Master of Teaching 2022 Accreditation Process

As many will be aware, accreditation of four of the five courses in the Master of Teaching – early childhood, early childhood & primary, primary and secondary – expires in 2022 (the secondary internship was newly accredited this year). This accreditation is with VIT and ACECQA.

Accreditation cycles are a necessary and valuable element of course review and renewal. This will be the third iteration of the Master of Teaching:

2008 – first iteration of Master of Teaching
2010 – AITSL instituted
2011 – first version of Accreditation Standards and Procedures
2014 – TEMAG instituted
2015 – second version of Accreditation Standards and Procedures
2015 – MGSE begins accreditation process: towards 2017
2017 – second iteration of Master of Teaching
2018 and 2019 – updated versions of Accreditation Standards and Procedures
2020 – MGSE begins accreditation process: towards 2022
2022 – third iteration of Master of Teaching

Over more than a decade, the MGSE Master of Teaching has been regarded as the leader in the field of Initial Teacher Education in Australia. However, the playing field has levelled significantly, influenced by the introduction of accreditation standards and other factors. With this in mind, accreditation offers us opportunities to rethink aspects of our Master of Teaching, while retaining those elements which are central, such as evidence-based practice. There is also clear acknowledgment that many important features of initial teacher education could be further strengthened, such as our engagement with Indigenous knowledges, histories and cultures.

Knowing that accreditation expires in 2022, course management groups in the relevant Master of Teaching courses began, last year, to compile thoughts, ideas and experiences about what was working, and what might be improved. This information, along with other accumulated evidence, informed a series of focused meetings held earlier this year which evolved into a series of more recent long zoom meetings amongst the staff with direct responsibility for leading Initial Teacher Education in MGSE:

  • Associate Dean Learning and Teaching: Associate Professor John Quay
  • Program Director Initial Teacher Education: Dr Daniela Acquaro
  • Professional Experience Coordinator: Dr Richard Sallis
  • Course Coordinator Master of Teaching Secondary: Associate Professor Mark Selkrig
  • Course Coordinator Master of Teaching Primary: Dr Natasha Ziebell
  • Course Coordinator Master of Teaching Early Childhood and Primary: Martina Tassone
  • Course Coordinator Master of Teaching Early Childhood: Dr Jeanne Marie Iorio
  • Course Coordinator Master of Teaching Secondary Internship: Dr Merryn Dawborn-Gundlach

The aim of these meetings is to address the many competing elements which must be aligned in the design of a coherent program of Master of Teaching courses. The output of these meetings will be draft program and course architectures. These will be presented to staff in a consultation period, where the aim is to share and explain the thinking which is emerging, and to enable input into this thinking.

The coronavirus pandemic has slowed our progress in relation to this accreditation process, but we look forward to having something to show for our current efforts in the weeks to come.