Case Studies
Select a case study from the list below.
David
I am aged 30, a mature student and I am married with three children. I studied at Birmingham City University on the PGCE Secondary Design and Technology (Food & Textiles) course.
I did a HND in Hotel Catering and Institutional Management in 1996 followed by a BSc (hons) in Catering Technology. After graduating I worked in the milk industry for 3½ years working in quality control, testing raw, ongoing and finished milk and cream products. Following this I then moved into a different industry (brick manufacture) working in quality again. From this I worked my way up to co-ordinator for one of the lines in the factory but felt that this job wasn’t what I truly wanted to do.
I have always enjoyed cooking and working with food which is why I felt I wanted to change my career and use my degree to its full effect. I also undertook a 2 year part time course in interior design as I am always keen to learn new skills. The decision to change career was difficult but as soon as I left my job I knew I had made the right choice. Having not studied for 8 years I found the re-adjustment, and fitting in the workload around my family tough, but in the end it was definitely worth it. I love the challenge of being a male food technology teacher and I have just secured a Head of Department post two years after completing my PGCE.
Charlotte
I graduated from University of Central England with a BA degree in Textiles Design. I did a PGCE in Design and Technology at University of Worcester as the university has a good reputation and I also received a bursary to support my training. Members of our course all had really different backgrounds but we have supported each other really well. We keep in contact via email; sharing ideas, problems and resources. This is something that will hopefully continue in the coming years.
What qualities do I think are required for future students studying the same course? Being organised is essential, especially at the start. Do not compare yourself to anyone else in the group; everyone has different commitments and priorities. Make your own resources, share them and try to keep using them. You must also be able to ask for help, especially from subject tutors, fellow students and school mentors. Everyone wants you to succeed.
Clint
I am Clint, aged 27 and I am studying for a PGCE in Design and Technology at Staffordshire University where I also studied for a BSc (hons) in Product Design Technology.
Experience with all aspects of design and technology led me to believe that this subject would be the most appropriate subject for me to teach. I am passionate about good design and creativity and feel that this is fundamental to education. I chose the PGCE course because it provided me with a mix between placement time and university time. I feel that because of the mixed time the support was excellent and as a trainee I never felt isolated.
Helen
My name is Helen. I did a PGCE in D&T: Textiles and Food Technology at Birmingham City University. I am now in my third year of teaching.
My specialist subject is textiles and my love for this subject became apparent during secondary school. I attended Barr Beacon School and left gaining 10 GCSE’s, including an A Grade in Textiles Technology.
After school, I went to Sutton Coldfield College where I completed a BTEC National Diploma Textiles & Fashion Design. I developed my skills and knowledge in the subject further by doing a BA Hons degree in Textiles & Fashion Design at the University of Leeds.
I decided to go into teaching because I am so passionate about my subject and wanted to use my enthusiasm to inspire young people. Design and Technology is such a diverse subject that encourages creativity and individuality. It enables young people to develop their confidence, which not only helps them during their school life, but will be with them all through their future careers.
James
I am James and I choose to train with Robert Owen Consortium EBITT. I have a BSc degree in Industrial Product Design from Coventry University. The main attractions of the course were that firstly, you are paid a salary instead of using the student loan system, and secondly, it was ‘on the job’ training instead of too much theory.
I found everyone who I was involved with extremely helpful and felt that any concerns I did have were sorted out as soon as possible. I liked how the consortium organised all of the lectures into weekend courses instead of one session per week, for example. I consider the main strengths of the course to be the support networks for each student, the rapport you build with the mentors and the opportunity to swap ideas at the residentials.
Martin
I’ve wanted to teach for a while, I knew I needed a degree and a PGCE, so I worked towards a degree with the Open University whilst still working giving me the opportunity to work towards my goal whilst earning. However, the consequence was that it took longer (7 years); having gained my degree I then applied to Staffordshire University for the PGCE Design and Technology course.
The course has various aspects that are enjoyable, including the team teaching and learning study work. The different backgrounds of the cohort make for a great social dynamic and the subject support throughout has been excellent. However I think the thing I’ve enjoyed the most is the bonding as a group/cohort and helping each other.
Without a doubt the PGCE course has been one of the best things I’ve ever done, despite having a few interesting jobs (at one stage I worked in 26 countries in 7 years). I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the course and although I’m very much looking forward to starting my teaching career I will miss the course and team.
Nicci
I left school in 1999, with a strong interest in Art and Design. I studied GNVQ level 3 Art and Design and specialised in Textiles in the second year. I then went on to Manchester Metropolitan University to study Textile Design, specifically printed textiles.
After I graduated, I worked as a teaching assistant (TA) for a year, where I was linked to the food and textiles department. Whilst working as a TA, I studied British sign language at college and re-sat Maths GCSE; I needed to pass Maths to gain entry onto the PGCE course. Half way through the year whilst working as a TA, I made my mind up and decided to apply via the GTTR for the PGCE Secondary Design and Technology course at Birmingham City University.
My degree provided me with the skills, knowledge and enthusiasm needed to pass on to pupils. The practical experience I gained whilst working in school, gave me an insight into the varied, exciting and fun world of school life.
Rebecca
I am a mature student who studied on the PGCE Design and Technology course at University College of Worcester on the flexible part-time route. I chose Worcester as it was my local university and the PGCE has a specialist course in my chosen field of food and textiles.
The course more than met my expectations. I have been impressed with the variety of content and the course outline. I have enjoyed getting practical experience of subject specific work in textiles and food and having a separate group for Professional Studies to share ideas. I now intend to work part time as a teacher and continue to develop my interests in textiles.
Victoria
I went to Sixth Form College at 16 and did A levels in History, Sociology and English Literature. I started my working with Asda where I performed a number of roles including Deputy Customer Service Manager and a Food Services Manager, responsible for catering in the staff and customer areas of the store. I had already begun to think of returning to higher education at this point but was unsure how to go about it so I visited a careers advisor. I knew I was interested in Food and I knew I wanted to work with people and at that point my aim was to become an Environmental Health Officer.
I decided to do a degree in Food and Consumer Management as I wanted to pursue a career related to my experiences in industry. During my degree I did a placement at an inner-city school in Birmingham. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed being in school and how rewarding it was working with secondary age pupils. At the end of my second year I returned to the school with teaching in mind as a possible career. I enjoyed it even more and was able to use my experiences both at work and at college to contribute to lessons. Going back for the second time and being so unwilling to leave at the end of the placement convinced me that teaching was the job for me so I attended an Open Day at Birmingham City University, completed my application and also applied for the Student Associate Scheme (SAS).
The SAS course gave me experience in a different school and an insight into the PGCE course. I began to see how the lectures at university and school experience linked together to assist my development. The course gave me an opportunity to observe experienced teachers and I began to collect evidence towards my QTS profile. Now here I am, in my second year of teaching and loving it!
