Tertiary Education (TQFE)

1^st in Scotland for research in Education in the most recent Research Assessment Exercise.

‌The Teaching Qualification in Further Education (TQFE) is the recognised teaching qualification for individuals who either currently work as lecturers in Further Education or who wish to pursue a career in the sector. It gives you the recognised teaching qualification for the FE sector, allows you to take the course at your own pace, and provides opportunities to progress onto further qualifications.

This course is accredited by the General Teaching Council for Scotland.

Accreditation

This course is accredited by the General Teaching Council for Scotland.

Course objectives

The Teaching Qualification in Further Education (TQFE) is designed to meet the needs of the contemporary Scottish Further Education (FE) sector. The content is based on the professional standards for FE staff as laid down by the Scottish Executive, and is fully accredited by the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS). The course is suitable for:

• Pre-service: Individuals who wish to pursue a career in Further Education.
• In-service: Lecturers currently working in Further Education colleges.
• Individuals who work in other education and training contexts in post-compulsory education.

Entrance requirements

PG Cert

Candidates should hold a relevant degree from a Higher Education institution in the United Kingdom (UK) or a degree of an equivalent standard from a recognised institution outside the UK.

Candidates should have Information and Communication Technology (ICT) skills equivalent to Intermediate 2 (i.e. level 5 on the SCQF). This level of skill in the use of ICT is required partly in order to be able to fully participate on the TQ(FE) course and partly in order to be able to function effectively in the working environment.

As well as formal qualifications all applicants should normally have industrial, commercial or other relevant professional experience.

English language requirements

If English is not your first language, you must provide evidence of your  proficiency such as a minimum IELTS score of 6.5 (minimum of 6 in each skill), or TOEFL: Listening 23, Reading 23, Speaking 23, Writing 23.

Funding

Pre-service and part-time, in-service students working a maximum of 15 hours per week may be eligible for the Students Award Agency for Scotland (SASS) funding.

information on possible sources of funding

Modes of study

Full-Time (Pre-Service Students) or Part-Time (In-Service Students)

Course start date

September

Application procedure

All applicants should contact the Undergraduate Admissions Office to request an application form.

Application Enquiries

Student Recruitment and Admissions Service
Undergraduate Admissions Office
University of Stirling
Stirling FK9 4LA
Scotland UK

Tel: + 44 (0) 1786 467044
Fax: + 44 (0) 1786 466800
Email: admissions@stir.ac.uk

Structure and content

You will complete the following three modules:

• Learner Identity and Diversity: Increase student’s capacity to respond positively to diversity; to understand the importance of learner identity in student engagement in learning and to critically evaluate policies and practices to that end.  Students will critically evaluate evidence from the field of practice as well as research evidence.
• Teaching and Assessment: Provides a critical and reflective space for sharing and developing students’ knowledge, skills and awareness of the processes of teaching, facilitating and assessing learning in post-compulsory contexts.
• Professional Practice: Enables students to critically examine their role as a professional teacher in Further Education and to identify areas of their practice that could be changed to improve the learning experiences of their students. Students will be encouraged to examine various debates about professionalism within further education and the implications of these debates for their own professional practice.  As part of this process of critical reflection students will be exposed to different frameworks of quality enhancement and will be supported in examining how they can contribute to these processes as individuals and team members.

In addition, Pre-Service students have to complete 120 hours of teaching practice in a college, plus additional inputs on campus.

Delivery and assessment

The course is taught using a combination of lectures, seminars and materials made available via the internet.

The attendance requirement for most modules is two days per module, with all course materials available online in advance. Pre-service students are required to do additional work both on campus and in their college placement.

Recommended reading

• Avis, J., Fisher, R., & Thompson, R. (2010). Teaching in Lifelong Learning: a guide to theory and practice. London: Open University Press.
• Bryce, T. and Humes, W, Eds (2008) Scottish Education.  Third Edition, Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press
• Hayes, A. (2006). Teaching Adults. London: Continuum.
• Hillier, Y. (2005) Reflective Teaching in Further and Higher Education, London: Continnum
• Tusting, K. and Barton, D. (2003) Models of Learning: a literature review. Leicester: NIACE
• Weyers, M. (2006). Teaching the FE curriculum. London: Continuum.

Example timetable

The timetable below is a typical example, but your own timetable may be different.

Pre-Service staff on the course attend for twenty days throughout the academic year.

In Service students attend for ten days as for both their teaching practice is an integral part of the course. 

There is therefore no weekly timetable. However, on the days that the TQFE students are on campus the day consists of individual tutorial support, and then a lecture, seminar and workshop.

Module titles

• Learner Identity and Diversity - TQF9E1
• Teaching and Assessment - TQF9E2
• Professional Practice - TQF9E3

Course Director

Dr Kevin Brosnan

RAE rating

The School of Education was rated number 1 in Scotland in the most recent Research Assessment Exercise (RAE).

Our students

Career opportunities

As the recognised teaching qualification for individuals who wish to undertake a lecturing career in Scottish Further Education, the TQFE provides you with a highly relevant and marketable postgraduate training course. While traditionally the course was undertaken on an in-service basis, it is increasingly the case that colleges prefer you to have completed the qualification prior to entry into the sector. The evidence available suggests that the qualification has been very successful in facilitating career access and progression in Further Education.