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Education Programs

Education Degree Program Mission, Values and Outcomes

Mission Statement

The Mission of the Faculty of Education at VIU is to educate teachers who will be distinguished by excellence in the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to be responsible educators.

Statement of Values

Excellent Teaching Practices

The Faculty of Education is committed to teaching practices that are both engaging and challenging to the learner.

Learner-Centred View

The Faculty of Education supports a learner-centred view of teaching. The teacher should develop an understanding of the perspectives and abilities of the learner. Teachers must have the knowledge, skill and confidence to adapt and develop curriculum to meet specific needs of the learner.

Collegiality and Collaboration

The Faculty of Education places a high value on collegial interaction and collaborative development among faculty, students, support staff and teaching colleagues. Emphasis is placed on the professional, legal, and ethical responsibilities of a teacher.

Reflective Practice

The Faculty of Education believes that educators should participate actively in reflective practice in order to develop new understanding of and skill in teaching. Reflective practice, guided by the principles of self-directed learning and self-evaluation, is believed to be the foundation of continuous professional growth.

Teaching as Problem Solving and Decision Making

The Faculty of Education believes that teaching is an interactive problem solving and decision making process; a dynamic process involving critical thinking through which the learner develops knowledge with understanding.

Connecting Theory and Practice

The Faculty of Education believes that there must be a clearly defined connection between theory (academic disciplines and education theory) and practice (methods for achieving educational ends in context). Responsible educators continuously strive to adapt theory to support meaningful learning.

Scholarship and Knowledge

The Faculty of Education places a high value on life long learning, curiosity, the love of knowledge and critical thought. Knowledge and skill in pedagogy must be connected with the academic disciplines.

Program Outcomes

To be successful in VIU’s Teacher Education programs, students must demonstrate:

1. Professional Qualities

An understanding of what it means to be a competent, ethical, professional teacher and the disposition to adhere to the professional, legal, and ethical responsibilities of being a teacher.

2. Background Knowledge

An overall understanding of the content underlying the prescribed curriculum in self-contained K-7 classrooms, an in-depth understanding of the content in specialty areas related to discipline-based studies, an understanding of the theoretical underpinnings of pedagogy, and of the foundations of educational thought in our society with the disposition to engage as a life-long learner in areas of background knowledge relevant to education.

3. Capacity to Plan

The capacity to plan sequences of extended learning activities to meet students’ needs in a variety of contexts.

4. Capacity to Teach

The capacity to implement successfully extended sequences of learning activities to motivate and engage learners in physical, creative, and intellectual activities.

Program Regulations

These program regulations apply to VIU’s Teacher Education degree programs.

Application Procedures

  • For the Upper-Level Degree program in Education, applications for September are accepted after November 15 of the preceding year. For information concerning application procedures and deadlines, contact the Admissions office or Faculty of Education Advising office, 250-740-6223, for the Education Programs Selection Procedures. Information regarding application procedures and deadlines are available in November of the preceding year.
  • Transcripts showing completion of all requirements must be received in the Registration Centre by May 31 of the year of application.
  • Maximum enrolments have been established; therefore, VIU’s Faculty of Education cannot guarantee that all qualified candidates will be accepted. Accepted candidates will be notified as early as possible, but final acceptance may not be until late July.
  • Prospective applicants are encouraged to obtain, as an aid to confirming their career choice, volunteer or other experience in working with young people of the age they are proposing to teach. Expressed motivation and demonstrated interest in a teaching career are considered in admissions decisions. Prospective students must submit a Personal Profile that documents life experiences relevant to teaching. The Personal Profile is an important part of the application; it counts for 40% of the admissions ranking.

Interview Requirements

Those students seeking entry to the Faculty of Education for the first time, and others who are in the VIU Teacher Education Program who may be specifically referred, may be interviewed by a committee struck by the Dean for the purpose of judging suitability for the teaching profession. The committee will make a recommendation to the Dean. The professional judgement of those conducting the interviews will be deemed sufficient grounds for recommending the acceptance, or rejection of an application, or withdrawal from the program. The process used to arrive at a negative recommendation will be reviewed by a committee struck by the Dean of Education. Information on appeal procedures is available from the Faculty of Education Advising office.

Statement of ‘suitability to teach’

Suitability to teach will be evaluated in the VIU Teacher Education program using the following standards.

Persons suited to teach:

  • Speak and act towards their students with respect and dignity and deal judiciously with them, always mindful of their individual rights and sensibilities.
  • Respect the confidential nature of information concerning students, making it available only to persons or agencies directly concerned with the students’ welfare.
  • Recognize that the relationship with students is a privileged one and consistently act accordingly.
  • Demonstrate accountability for the quality of service rendered and of the practices employed in discharging their duties as a student teacher through review with *colleagues, supervisors, students and their parents/guardians and by conscientiously engaging in learning activities for the purpose of improving practice as a teacher.
  • Direct any criticism of the teaching performance and related work of school personnel to that person in private, and only then, after informing the person in writing of the intent to do so, may direct in confidence the criticism to appropriate individuals who are able to offer advice and assistance. It shall not be considered a breach of this guideline for a student-teacher to follow legal requirements or official protocols in reporting child protection issues.
  • Recognize that the practicum places the student-teacher in a privileged position requiring the same standard of behaviour expected of practicing teachers and act in a manner that exemplifies the legal, moral and ethical standards required of practicing teachers, refraining from behaviour unbecoming a teacher.
  • Possess an appropriate level of all forms of literacy that impact teaching.
  • Speak and act towards colleagues with respect and dignity and deal judiciously with them, always mindful of their individual rights and sensibilities

* The term ‘colleagues’ includes fellow student teachers and anyone who works in the educational setting.

Academic Regulations for the Degree Programs

Certification

For the purpose of determining eligibility for a teaching credential, successful completion of the education program requires a minimum 2.33 (“C+”) on each Education course taken while enrolled in the Teacher Education program.

Withdrawal

The Faculty of Education reserves the right at any time to require any student to withdraw from the Program where it believes on consideration of scholarship, professional fitness or professional conduct that the student is unsuited for the teaching profession. Unsatisfactory performance in any aspect of the program may be considered reasons to require a student to withdraw from the program.

If re-admission is approved following required or voluntary withdrawal from a practicum and/or the program, students will normally be re-admitted with probationary status.

Minimum Sessional Grade Point Average

Students in the program must obtain a minimum grade point average of 2.33 (“C+”) on every academic year attended, otherwise they will be required to withdraw from the program.

Appeals should be submitted to the VIU Faculty of Education Appeals Committee. Information on appeals procedures is available from the Education Advising office.

Regulations Concerning Field Experiences

Approval and Assignment of Field Experience Placements

VIU’s Faculty of Education reserves the right to approve or disapprove any school for field experience placements for student teachers, to place student teachers in schools, and to change any placement assigned to a student teacher. The student must be informed in writing of the reasons for any required change in placement.

Inability to Place

The Faculty is responsible for seeking a sufficient number of school placements to serve the needs of all registered student teachers. A student teacher may be required to withdraw from a Field Experience course if none of the available schools will accept that particular student teacher.

Notification of Concern for Learning and/or Working Environment

VIU’s Faculty of Education reserves the right to provide information to the principal of a school being considered for a field experience placement for a particular student-teacher where it is deemed necessary for the principal to have the information in order to carry out his/her duties as a principal. The Field Experience office must inform the principal if concerns have been raised within the Faculty of Education, or in a previous field experience placement, about a more than usual potential for a negative impact on the quality of the learning and/or working in the classroom and/or school as a result of the presence of the student-teacher. The Field Experience and/or Program Chair must inform the student teacher in writing of the reasons for the concerns giving rise to such notification to the principal.

Dates

The dates of practica will be available to students at the beginning of each term.

Attendance

Regular attendance during field experience is required. Students are expected to notify the school whenever field experience appointments cannot be kept and also to inform their Faculty Supervisor.

Standard of Professional Behaviour

All student-teachers in the program placed in schools for teaching field experience are subject to the provisions of the School Act, School Regulations, the British Columbia Teachers Federation (B.C.T.F.) Code of Ethics and any regulations and/or code of behaviour applicable to teachers and staff in the school. Any student teacher may be required to withdraw from a field experience for violation of any part of the School Act, School Regulations, the B.C.T.F. Code of Ethics, or upon a written notice from the school principal or the superintendent in the district where the student is placed.

Unethical or Unprofessional Behaviour

Supervisors or sponsor teachers who refuse students’ continued participation in a field experience for misconduct or repeated absence must immediately discuss the matter with the Field Experience coordinator, who shall then either inform the students of the conditions under which they may resume participation in the field experience or inform the students that the Dean of Education, or Dean’s designate, is being advised that the student-teacher’s performance in the field experience is considered unsatisfactory by those responsible for supervision of the field experience.

Denial and Withdrawal

Participation in a field experience is a privilege.

a)    Denial
Students will be denied the field experience if their pre-field experience preparatory work is considered unsatisfactory by the Dean of Education and will be assigned a failing grade.

b)    Required Withdrawal
Students may be required to withdraw from the field experience if their performance in the field experience, or their field experience preparation, is considered unsatisfactory by the Dean of Education and will normally be assigned a failing grade.

c)    Voluntary Withdrawal
After consultation with and approval of the Field Experience Coordinator, students who are being successful in their practicum, as determined by their practicum supervisor, but who, for extenuating circumstances, request permanent or temporary withdrawal from a field experience must receive permission to do so from the Dean of Education. At that time academic standing for the course will be determined.

To voluntarily withdraw without academic penalty, students must notify the Dean of Education, in writing, at least two weeks in advance of the commencement of the field experience. Students should make this decision after careful consideration of the possible impact on continuation in the program.

d)    Notification of Withdrawal
Failure to give appropriate notice of withdrawal during the field experience, without consultation and approval of the Field Experience Coordinator, will result in withdrawal from the VIU Education program. Students who are required to withdraw from a field experience must make an appointment to see the Dean of Education or designate.

Re-admission

Students who have withdrawn for any reason from a field experience (EDFE) course, or who wish to re-enter or re-take the field experience course must apply to the VIU Faculty of Education Appeals Committee for re-admission to the course. Students should not assume that re-admission is guaranteed. The number of times a student can be re-admitted to field experience courses is limited to once, except in cases where there are dire circumstances beyond the student’s control as set out in the VIU Late Withdrawal Regulation. Students will only be re-admitted to a field experience course when, in the opinion of those responsible for the supervision of the previous attempt, there was evidence of significant progress toward meeting the outcomes for the field experience course. Students will not be re-admitted to any single field experience course more than once. Students will not be re-admitted to a field experience course if they have previously been re-admitted to any other field experience course in the teacher education program.

Appeals

Students submit appeals to the VIU Faculty of Education Appeals Committee. Appeals procedures are available online at viu.ca/education/ed_appeal.htm.

Professional Preparation

Field Experience, Student Teaching and Seminars

Field experience, student teaching and seminars form an integral part of the VIU Teacher Education Program. Requirements for these components of the Bachelor of Education programs are outlined in the course descriptions. Students should be aware that all arrangements for field experience and student teaching are made through the Field Experience Office.

Education students must be prepared to travel to any school district in the Central Vancouver Island region for field experience placement. In order to do this, students should budget for transportation. In consultation with the Field Experience Coordinator, special final practicum placements may be arranged by the Field Experience Office. Extra expense will be involved and students should budget accordingly.

Students should note that School Districts may refuse placements and require students to withdraw from practica.

Prerequisites for each field experience course must be completed before students commence their field experience.

Credit for Studies Undertaken at Other Institutions

Students who plan to undertake work at other institutions are required to seek prior approval from the Education Advising Centre if they wish such courses to be credited toward a degree at VIU.

Graduation Requirements

To be eligible for a Bachelor of Education degree and a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Business Administration degree, the candidate must normally have earned:

  • a passing grade in each of the courses comprising the degree program; and a minimum 2.33 ("C+") grade in each Education course.
  • a minimum grade point average of 2.33 (“C+”).

Teacher Certification

  • The College of Teachers: Current legislation requires that every person appointed or retained as a teacher in a public school be a member of the College of Teachers and hold a valid certificate of qualification issued by the College.
    It is the responsibility of the individual to make application to the Registrar of the College of Teachers for initial certification, or for a change in certification, and to provide all necessary documents.
  • The Teacher Qualification Service: Salary categories for teachers are established by the Teacher Qualification Service upon application, and only when a British Columbia teaching credential has already been granted by the College of Teachers. Categories are assigned on the basis of completed years of academic and professional preparation. Partial years are not considered.
  • Procedures and Documentation: Application forms for the College of Teachers and the Teacher Qualification Service are available from the Faculty of Education Advising and Field Experience Office, as well as directly from the agencies.

Updated June 21, 2011