The Graduate Certificate of Education is a nested award in the Master of Education designed to equip education professionals with an understanding of a biblical perspective on the philosophical foundations of education. It provides a broad understanding of professional educational principles as well as critical and creative thinking skills which are valuable to any professional context. It also provides the opportunity for students to explore the implication of their faith in their professional context.
This course can be a destination course or exit point, thus allowing flexibility for students who may wish to start with a short postgraduate course before committing to a Master of Education or for students who need to exit the Master of Education earlier than intended, due to unforeseen personal or professional reasons.
Through a Higher Education Third Party Arrangement (HETPA), the National Institute for Christian Education (NICE) delivers this course of study on AC’s behalf. NICE is a postgraduate training institute that has been developing Christian educators since 1979. For more information about NICE, including the suite of courses they deliver, their teaching faculty, requirements for admission into this course of study, and information about fees and student services, please visit NICE’s website.
Download:
Enrolment Guide
Student Handbook
Course Information
Course Structure
The course structure is based on one semester (of 13 weeks duration), with four subjects taught in the semester (or part time equivalent). To qualify for the award of the Graduate Certificate of Education, a candidate shall accrue an aggregate of at least 40 credit points, including satisfactory completion of the core subjects noted below:
EDU400 - Biblical Foundations of Education (or THE401 - Christian Worldview)
EDU501 - Worldviews and Educational Practice
EDU503 - Curriculum Development in Christian Schools
EDU507 - Reflective Pedagogy
Course Learning Outcomes
1. Demonstrated recognition of the diversity of life values that characterise today’s pluralist societies, and ability to encourage respect, based on informed understanding, of those who hold views that differ from those of the school community;
2. Demonstrated understanding of the development of theological and anthropological perspectives on Christian educational leadership practice;
3. Demonstrated ability to critically evaluate and effectively communicate educational leadership theories and practices in order to most effectively achieve desired learning outcomes with special attention to embedded worldview and life values;
4. Demonstrated ability to demonstrate knowledge and higher-order of skills that are required for effective Christian educational leadership and training in such areas as teaching, curriculum, administration and research in order to develop, sustain and fulfil the vision and mission of particular school communities;
5. Demonstrated ability to articulate a clear understanding of a biblical worldview, and its impact on philosophical and historical trends in education. Plan and implement educational programs in the social and cultural context of the contemporary world that are critically shaped by a biblically informed experience of that world;
6. Demonstrated ability to display creativity and flexibility supported by biblically informed, rigorous reasoning in identifying and dealing with emerging problems in the educational leadership context;
7. Demonstrated ability to develop a plan for continual personal development that includes spiritual, professional and interpersonal skills for effective school leadership and collegial academic engagement.
Length Of Program
Full-Time: 1 semester (4 subjects per semester, 40 credit points)
Part-Time: Up to 4 Years (1 - 2 subjects per semester)
Delivery Sites
This course of study is delivered by the National Institute for Christian Education (NICE) through a Higher Education Third Party Arrangement between AC and NICE.
For more information about this course, including the suite of courses available, teaching faculty, requirements for admission into this course of study, and information about fees and student services, please visit NICE’s website.
Entry Requirements
IELTS
This course is not currently available to onshore international students.
International students are required to have attained an International English Language Testing Service (IELTS) of 7.0, with a score of not less than 6.5 in any band, or equivalent.
Academic Entry Requirements
Applicants must meet one of the following academic entry requirements:
For Applicants with Recent Secondary Education
This course requires the completion of at least an AQF Level 7 qualification in education, or the equivalent degree and a Diploma or Certificate in Education by an authorised institution or completion of any AQF Level 8 qualification. Applicants with recent secondary education are not eligible for this course.
For Applicants with a Vocational Education and Training Qualification
This course requires the completion of at least an AQF Level 7 qualification in education, or the equivalent degree and a Diploma or Certificate in Education by an authorised institution or completion of any AQF Level 8 qualification. Applicants with a vocational education and trainng qualification are not eligible for this course.
For Applicants with a Higher Education Qualification
Completion of at least an AQF Level 7 qualification in education, or the equivalent degree and a Diploma or Certificate in Education by an authorised institution or completion of any AQF Level 8 qualification.
For Applicants with Work and Life Experience
This course requires the completion an Australian Level 7 qualification or higher awarded under the Australian Qualifications Framework (or equivalent overseas qualification). Applicants without a formal higher education qualification are not eligible for direct entry into this course.
Fees
Complete Fee Schedules and FEE-HELP information (where appropriate) for all Alphacrucis courses can be found in our Documents section, under the Fees and FEE-HELP Information link.
-
EDU400 - Biblical Foundations of Education
-
Outcomes:
- Explain the difference between various understandings of theology and an approach to the Bible that sees it as a unified narrative, considering the potential influence each may have on education
- Summarise some of the difficulties with different methods of Biblical interpretation and approaches to hermeneutics, including concerns regarding epistemological approaches to the Bible as the written word of God
- Consider the themes of Scripture and their pertinence to schooling
- Compare and contrast the literature genres of specific books, and see the history of the Old and New Testament Scriptures in terms of the larger plans and purposes of God- with specific reference to education;
- Evaluate the implications of a biblically grounded metanarrative for life and educational practice
Unit detail page >>
-
EDU501 - Worldviews and Educational Practice
-
Outcomes:
- Express how underlying pre-theoretical worldview assumptions are formed and their effect on education theory and practice
- Describe the relationship between Christian scriptures and worldviews
- Summarise and critically evaluate the role of worldview liturgies in the development of human virtues, practices and relationships;
- Compare and contrast the contours of contending worldviews within current mainstream culture and their implications for educational vision and practice
- Critically appraise one’s own educational practices in light of the Christian scriptures, worldview grounds and cultural contours
Unit detail page >>
-
EDU503 - Curriculum Development in Christian Schools
-
Outcomes:
- Critically appraise the approaches taken by curriculum developers and the role of teachers in creating, planning, reviewing and adapting units of curriculum in Christian schools for use with their classes
- Critique various theories and practices associated with curriculum design and development, assessing their alignment with a Biblical worldview perspective
- Describe and discuss the advantages and challenges of collegial curriculum development practice with reference to an action research investigation;
- Recommend processes and strategies for ongoing collaborative development of curriculum, which reflects a school’s student characteristics, faith commitments, and vision in a dynamically structured and Biblically informed approach
Unit detail page >>
-
EDU507 - Reflective Pedagogy
-
Outcomes:
- Describe the development of Christian schooling pedagogical practices from the perspective of their philosophical and theoretical foundations
- Appraise the importance of teaching/learning contexts;
- Critically evaluate one’s personal teaching practices and student learning processes.
- Devise a professional development program effectively incorporating reflective teaching practice;
- Design a teaching and learning environment with appropriate content that will maximise learning outcomes.
Unit detail page >>
