SAQA All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source.
SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY 
REGISTERED QUALIFICATION: 

Bachelor of Education in Intermediate Phase Teaching 
SAQA QUAL ID QUALIFICATION TITLE
101501  Bachelor of Education in Intermediate Phase Teaching 
ORIGINATOR
University of KwaZulu-Natal 
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK
CHE - Council on Higher Education  HEQSF - Higher Education Qualifications Sub-framework 
QUALIFICATION TYPE FIELD SUBFIELD
National First Degree  Field 05 - Education, Training and Development  Schooling 
ABET BAND MINIMUM CREDITS PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL QUAL CLASS
Undefined  480  Not Applicable  NQF Level 07  Regular-Provider-ELOAC 
REGISTRATION STATUS SAQA DECISION NUMBER REGISTRATION START DATE REGISTRATION END DATE
Registered-data under construction  EXCO 0324/24  2024-07-01  2027-06-30 
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2028-06-30   2033-06-30  

Registered-data under construction

The qualification content is currently being updated for the qualifications with the status “Registered-data under construction” or showing “DETAILS UNDER CONSTRUCTION” to ensure compliance with SAQA’S Policy and Criteria for the registration of qualifications and part-qualifications on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) (As amended, 2022). These qualifications are re-registered until 30 June 2027 and can legitimately be offered by the institutions to which they are registered.

 

In all of the tables in this document, both the pre-2009 NQF Level and the NQF Level is shown. In the text (purpose statements, qualification rules, etc), any references to NQF Levels are to the pre-2009 levels unless specifically stated otherwise.  

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION 
Purpose:
The purpose of the Bachelor of Education in Intermediate Phase qualification is to develop in teachers, the competences to be a classroom teacher who can demonstrate focused knowledge and skills in teaching specialist school subjects at the Intermediate Phase of schooling. The qualification provides a well-rounded education that equips the graduate with requisite subject content knowledge, educational theory, pedagogical learning, practical learning, fundamental learning and situational learning. This qualification will provide teachers with an educational experience that will provide her or him the knowledge and practical competence required to function as a professionally qualified teacher in a primary school. Teachers will develop academic and contextually grounded knowledge in education, specialist subject content and pedagogy enabling the graduate to take up a teaching career in South Africa and beyond its borders, taking cognisance of the contextual realities of schooling and the nature of learners. Teachers will also develop competence that will enable them to further their studies in Education academically through Postgraduate studies in Education, and/or professionally through alternate qualifications for professional growth.

Rationale:
The Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) in Intermediate Phase Teaching is one of two pathways for developing professional teachers to teach within the South African school system. The qualification is needed to produce qualified teachers who would be able to take up a teaching post in a primary school teaching Intermediate Phase learners. This is minimum qualification to qualify and professionalise an Intermediate Phase teacher and is regulated by the National Teacher Education Framework as gazetted in 2007 and more recently by the Minimum Requirements for Teacher Education Qualifications (MRTEQ) gazetted in 2015.

Teacher supply has been a major concern in the current context of providing quality education of schooling. This qualification is responding to this concern by producing appropriately qualified teachers who would be able to contribute towards a quality school education system. Teacher supply has been limited to higher education institutions within South Africa, and University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) has been one of the major producers of teacher in this country since its inception. The School of Education has the experience, competence, capacity and capabilities of offering a well conceptualised, relevant and quality driven B.Ed (Intermediate Phase Teaching) qualification. This B.Ed (Intermediate Phase Teaching) qualification is a complete re-conceptualisation of an existing qualification which has been developed to meet the standards as presented by the newly gazetted Minimum Requirements for Teacher Education qualifications.

The current context of teacher supply and demand in South Africa suggests a shortage of well and appropriately qualified teachers to meet its demands as a result of teacher attrition and the growth of the school education system.

The supply of teacher through this qualification will contribute to the pool of well and appropriately newly qualified teachers available for employment in identified areas of need and in locations where there is a scarcity of qualified teachers. The production of newly qualified and appropriately qualified teachers will address this concern of on-going appointment of un-and under-qualified teachers.

The B.Ed (Intermediate Phase Teaching) qualification is also needed to produce teachers who would be able to pursue Postgraduate studies in Education leading to research and knowledge production in Education. 

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL):
RPL will be applied in terms of the RPL policy of the institution and the College of Humanities. Further assessments may be required to establish literacy levels and specialist subject knowledge required for the study of their chosen teaching specialisation.

RPL criteria will be based on three specific components. These components are:
Workplace learning (teaching experience).
Criteria: Appropriateness and level of knowledge related to:
  • Schooling gained through teaching experience.
  • Subject knowledge competence.
  • Pedagogical content knowledge.

    Teaching subject competence:
    Criteria: Appropriateness and level of knowledge gained through prior studies in:
  • Subject content knowledge.
  • Pedagogical knowledge (generic).
  • Pedagogical content knowledge.

    Communication competence:
    Criteria:
  • Ability to communicate in the language of instruction.
  • Ability to converse in an additional language.

    Teachers who are in possession of a recognised Certificate or Diploma in Education or in other relevant fields may also present their qualifications for admission into the Bachelor of Education (BEd), with a possibility of transfer of credits from previous studies. The institution's RPL policy will be used to determine the level of progression into the BEd Degree and/or the credit accumulation towards the BEd Degree based on a credit recognition process that includes alignment of outcomes in the respective modules under consideration.

    Entry Requirements:
    The minimum admission requirement for this qualification is:
  • National Senior Certificate (NSC) granting access to Bachelor's Degree studies.
    Or
  • National Certificate Vocational (NCV) granting access to Bachelor's Degree studies.
    And
  • At least any one of the following subjects at Level 4: any language (HL or FAL); Business Studies, Dramatic Arts, Economics, Geography, History, Information Technology, Life Sciences, Mathematical Literacy. 
    		•

    RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING? 
    Y 

    QUALIFICATION RULES 
    This qualification consists of compulsory and elective modules at Level 5, 6 and 7 totalling 512 Credits.

    Compulsory Modules Level 5, 72 Credits:
  • English Education: Language, learning and teaching in Education, 16 Credits.
  • IsiZulu for communication,16 Credits.
  • Computer Literacy, 8 Credits.
  • Education Studies: An introduction to the study of Education, 16 Credits.
  • Basic Mathematics for Intermediate phase teachers, 8 Credits.
  • Economics and management Sciences for the Senior Phase of schooling, 8 Credits.

    Electives Modules Level 5:
  • English Education: Foundations, 16 Credits.
  • Children's isiZulu literature and media in education, 16 Credits.
  • Mathematics Education for Foundation and Intermediate phase 1, 16 Credits.
  • Mathematics Education for Foundation and Intermediate phase 2, 16 Credits.
  • Introduction to Science and Technology Education, 16 Credits.
  • Geography Education 1: Development Studies, 16 Credits.
  • Economics and management Sciences for the Senior Phase of schooling, 8 Credits.
  • Like Skills for the Intermediate Phase of schooling, 8 Credits.
  • History philosophy, theory and method, 16 Credits.

    Compulsory Modules Level 6, 48 Credits:
  • Education Studies: Teaching, learning and classroom practices, 16 Credits.
  • Teaching Practice 1, 16 Credits.
  • Teaching Practice 2, 8 Credits.
  • Teaching Practice 3, 8 Credits.

    Electives Modules Level 6,
  • English Education: Introduction to theory and practice, 16 Credits.
  • English Education: Introductory concepts (Home Language teaching), 16 Credits.
  • English Education: Introductory concepts (First Additional Language teaching), 16 Credits.
  • Integrated isiZulu language and literacy studies, 16 Credits.
  • IsiZulu Language Acquisition, Learning and Teaching 01 (Home Language teaching), 16 Credits.
  • IsiZulu Language Acquisition, Learning and Teaching 01 (First Additional Language teaching, 16 Credits.
  • Earth and its Resources, 16 Credits.
  • Introduction to Teaching and Learning Science and Technology, 16 Credits.
  • Mathematics Education for foundation and intermediate phase 3, 16 Credits.
  • Mathematics teaching and learning in the intermediate phase 1, 16 Credits.
  • Geography for Educators 2 (Biogeography and Geomorphology, 16 Credits.
  • Industrialisation, development and modernity, 16 Credits
  • Social Science Education Method 1, 16 Credits.

    Compulsory Modules Level 7, 80 Credits.
  • Education Studies: Curriculum, 16 Credits.
  • Education Studies: Psychology, 16 Credits.
  • Education Studies: Philosophy and Sociology, 16 Credits.
  • Education Studies: Researching Education, 16 Credits.
  • Teaching Practice 4, 16 Credits.

    Electives Modules Level 7:
  • English Education: Theory and practice using period literature, 16 Credits.
  • English Education: Language awareness, approaches and policy (Home Language teaching), 16 Credits.
  • English Education: Language awareness, approaches and policy (First Additional Language teaching), 16 Credits.
  • IsiZulu sociolinguistics and language usage in education, 16 Credits.
  • Teaching isiZulu Poetry, Film, Drama and Language Skills 02 (Home Language teaching), 16 Credits.
  • Teaching isiZulu Poetry, Film, Drama and Language Skills 02 (First Additional Language teaching), 16 Credits.
  • Structures and Processes, 16 Credits.
  • Teaching and Learning Science and Technology, 6 Credits.
  • Mathematics teaching and learning in the intermediate phase 2, 16 Credits.
  • Social Sciences Education Method 2, 16 Credits. 
    		•

    EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES 
    1. Develop an advanced academic knowledge of Educational studies.
    2. Demonstrate competence in teaching their Intermediate Phase teaching specialisation subjects up to grade seven of school education.
    3. Demonstrate professional competence required of being a teacher, making educational decisions relative and sensitive to the contextual realities of the schooling system within South Africa.
    4. Demonstrate a caring, responsible attitude within ethical principles in promoting teaching and learning (values).
    5. Demonstrate individual intellectualism, critical engagement and beginning research skills that will enable her/him to pursue post-graduate studies in Education (progression). 

    ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA 
    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 1:
  • Develop a well-rounded knowledge base of the content knowledge relative to their teaching specialisations.
  • Develop subject content knowledge incrementally and which provides the basis for teachers to develop competence in teaching the respective teaching specialisations.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 2:
  • Develop generic and specific teaching methodologies to teach their teaching specialisations.
  • Demonstrate practically the teaching skills with reflexive skills intended to further develop this competency.
  • Provide the scope for on-going and context based support for teacher development.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 3:
  • Develop professional competence of being a teacher by focusing on policies, professional ethics and situational learning.
  • Demonstrate professional competence required of a beginning teacher.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 4:
  • Develop the caring, responsible and attitudinal values in an integrative manner across the module offerings and site based learning through the teaching practice modules.
  • Work within an inclusive education framework and guided by theoretical and philosophical frameworks developed through the Education Studies.
  • Develop well-rounded knowledge base to locate their teaching practices in responsible and ethical processes and within a caring environment that promotes teaching and learning.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 5:
  • Develop individual intellectualism, critical engagement and research skills.
  • Develop critical engagement with educational issues and research skills to initiate research processes to explore the educational issues systematically.

    Integrated Assessment:
    The assessment process is guided by the institution's assessment policy.

    There are various forms of assessment across all modules in the qualification. These assessments include test, assignments, project work, activities and summative examinations. The focus and content of these assessment tasks include demonstration of disciplinary and content knowledge, application knowledge and reflexive skills. Integrated assessment, therefore, forms a core to these assessment tasks. In addition, teachers are required to demonstrate their integrated knowledge and competence within a real classroom situation where they will be assessed by their school mentor as well as by university supervisors during the school-based teaching practice sessions.

    All modules will have internal moderators. In addition, all exit level modules will be externally moderated. The moderation process is governed by the university's policy on assessment and includes a holistic approach to moderation. This holistic approach includes moderation of module outlines, readings lists, assessment tasks and examinations. 
    		•

    INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY 
    The qualification has been compared to qualification offered at Middlesex University, London.

    This qualification is a Bachelor of Arts Primary Education. The duration of the qualification is 3 years and enables teachers to be qualified to teach in schools. The Core modules are Professional Studies for school-based teaching whilst the electives are: teaching specialisation; Generic Professional skills: Inclusive Education, ICT.

    The qualification has been compared to qualification offered at University of Alberta in Canada. The qualification is Bachelor of Elementary School (Kindergarten to grade 6). The duration of the qualification is 4 years. Upon completion of the qualification teachers are able to gain Certification to teach in Alberta and will be competent in teaching Language Arts, Mathematics and 4 other teaching subjects.

    The qualification has been compared to a Bachelor of Education Primary Education offered at the University of Botswana. The duration of the qualification is 4 years. Upon completion, teachers will gain a qualified teacher status and with two majors - one in traditional teaching subjects and the other in courses related to primary education. 

    ARTICULATION OPTIONS 
    The qualification offers systemic articulation with the following qualifications offered by other institutions, provided the learner meets the minimum entry requirements:

    Horizontal Articulation:
  • Advanced Diploma Level 7.

    Vertical Articulation:
  • Bachelor of Education Honours Degree, Level 8.
    Or
  • A cognate Postgraduate Diploma, Level 8. 
    		•

    MODERATION OPTIONS 
    N/A 

    CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS 
    N/A 

    NOTES 
    N/A 

    LEARNING PROGRAMMES RECORDED AGAINST THIS QUALIFICATION: 
    When qualifications are replaced, some (but not all) of their learning programmes are moved to the replacement qualifications. If a learning programme appears to be missing from here, please check the replaced qualification.
     
    NONE 


    PROVIDERS CURRENTLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THIS QUALIFICATION: 
    This information shows the current accreditations (i.e. those not past their accreditation end dates), and is the most complete record available to SAQA as of today. Some Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionaries have a lag in their recording systems for provider accreditation, in turn leading to a lag in notifying SAQA of all the providers that they have accredited to offer qualifications and unit standards, as well as any extensions to accreditation end dates. The relevant Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionary should be notified if a record appears to be missing from here.
     
    1. University of KwaZulu-Natal 


    All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source.