Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) Planning, Teaching and Classroom Practice Syllabus

Planning, Teaching and Classroom Practice syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Planning, Teaching and Classroom Practice in Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE), not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Lesson and Sequence Planning

   4 topics

   • Setting clear learning objectives and success criteria
   • Planning for progression across a sequence of lessons
   • Activating prior knowledge and lesson structure
     • Effective starters, exposition and plenaries
     • Models, examples and worked problems
   • Planning effective questioning
2. 2

   Effective Teaching Strategies

   5 topics

   • Explicit and direct instruction
     • Rosenshine's Principles of Instruction
     • I do, we do, you do modelling
   • Questioning techniques
     • Cold calling and no-hands-up
     • Wait time and probing for depth
   • Modelling and scaffolding for independence
   • Guided and independent practice
   • Effective use of group and collaborative work
3. 3

   Behaviour Management

   5 topics

   • Establishing routines, rules and expectations
   • Positive framing and relationships-based approaches
   • Whole-school behaviour policies and consistency
   • De-escalation and responding to low-level disruption
   • Understanding behaviour as communication
4. 4

   Educational Technology and Resources

   3 topics

   • Using EdTech to support teaching and feedback
   • Selecting and adapting teaching resources
   • Online safety and digital citizenship

Planning, Teaching and Classroom Practice flashcards for Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE)

22 of 52 cards from the Planning, Teaching and Classroom Practice deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What are learning objectives (intentions) in lesson planning?

   Statements of what pupils should know, understand, or be able to do by the end of a lesson or sequence. They focus on the intended learning, not the activity, and drive the design of teaching and assessment.

2. What is the difference between a learning objective and a learning activity?

   A learning objective describes the intended learning (what pupils will know/be able to do); a learning activity is the task pupils complete. Tasks are a means to the objective, not the objective itself.

3. What are success criteria?

   Specific, observable statements describing what successful achievement of a learning objective looks like. They make expectations explicit, guide pupils' self/peer assessment, and inform the teacher's judgement of progress.

4. Why should learning objectives focus on knowledge rather than tasks?

   Task-focused objectives let pupils complete work without learning; knowledge-focused objectives clarify the durable understanding to be acquired, allowing accurate assessment and meaningful feedback against learning, not task completion.

5. What does it mean to share success criteria with pupils?

   Making the standards of quality explicit so pupils understand what a good response looks like, can self-regulate, monitor their own progress, and aim their work toward the intended standard.

6. Define 'progression' in the context of a sequence of lessons.

   The deliberate sequencing of knowledge and skills so that each lesson builds on prior learning, increasing in complexity and depth, moving pupils from novice toward expert understanding of a domain.

7. What is a curriculum 'sequence' and why does order matter?

   An ordered set of lessons where component knowledge is taught before composite tasks. Order matters because new learning depends on relevant prior knowledge being secure in long-term memory.

8. What is the difference between 'components' and 'composites' in lesson sequencing?

   Components are the small individual building blocks of knowledge/skill; composites are the complex performances that combine them. Effective sequences teach components to fluency before requiring composite performance.

9. Why is activating prior knowledge important at the start of a lesson?

   New information is understood in relation to existing schemas; activating relevant prior knowledge primes long-term memory, reduces cognitive load on working memory, and helps pupils connect and integrate new learning.

10. What is a typical effective lesson structure?

    A clear sequence such as: review/retrieval of prior learning, sharing objectives, explicit instruction and modelling, guided practice, independent practice, and review/checking for understanding.

11. What is cognitive load theory and its relevance to lesson structure?

    It holds that working memory is limited; instruction should manage intrinsic load, reduce extraneous load, and build schemas in long-term memory. Lessons should present material in manageable steps to avoid overload.

12. What is the purpose of a 'retrieval' or 'do now' starter?

    To retrieve previously learned material from long-term memory, strengthening memory through the testing effect, activating prior knowledge, and settling pupils into purposeful work quickly.

13. What is effective questioning used to achieve in teaching?

    To check understanding, probe and deepen thinking, identify misconceptions, activate prior knowledge, and gather formative assessment evidence that informs responsive teaching.

14. What is the difference between closed and open questions?

    Closed questions have a limited or single correct answer (good for checking facts); open questions invite extended, varied responses (good for probing reasoning and developing thinking).

15. What is 'cold calling' as a questioning technique?

    The teacher poses a question to the whole class, allows think time, then names a pupil to answer (rather than taking hands up), ensuring all pupils stay accountable and engaged in thinking.

16. What is 'wait time' (think time) and why does it matter?

    The pause a teacher leaves after asking a question before taking an answer. Increasing wait time (e.g. several seconds) improves the length, depth, and accuracy of pupil responses and increases participation.

17. What is 'no opt out' in questioning?

    A technique where a pupil who cannot answer is returned to after a correct answer is supplied or modelled, so they must restate the correct response, keeping accountability and reinforcing the right answer.

18. What is 'Process-Product' or probing follow-up questioning?

    Following an initial answer with further questions ('Why?', 'How do you know?', 'Can you give an example?') to probe reasoning, extend thinking, and reveal depth of understanding.

19. Define explicit (direct) instruction.

    A structured, teacher-led approach where the teacher clearly explains and demonstrates content in small steps, checks understanding frequently, and guides practice before pupils work independently.

20. What are Rosenshine's Principles of Instruction broadly about?

    Ten research-based principles for effective teaching, including daily review, presenting material in small steps, asking questions, providing models, guiding practice, checking understanding, obtaining high success rates, scaffolding, and independent practice.

21. According to Rosenshine, why present new material in small steps?

    Because working memory is limited; small steps with practice after each prevent overload, allow checking of understanding, and let pupils master each part before moving on.

22. What success rate did Rosenshine suggest teachers aim for during guided practice?

    A high success rate of about 80%, indicating pupils are learning the material while still being challenged. Too low suggests material is too hard; too high suggests it is too easy.

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