a degree majoring in any of the above but meet the minimum admission requirements for GSHS as TSS2 may also be considered. 
3. Applicants for Putonghua should normally hold a degree majoring in Linguistics / Language Studies or related disciplines (申請人必須具備與語言學或語言學習相關的學位). Other applicants who do not hold a degree majoring in any of the above but meet the minimum admission requirements for Putonghua as TSS2 may also be considered.
4. Applicants for Special Needs should normally hold a degree majoring in Special Needs / Psychology / Counselling / Social Psychology / Social Work / Applied Social Studies and/or related subjects.

(Note: For part-time applicants, it is at your discretion to invite your employer/principal to complete a recommendation form. Priority of admission will be given to applicants who are recommended by their employers/principals.)

Teaching Requirements for Field Experience

The medium of instruction in the vast majority of Hong Kong schools is Cantonese and/or English. Participants are required to possess a proficient level of language skills (oral, listening and written) to enable them to perform the duties during Field Experience.

For Full-time PGDE(P) Participants

Full-time participants will be arranged to undertake 4^# and 8 weeks of full-time block practice in Semester One and Two respectively in local Primary Schools. The teaching load for participants with Teaching Subject Studies 1 & 2 is normally 12-16 periods per week / per 5 to 7-day cycle (with a minimum of 4 periods per Teaching Subject Study) throughout the block practice period.

For One-TSS route participants, they are required to have at least 8-12 periods of their chosen TSS per week / per 5 to 7-day cycle. 

# except that FT PGDE(P) participants who have chosen English or Putonghua as their TSS1 will take part in the compulsory immersion programme in Semester One. 

For Part-time PGDE(P) Participants

The part-time programme is primarily designed for serving teachers. Participants in the programme are required to fulfill the following teaching requirements for Field Experience:

1. About teaching periods

1. For participants having a full-time teaching post in primary schools ^{note 1}
   They are required to have a minimum of 4 periods ^{note 2} per week / per 5 to 7-day cycle for each of the two chosen Teaching Subject Studies during the course of study in the programme.
2. For participants without a relevant teaching post
   They are required to make own arrangements to undertake 6 consecutive weeks of full-time block practice in primary schools ^{note 1} during the FE supervision period ^{note 3} in each FE and teach at least 12 periods ^{note 2} per week / per 5 to 7-day cycle for the two chosen Teaching Subject Studies (with a minimum of 4 periods per subject) throughout the block practice period.

For One-TSS route participants, they are required to have at least 8 periods ^{note 2} of their chosen TSS per week / per 5 to 7-day cycle.

2. About class setting and class size

All participants are required to conduct teaching / teaching practice in regular class settings with a minimum of 10 pupils in a class ^{note 4}.

3. About teaching mode

All participants are required to conduct teaching / teaching practice in simulated mode, virtual mode (synchronous and/or asynchronous modes) and authentic mode of classroom teaching as required by the programme / subject. In case of prolonged class suspension that the requirements of the authentic mode of classroom teaching cannot be fulfilled, an Extended School Attachment will need to be arranged.

Note 1: It refers to local primary schools adopting local primary school curriculum. 
Note 2: Each period normally refers to a 30-40 minutes duration.
Note 3: FE Supervision period is normally from November to early May of the academic year.
Note 4: For special schools, the minimum number of pupils in a class is 8 according to the actual class size.

Other subject(s) specific teaching requirements

• Special Needs
  For participants choosing Special Needs as TSS1 / TSS2, their teaching periods should be arranged in another chosen TSS to demonstrate understanding of and to cater for pupils with learning difficulties in classes. For example, a participant with TSS in Mathematics and Special Needs is required to conduct Field Experience in Mathematics subject during the course of study in the programme / throughout the block practice period.

• General Studies (Humanities and Science)
  For participants choosing General Studies (Humanities and Science) as your TSS1/TSS2, they are required to teach General Studies and/or Humanities and Science subject(s) in Field Experience.
  
  Relevant subjects to teach for Field Experience include:
  • General Studies
  • Humanities and Science (with a minimum of 2 periods for each subject)

A summary of Field Experience Requirements for Part-time PGDE (Primary)/(Secondary) programmes is provided here for easy reference.