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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: |
| Postgraduate Certificate in Education in Senior Phase and Further Education and Training Teaching |
| SAQA QUAL ID | QUALIFICATION TITLE | |||
| 124773 | Postgraduate Certificate in Education in Senior Phase and Further Education and Training Teaching | |||
| ORIGINATOR | ||||
| Cornerstone Institute (RF) NPC | ||||
| PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY | NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK | |||
| CHE - Council on Higher Education | HEQSF - Higher Education Qualifications Sub-framework | |||
| QUALIFICATION TYPE | FIELD | SUBFIELD | ||
| Advanced Diploma | Field 05 - Education, Training and Development | Schooling | ||
| ABET BAND | MINIMUM CREDITS | PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL | NQF LEVEL | QUAL CLASS |
| Undefined | 120 | Not Applicable | NQF Level 07 | Regular-Provider-ELOAC |
| REGISTRATION STATUS | SAQA DECISION NUMBER | REGISTRATION START DATE | REGISTRATION END DATE | |
| Registered | EXCO 0434/25 | 2025-08-21 | 2028-08-21 | |
| LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT | LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT | |||
| 2029-08-21 | 2032-08-21 | |||
| 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. |
This qualification does not replace any other qualification and is not replaced by any other qualification. |
| PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION |
| Purpose:
The purpose of the Postgraduate Certificate in Education in Senior Phase and Further Education and Training Teaching (PGCE(SP/FET) is to provide learners with the necessary knowledge and practical and research skills to teach in the Senior and Further Education and Training Phases in South African schools. The qualification enables candidates who have completed a bachelor's degree other than a Bachelor of Education or other approved Diplomas to obtain a professional 'capping' qualification. Upon completion of the qualification, learners will be able to: Rationale: The news media frequently reports on the shortage of qualified teachers in South Africa, which highlights the need for additional teacher training. This qualification responds to the need for competent and committed professional educators in South Africa. It also aims to foster teachers-in-the-making a commitment to being a teacher and provide them with a specialisation in one chosen subject in the Senior Phase (SP) and one chosen subject in the Further Education and Training (FET) Phase. A structured, systematic three-phase Practice Teaching system, exposing learners to various educational contexts will be a central aspect of the learning process in the qualification, preparing learners to face challenges that characterise both the public and private South African education systems. This qualification is intended for suitably qualified graduates who wish to teach in Grades 7 to 12. The qualification ensures that graduates meet the minimum set of competences required of newly qualified teachers as per the Minimum Requirements for Teacher Education Qualifications (MRTEQ) in South Africa. It addresses a critical need in South Africa for teachers who are equipped to deal with the challenges facing education, who are knowledgeable, love teaching and learning, and will empower the lives of the learners they teach. The qualification will be offered in the contact and distance modes to increase its potential reach and be available to as many diverse cohorts of learners as possible. Distance learning provides access to learners who were previously unable to gain access to higher education due to socio-economic factors, simply by decreasing the costs associated with contact mode studies, such as travel and accommodation. Even if e-learning programmes incur costs of internet access, in the context of remote and multimodal teaching and learning, the affordability of distance learning remains an important factor. The qualification allows a qualifying learner to be registered with the South African Council for Educators (SACE) as a fully qualified educator with sound knowledge and expertise in one subject in the Senior Phase and one in the Further Education and Training Phase education field. |
| LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING |
| Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL):
The institution recognises the significance of RPL and Credit Accumulation and Transfer (CAT) for many of its prospective learners entering the PGCE (SP/FET) qualification to obtain a professional teacher qualification. Their teaching experience, unconventional knowledge, and learning histories are perceived not as a barrier but as a source of alternative knowledge and capabilities that may enrich the academic project and curriculum. The Institution's policy on RPL and CAT (revised in 2020) grants access and/or credit towards a qualification based on their prior learning, subject to certain rules and procedures. Recognition of Prior learning (RPL) is the process through which the prior knowledge and skills of a person are recognised for alternative access and/or advanced credit. The RPL and CAT Unit in the Office of the Registrar offers specialised services and qualifications aimed at advising and supporting candidates, learners, and academic staff at all stages in the process. RPL for access: RPL for exemption from modules: Entry Requirements: Or |
| RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING? |
| Y |
| QUALIFICATION RULES |
| This qualification consists of the following compulsory and elective modules at National Qualifications Framework Levels 5 and 7, totalling 125 Credits.
Compulsory Modules, NQF Level 7, 80 Credits: Elective Modules, NQF Level 5, 5 Credits (select one module): Elective Modules, NQF Level 7, 40 Credits (Choose two specialisation subjects): Senior Phase and FET subject specialisations are complementary, and specialisation should occur according to the combinations: SENIOR PHASE: FET PHASE: |
| EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES |
| 1. Demonstrate competence in reading, writing, listening, and speaking the language/s of instruction in ways that facilitate academic learning in the classrooms.
2. Interpret and use numerical and elementary statistical knowledge to facilitate and manage teaching, learning, and assessment. 3. Demonstrate conversational competence (listening and speaking) in one of the official languages of South Africa other than English and Afrikaans in ways that facilitate classroom learning. 4. Demonstrate competence in the knowledge base underpinning the specialist learning areas or subjects that will be taught. 5. Demonstrate the ability to plan, design, and reflect on learning programmes appropriate for own learners and learning context. 6. Demonstrate the ability to select, use, and adjust teaching and learning strategies in ways that meet the needs of the learners and the context. 7. Manage and administer learning environments and support learners in ways that are sensitive, stimulating, democratic, and well organised. 8. Demonstrate the ability to monitor and assess learner progress and achievement in one's specialisation. 9. Function responsibly within the education system, the institution, and the community in which the institution is located 10. Demonstrate a respect for and commitment to the educator profession. |
| ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA |
| Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1:
Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2: Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3: Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4: Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5: Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 6: Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 7: Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 8: Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 9: Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 10: Integrated Assessment: Formative and summative assessment: Assessment approach emphasises a learner-centred, outcomes-based learning environment. Assessment approach, the needs of the learner, and the learning process guide the teaching process. Teaching activities are thus designed not for the transfer of knowledge, but for the facilitation of learning. This learning will include the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that are necessary for learners to achieve the desired outcomes for a given module and/or qualification. Teaching and learning strive to be significant in that it is not merely focused on cognitive development. Certain kinds of learning emerge that are not traditionally found within a cognitive taxonomy. These include unlocking creative potential, leadership skills, interpersonal and communication skills, ethics, and character formation. Teaching and learning are also community-oriented in that they embrace a scholarship of engagement in their active and interactive connection with people and places outside the institution through activities of discovery, integration, application, and teaching. There is an alignment between the NQF Level 7 descriptors, the assessment strategy, and the PGCE qualification outcomes. Assessment design is the responsibility of the lecturer but is approved by the Qualification Coordinator. The lecturer submits an updated module outline to the Qualification Coordinator and Faculty Officer, who conducts a quality assurance review of the module outline. All assessments are reviewed to ensure that they are appropriate for the qualification outcomes, and that both formative and summative assessments are used, and aligned to NQF 7 level descriptors. A key outcome teaching and learning approach is to appropriately enable the learner to integrate their 'functional' and 'professional' knowledge. The ability for learners to integrate and apply knowledge authentically is embedded in the design of the qualification. The institution's philosophy of education is rooted in Freirean pedagogy, which encourages integrated teaching and learning. In the classroom, the learner is acknowledged as a creative individual who brings a world of lived experiences into the shared teaching and learning space. The integrated teaching and learning approach allow for and nurtures the skills of learners to employ the depth and wealth of their experiences in a theory-based manner that contributes to the enhancement of new knowledge. An important outcome that learners exit the PGCE qualification with at the NQF level 7 is the ability to integrate what they have learnt and apply this knowledge and WIL experience to teaching at Senior and FET levels professionally and competently. The learner attributes flowing from this integrated approach are for learners to critically engage with societal issues and questions as they work as educators and subject experts. Integrated assessments will be utilised in which several outcomes are assessed together. Learners must demonstrate an achievement of multiple outcomes within the assessment task. Formative assessments: Formative assessments are designed to improve the quality of learning by allowing learners to engage in learning activities in which they are given feedback to become more effective in the learning process. Formative assessment can be both formal and informal. Formative assessment methods include discussion forum feedback, question and answer sessions, quizzes, and supervision feedback. Formative assessment is a vital component of distance learning modules, providing engagement opportunities for lecturers and learners. These include lesson guides mediated via the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), which contain learning exercises and comment sections for the learners, as well as discussion forums, in which learners engage with the lecturer and other learners. These may be assessed for a maximum 10% participation mark for the module but should primarily be used to ensure participation in the learning process. Participation in discussion forums and distance learning exercises should be deemed a requirement for passing a module, although allowance must be made for a minimal level of non-participation. Clear expectations in this regard need to be communicated in the module outline, such as that learners must respond to discussion topics and comment on the postings by other learners to pass the module. Summative assessments: Such assessments are linked to specific learning outcomes with clear assessment criteria. There are two possible ways of assessing a module: Continuous assessment with a strong formative focus that counts toward no less than 60% and no more than 70% of the final mark, and a comprehensive, summative, final examination that counts no more than 40% and no less than 30%. This final examination may be open book (with preference for pedagogical reasons and to minimise the possibility of cheating) or closed book (necessary for some subjects). In both cases, at least three different types of assessment should be used. For example, a reading report, presentation, and final examination may be required. Moreover, three to four assessments should generally be used (i.e., no less than three and no more than four). Appropriate formative and summative assessment methods will be designed for the integrated curricula modality using both classroom and integrated learning environments. These assessment methods are intended to appraise the following types of learner abilities: Work-integrated learning, where applicable, is assessed by the assigned PGCE (SP/FET) qualification supervisor, with input from the learner's appointed subject specialist supervisor and site mentor teacher. The Education Department assesses the learners according to the outcomes and assessment criteria associated with the work-based learning requirements. Work-integrated assessments include reflective journal entries, activity logs, session notes, experiential activities, workshops presented, written evaluations by the supervisors, Presentations, and file submissions from the learner and interviews between the faculty supervisor and the learner. The exact combination and weighting of the various assessment methods is communicated to the learner in advance. Capacity building workshops for lecturers in the methodology of work-integrated learning take place twice a year, aimed at enhancing the validity and reliability of assessment practices. The purpose of these teaching and learning workshops is to ensure, among others, that assessment practices of teaching staff are effective and reliable in measuring and recording learner attainment of intended learning outcomes of work-integrated learning modules. |
| INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY |
| The international comparability was conducted against international qualifications in Australia and New Zealand.
Country: Australia: Institution: Edith Cowan University: Qualification Title: Postgraduate Certificate in Education NQF: Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Level 8. Credits: 96. Duration: One year full-time and two years part-time. Entry Requirements: Or A minimum of a Diploma-level qualification combined with relevant professional experience Or Purpose: The Postgraduate Certificate in Education is a one-year initial educator qualification for learners who already hold a degree. The qualification offers practical, school-based learning and draws on the latest research into effective teaching methods, ensuring learners are well equipped to meet the challenges of a teaching career. Modules in the qualification will enable learners to use their knowledge, expertise, and experience to design learning environments that will engage learners in the learning process and cater to a variety of learning styles. Participants learn to critically plan, design, implement, and review relevant syllabi, including developing teaching and learning strategies and curriculum materials. Learners will have developed a personal theory of teaching that fully considers the role of educators in a socially just and inclusive society. This qualification encourages active engagement with local and global communities to promote the continuing enhancement of learning for the benefit of all. The development of key competencies throughout the qualification provides knowledge and skills sought by employers in business and industry, especially in areas where an understanding of program development and training is required. This qualification is designed as a pathway for entry into the Master of Education for those who do not hold a four-year Australian teaching qualification (or equivalent). However, some graduates may be required to complete further study before they are eligible for entry to the Master of Education, depending upon their educational background. Possible future job titles: English Teacher, Secondary Mathematics Teacher, Special Education Teacher, TESOL Teacher, Principal, Assistant Principal, Educator, Lecturer, Tutor, School Counsellor. Learning outcomes: Modules: Specialisations: Similarities: Differences: Country: New Zealand Institution: University of Auckland: Qualification Title: Graduate Diploma in Education NQF Level: NZQF Level 7, Credits: 120. Duration: One year full-time Entry Requirements: And Purpose: The Graduate Diploma in Education provides knowledge and skills sought by employers in business and industry, especially in areas where an understanding of program development and training is required. The qualification is designed to equip learners with the relevant skills to teach in their areas of specialisation. A graduate of the Graduate Diploma in Secondary Teaching is: technological and subject pedagogical content knowledge, and knowledge of the New Zealand Curriculum, to ensure that learning and teaching environments are sensitively constructed and responsive to diverse learners for enhanced achievement. sensitivity in intercultural competencies, particularly those of Tataiako, and expressed through an understanding of the language and customs of indigenous and immigrant groups in Aotearoa, New Zealand. Structure: The Graduate Diploma in Secondary Teaching includes eight taught courses and a minimum of 16 weeks of practicum placements in two secondary schools, building your confidence and experience as a teacher in the classroom. A variety of assessments are used, from academic essays and research presentations to the professional application of learning in complex unit plans and blogs. Similarities: Conclusion: The SA qualification compares favourably with the above international qualifications in terms of purpose and duration with the qualifications offered in the cited countries. Teaching practice is a component that an initial educator must undergo during studies. |
| ARTICULATION OPTIONS |
| This qualification allows possibilities for both vertical and horizontal articulation.
Horizontal articulation: Vertical articulation: Diagonal Articulation: There is no diagonal articulation for this qualification. |
| MODERATION OPTIONS |
| N/A. |
| CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS |
| N/A. |
| NOTES |
| N/A. |
| LEARNING PROGRAMMES RECORDED AGAINST THIS 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. | Cornerstone Institute (RF) NPC |
| 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. |