Undergraduate study options

Educational Psychology

Overview

The subject group Educational Psychology offers various modules in Educational Psychology at undergraduate.

Educational Psychology focuses primarily on human cognition, affect and behaviour as they manifest in different developmental phases in diverse educational and societal contexts.

The undergraduate modules in Educational Psychology aim to equip student teachers with discipline-specific knowledge and an informed understanding of learners’ cognition, affect and behaviour as they manifest in the school situation, and on how to promote learners’ psychological well-being.

At postgraduate level, the following programs are offered in Educational Psychology:

  • BEdHons in Educational Psychology: The successful completion of the academic (course work and research project) and service learning aspects of this programme enables the student to understand and practically implement various initiatives regarding academic, social and community opportunities within their environment. This qualification will facilitate the student in functioning as a teacher with an added in-depth educational psychology knowledge which can be applied in the daily classroom activities. It must be noted that this qualification will not lead to registration with the Psychology Board of the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) as a registered counsellor but will enable the student to apply for the MEd (Educational Psychology) degree, which may eventually lead to registering as a professional educational psychologist.

  • MEd in Educational Psychology: This is a research programme and requires the student to research a relevant topic in the field of Educational Psychology and to submit a dissertation for examination.
  • PhD in Educational Psychology: This is a research programme and requires the student to research a relevant topic in the field of Educational Psychology and to make an original and substantial contribution to the existing body of knowledge in Educational Psychology. A thesis must be submitted for examination.

Degree options

Learner Support

Overview

The subject group Learner Support offers various modules in Learner Support at undergraduate level.

Learner Support focuses primarily on learners who experience barriers to learning, and on how to identify, support and accommodate them optimally in inclusive classrooms and schools.

The undergraduate modules in Learner Support aim to equip student teachers with discipline-specific knowledge and an informed understanding of diverse barriers to learning and knowledge of how to identify, support and accommodate learners with barriers to learning optimally in inclusive classroom and school environments.

At postgraduate level the following programmes are offered in Learner Support:

  • BEdHons in Learner Support Education: The aim of this programme is to equip teachers with specialised knowledge of and skills in the diverse barriers to learning and of how to identify, support and accommodate learners with barriers to learning optimally in inclusive classroom and school environments. These teachers will play specialised roles in school-based support teams and will render specialised support to learners who experience barriers to learning.
  • MEd in Learner Support Education: This is a research programme and requires the student to research a relevant topic in the field of Learner Support Education and to submit a dissertation for examination.
  • PhD in Learner Support Education: This is a research programme and requires the student to research a relevant topic in the field of Learner Support Education and to make an original and substantial contribution to the existing body of knowledge in Learner Support Education. A thesis must be submitted for examination.

Degree options

Life Orientation

Overview

In South African schools Life Skills is a compulsory subject for Grades R-6 and Life Orientation the compulsory subject from Grades 7 to 12. The rationale of the subject is to equip learners to become meaningful and successful in a changing society and world. As set out in the National Curriculum Statement (2011), these subjects develop skills, knowledge, values and attitudes in learners.

Life Orientation and Life Skills aim to guide and prepare learners to respond appropriately to life's responsibilities and opportunities;  equip learners to interact optimally on a personal, psychological, cognitive, motor, physical, moral, spiritual, cultural and socio-economic level; guide learners to make informed and responsible decisions about their own health and well-being and the health and well-being of others; expose learners to their constitutional rights and responsibilities, to the rights of others and to issues of diversity;  equip learners with knowledge, skills and values to make informed decisions about subject choices, careers, additional and higher education opportunities and the world of work; expose learners to various study methods and skills pertaining to assessment processes and expose learners to an understanding of the value of regular participation in physical activity.

To do justice to this subject in schools, it is important to train prospective teachers who can make a meaningful contribution to the education and training of the learners of our country. Teachers who present this subject will have a major share in the personal growth and social accountability of learners, which will also help to create a productive economy and therefore an improved quality of life for all citizens of the country.

At postgraduate level the following programmes are offered in Life Orientation:

Bachelor of Education Honours in Life Orientation qualification: The aim of this qualification is to provide a postgraduate specialisation in Life Orientation. This qualification will consolidate and deepen students' expertise in Life Orientation and prepare them for research-based postgraduate study in this selected field of specialisation. The purpose also includes the development of capacity in research methodology, design, and techniques of the selected specialisation. The qualification will provide the successful student with an opportunity to enrol for a Master's degree in Life Orientation, building upon the pedagogical and research foundation of the BEd Hons qualification. 

Degree options

Movement Education

Overview

Movement Education addresses the focus areas of Physical Education and Sport Management. Physical Education is one of the focus areas of Life Orientation (50% of the time for Life Orientation in the school is allotted to Physical Education), while Sport Management is aimed at the work of a sport manager or sport organiser of the school. According to the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS), Life Orientation is one of the four compulsory core subjects that must be passed in Grade 12 before a learner will meet the requirements for obtaining a National Senior Certificate.

If you choose Physical Education and Sport Management as core module, you can facilitate Physical Education as well as Life Orientation in schools. To supplement your qualification as Physical Education teacher, you can also qualify as a sport manager, sport organiser, sports coach or recreation activity organiser.

The Physical Education and Sport Management core module includes the following: Sport history and ethics, basic sport skills, sport management, educational gymnastics, applied anatomy and physiology, exercise science, recreational science, educational dance, educational games, perceptual-motor development, talent identification, advanced sport skills, sport games and assessment.

After completing your B.Ed degree with Physical Education and Sport Management as a major, you can also continue with an Honours. M.Ed and PhD specialising in Physical Education. 

Degree options

Early Childhood Development and Education

Overview

South Africa is in dire need of well-stimulated, developed and educated toddlers, pre-schoolers and children in their early childhood years of development (0-9 years), as these youngsters will ensure that the country develops according to its full potential with adults possessing high-level skills.

Our Subject Group ECDE offers various certificate, diploma and degree programmes to develop and educate learners between the ages of 0-9 years old. Our first postgraduate programme will roll out soon (a BEd Honours in ECD degree), followed by a Master’s and Doctorate programme in the future.

We aim to be a Subject Group that provides quality teacher training programmes from undergraduate to postgraduate qualifications, supported by a robust research and community engagement initiative, enabling students and staff to grow and develop as they experience various forms of lifelong learning opportunities. We strive to deliver programmes, research and community engagement activities that are contextually relevant and aim to narrow the theory-practice gap.

Our programme foci include:

  • A play-based learning approach;
  • mother tongue education for some degree options in English, Afrikaans, Setswana, Sesotho, Sepedi and isiZulu;
  • practical learning opportunities infused by theoretical underpinnings;
  • preparation for multigrade learning within the South African context;
  • a focus on an integrated Home Language, Additional Language, Mathematics and Life Skills balanced programme;
  • international and national overviews and trends in education to assure relevant and contextualised teaching; and
  • learning to teach in diverse teaching settings and be adaptable in the face of socio-economic challenges.

Degree options

Qualification options:

  • BEd in Foundation Phase (Gr. R-3) (contact and distance)
  • Diploma in Grade R teaching (distance)
  • ACT/ADE in Foundation Phase (distance)
  • Short course in Grade R teaching (distance learning/nationwide)

Forthcoming qualifications:

  • BEd in Early Childhood Care and Education (0-4 years) (distance)
  • BEd Honours in Early Childhood Education and Management (contact and distance)
  • Masters and doctorate degree in Early Childhood Education

Setswana translation of ECDE subject group information

Aforikaborwa e tlhoka bana ba ba tlhotlheleditsweng, ba ba tsweletseng le ba ba rutegileng, bana ba mo dingwageng tsa nonofofo ya bona (dingwaga di le 0-9), ba tlaa tlhabololang naga ya rona go tlala seatla mme ba tlaa nna bagolo ba ba tlaa nnang le bokgoni jwa maemo a kwa godimo.

Setlhoparutwa sa rona sa Tsweletso le Thutopele ya Bananyana (TTB) se neela dithutego tse di farologaneng tsa mananeo a setifikeiti, dipoloma le dikerii go tsweletsa le go ruta barutwana ba dingwaga di le 0-9. Lenaneo la bonadikerii la ntlha le tlaa simolola mo nakong e e sa fediseng pelo (BEd Honours ECD), morago go latele la Masetase le la Bongaka.