The success of students is at the heart of St Mary’s. It is a teaching college that provides an inviting environment with a work force that encourages, assists and guides all students. St Mary’s offers a wide range of opportunities in sport, in the community and within the college. It’s not all about book work, St Mary’s ensures their students have fun too!
Subject Study – Religious Studies
Among the areas addressed are studies of selected sections of the New Testament and the Old Testament, issues relating to handing on the faith and understanding the Sacraments, selected issues in dogmatic and moral theology, aspects of Church history and an overview of the key concepts of the beliefs and practices of other major Christian denominations and selected world religions. Students also receive tuition on practical aspects of teaching religious education at post-primary level. Teaching and learning is through interactive lectures, tutorial sessions and independent learning. Assessment is through coursework and written examinations.
Education Studies
This aspect of the programme facilitates the development of the professional knowledge and understanding underpinning successful teaching. The modules address a wide range of topics such as: philosophical perspectives on learning and teaching; child development and psychology; the curriculum in schools; Safeguarding and Children’s Rights; the social aspects of schooling; principles of effective teaching and learning; issues pertaining to diversity and inclusion; and the education of children who experience Special Educational Needs.
Key Skills
There is a strong emphasis across the BEd Programme on the areas of Literacy, Numeracy, and Using ICT (UICT), along with the practical application and development of these areas to practice during School Experience.
Professional Development and School Experience
The PDSE element enables students to establish theory-practice relationships through the development of reflective and reflexive practice. Each year, students are asked to demonstrate increasing levels of proficiency in the classroom in line with the GTCNI teaching competence framework. Students are provided with opportunities to teach children of varying ages and abilities in a range of different contexts.
This element of the course also addresses issues relating to the Revised Curriculum and the Entitlement Framework. Areas of study include for example; Learning for Life and Work; Local and Global citizenship; Education for Employability; Education for Sustainability; and Literacy and Numeracy across the curriculum.
Students must be successful in School Experience each year in order to proceed to the next stage of the course.
Subject Studies and Subject Application
The subject study element enables students to develop their understanding of a traditional academic discipline and provides them with specific expertise. It enhances the intellectual formation of the student teacher and facilitates the development of their curriculum leadership capacity. Subject application is a distinctive aspect of subject study which supports students to integrate their learning in the chosen subject area with their professional development as teachers.
Students can choose English, History, ICT or Science as their subsidiary subject.
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Student Experience
How to Apply
Undergraduate Admissions are made directly to the college rather than through UCAS.
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