Professional Master of Education (Primary Teaching)
Duration: 2 years full-time
Level: 9
Places Offered: 120
Location: MIC Limerick
Delivery Mode:
Face-to-face
Assessment:
A variety of methods across the 2 years including portfolios, essays, examinations, school placement, presentations and dissertation.
- Programme Overview
- Programme Content
- Entry Requirements
- How to Apply
- Ask a Question
Programme Overview
The Professional Master of Education (Primary Teaching) is a two-year, full-time Level 9 postgraduate professional teacher education programme designed to qualify graduates as primary teachers. A key element of the PME is practice-oriented inquiry where students interrogate experiences and forge new understandings, integrating educational theory and practice through structured reflection and research applications. The programme is designed to equip student teachers with the cognitions and competencies necessary to develop creative and flexible approaches to teaching in different contexts and settings embracing pupils with diverse and often complex needs.
Key Features
Thematic in nature, the programme focuses iteratively on students’ role as learner, teacher, researcher and leader. In addition to the established broad range of curriculum and foundation studies areas studied traditionally within ITE programmes at MIC, this programme contains a strong spine of three research methods modules which culminate in the Reporting Educational Research module. The research modules provide students with a critical introduction to the principal methods in educational research; identify educational research issues and questions, and consider appropriate methods of investigating them.
This course provides students with the opportunity to spend two Tréimhse Foghlama sa Ghaeltacht across their two years. These two modules are usually undertaken within the first year of the programme and between semesters; in early January and during the Summer break between first year and second year.
A range of assessment modes are employed across the two year programme, comprising written examinations and course work including group presentations and Blended Learning; summer modules such as ‘Leadership and Policy’ are undertaken by the students in an online format.
Professional Placement & Career Opportunities
The students have the opportunity to undertake a number of school placement experiences across a range of classes over the course of the two years and assessment and mentoring supports the student during this process. Assessment of school placement and micro-teaching is also a core component of this programme.
On successful completion of the course, graduates are qualified to teach all classes in the primary school.
Please note: It has recently been decided to increase significantly the number of places on the PME programme nationally. Therefore the closing date for applications has been extended until 2 June 2023.
Programme Aims
The Professional Master of Education (PME) seeks to foster in graduate teacher education students a spirit of justice and compassion in the service of others and the creation of a democratic setting where all have the freedom and opportunity to achieve their full potential.
The PME aims to develop graduate students' knowledge, skills, beliefs, and values in ways that support the development of professionals who:
- Promote and maintain a strong commitment to education and teaching and to the quality of the educational experiences of their pupils.
- Respect and value childhood and help children to unlock and realise their potential.
- Value their identity as learners, teachers, researchers and future leaders.
- Recognise the dignity of the individual graduate student of education who brings her/his own unique identity, prior experience and expertise to the teaching profession.
- Comprehensively understand, respect, question and think critically about knowledge and who can adapt this knowledge within the complexities of their educational research and practice.
- Are committed to promoting rich, innovative, flexible, creative learner-centred environments.
- Seek to develop their personal and professional qualities including creativity, enthusiasm, risk-taking, commitment, responsibility and innovation, all of which equip teachers to actively contribute and respond positively to change in Irish society in the twenty-first century.
- Promote the vision of the teacher as researcher and critically reflective practitioner who engages with inquiry-based examination and consideration of all aspects of professional practice, linked to a commitment of the teacher.
- Challenge and confront social injustice and inequality as they see them in the class, playground and in the community, thus helping them to become agents of change.
- Are empowered to recognise, appreciate and accommodate difference.
- Understand, recognise and imbue the pivotal contribution of educational research to teacher formation.
- Recognise leadership as an intrinsic component of teacher education.
- Programme Overview
- Programme Content
- Entry Requirements
- How to Apply
- Ask a Question
