North West University Diploma in Education

SAQA nr: 97757

The ADT (Advanced Diploma in Teaching) programme in the Faculty of Education Sciences of the North-West University prepares student teachers to become competent professional educators in a variety of educational and training careers. The overarching goal of the educational experience in this particular programme is to provide all our students with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to live and work in a globally interdependent world and with the support services to help them succeed. This requires a conscious, purposeful, sustained and social-constructivist focus on the actual learning of students that may take place because of their interactions in specific study-related groups. For this reason, this academic programme also seeks to foster inclusivity and to develop a sense of personal and social responsibility and ethical conduct in and among our students by encouraging involvement in environmental affairs, as well as in community and public service. It endeavours to offer and cultivate a teaching-learning environment that is hospitable to diverse socio-conventional and linguistic interests and activities.
The Advanced Diploma in Teaching (ADT) is focused on the initial training of teachers for teaching in the Senior and Further Education and Training Phases, thus Grades 7 to 12.
The ADT serves as a professional capping qualification for candidates who have completed a relevant B-degree or a relevant qualification with at least 360-credit qualification and wish to enter the teaching profession.
Students, who obtained this qualification with its focused vision on classroom practice, will be able to fulfil all the contextual roles and competencies of an effective educator.
With this certificate an educator can teach from Grades 7 to 12.
The programme equips and empowers prospective educators in the Senior and FET phases to:
•    Develop and demonstrate a deep knowledge and understanding of education theory and practice;
•    Integrate education theory and practice as applied competence;
•    Demonstrate and implement the subject specific pedagogical competencies of the Senior and FET educator that embrace teaching, learning and assessment in practice,
•    Develop and demonstrate knowledge, skills, attitudes and values to become responsible, independent and contributing scholars of the professional educational community in a diverse and changing national and international context; and
•    Develop and demonstrate critical, creative and reflective problem solving skills within educational and societal context.
The qualification consists of 140 credits divided into 14 modules. These modules include fundamental modules, generic modules and specialisation methodologies.

This specialised qualification will provide the successful student with both horizontal and vertical articulation possibilities. To articulate vertically, a student can seek access to the BEd Honours (NQF 8) or a Postgraduate Diploma in Education (NQF 8), specializing further in a cognate subject, phase or practice contained in this initial qualification. These NQF Level 8 qualifications ensure access to further postgraduate studies (Master’s & Doctoral Degrees) in cognate study areas. A horizontal articulation is also possible to the AdvDip (Education) qualification on NQF level 7, for students who want to develop a new role to support teaching and learning, for example school librarianship, education for the deaf, etc.