Why study education?

A career in Education is a truly unique opportunity to make a positive impact on others by engaging young and not so young minds in the search for knowledge, the development of skills and most importantly how to apply them in their lives and for society.

Studying an Education course is simultaneously challenging and rewarding. Your Education degree is where you not only learn how to teach others, but you establish the framework for your own learning and development. Your career is one of sharing your learning journey, by helping others achieve their potential as you develop and realise your own.

Education is a great study option for committed and passionate people wanting to make a career in helping others. It helps establish you as a lifelong learner who can independently recognise and pursue dynamic professional development opportunities that result in improved student experiences.

SCU’s courses not only help graduates meet all of Australian Professional Standards¹ for Teaching 37 focus areas, but they also integrate the three professional domains – Knowledge, Practice and Engagement and are pitched at the right career level, with bachelors degrees for graduate and proficient and masters’ degrees for highly accomplished and lead levels.

To become qualified to teach in Australia, you will need to study a Bachelor of Education. This takes four years of full-time study, which includes teaching placements in schools. For postgraduate education study, there’s a Master of Teaching and a Master of Education. Both are two years of full-time study. ¹ https://www.aitsl.edu.au/teach/standards

What do you learn in an education course?

Here are some of the units offered offered in our Master of Education at Southern Cross University Online:

• Contemporary Educational Leadership
• Contemporary Educational Contexts
• Leading Professional Learning
• Educational Investigation

Specialisations include Educational Leadership or Educational Wellbeing.

What are the salary expectations of an education graduate?

  According to Pay Scale, primary school teachers earn on average $64,000 per annum with early-career/new graduates earning about 10% less and mid-career teachers earning about 10% more. Experienced and late-career teachers can earn about 25% more than the average.

School principals may earn in excess of $120,000 per annum. Conditions such as school holidays leave, and professional development opportunities are considered attractive benefits for the teaching profession.

Source: PayScale - 25th February 2019

Studying Online

If you are working full-time, the thought of finding the time to go to a university campus to do your study could stop you before you even start. Today, most universities offer a blend of on- and off- campus study options with a large number of degrees now being 100% online. This means you complete a series of readings, activities and assessments through an online learning portal and engage with academics and fellow students in online chat groups. If online connections are a problem, alternatives such as mailed resources and assessments may be possible. Blended learning, which has a mix of online and on-campus learning is a popular option and especially important where the qualification leads to vocational outcomes involving people, for example, vocations such as teaching or nursing.

See what it’s like to study online at Southern Cross University

Early childhood educator

Early childhood teachers work with children between the ages of two to five. They help them develop the skills that they need for all future learning, developing language and vocabulary skills, elementary numeracy and improvement of physical and social skills. If you major in Early Childhood, major areas of study include early childhood development; teaching principles and practices; play and pedagogies, and units that target early childhood professional development such as leadership, advocacy and issues in early childhood education. 

 

Primary school teacher

Primary school teachers teach children aged five to 12 years old. As a primary school teacher, you will prepare lessons that cover a broad syllabus and curriculum. Learning subject areas include English; mathematics; science; technology; society and environment; creative arts and personal development, health and physical education.

Majoring in primary teaching not only covers the above curriculum areas it also equips students for a career teaching in primary schools and includes studies in areas of teaching and learning, behaviour management and childhood development.

Secondary school teacher

As a secondary school teacher, you will help students learn through a variety of ways, whether that’s discussion, lectures or demonstrations. You will create and apply tests to measure students learning, like assignments and tests. Secondary school teachers record student learning and manage the behaviour of students in a classroom.

 

Education and leadership roles

A qualification such as a Master of Education equips you with the skills and knowledge you need to pursue a variety of leadership and policy roles within contemporary educational contexts.  

Principal

School principals need to have a blend of leadership and professional practice skills. They need to have the ability to lead and inspire others, continually developing their own skills to drive improvement, innovation and change in (increasingly complex) educational environments.

As a principal, you have to ensure students meet their learning objectives and you are the face of the school, and the contact for teachers, parents and students. You have to have experience managing finances and budget implementation. You also oversee curriculum.

 

 

Regional Education Managers

Regional Education Managers plan, organise and coordinate education policy and curriculum resources. They might work in a preschool, primary, secondary or TAFE environment. Tasks can include financial and administrative responsibilities, all aspects of educational and administrative policy (research, development, reviews and evaluations).

As a manager, you are the point of contact between the school, community and parents. It is your job to address needs of the education facility and student cohort, and to develops and delivers training programs to teachers and to create an environment that improves outcomes for students and teachers alike.

Communication

You will learn key communication skills including listening, friendly body language and how to manage complex situations with confidence.

 

 

Creativity

You will learn how to solve problems using independent thinking. Creativity is a key skill for educators because it can improve student learning outcomes to apply out of the box thinking to solve problems.

Critical thinking skills

You will learn critical thinking skills that help you to evaluate problems objectively and apply creative concepts, outside the box.

 

   

Cultural competence

Studying education helps you to become a champion of diversity, helping you to develop – and put into practice – policy that is inclusive, engaging and affirming of different identities.

Leadership

Skills provided by a Master of Education will set you up to lead your department to make informed decisions in line with the curriculum and provide guidance and instructional leadership to other teachers.

As is seen in other industries, a key motivation for educators to undertake postgraduate study is to gain a job or improve job prospects (in the same way studying an MBA for looking to improve or to gain a job).

A recent ABC report shared some of the perspectives. The Australian education Union (AEU) has advocated, to the Gonski review, for undergraduate and postgraduate studies for teachers entering the profession. Academics from The University of Melbourne agree that teaching quality would improve if this was implemented. Current teachers question extra study pre-commencing their career while still valuing the enrichment postgraduate studies would bring to their career, at the appropriate time. The debate is not over. ² https://www.aitsl.edu.au

On the other hand, another report suggests that teachers today are more qualified than ever before, with the number of teachers holding a postgraduate qualification in education on the rise over the last decade. And some schools provide funding for teachers to study a Master of Education. The government continues to provide support Educator training through its treatment of Education courses under the HECS scheme. A number of roles in the Education sector require postgraduate studies, including specialist roles, such as some in Literacy areas and leadership roles such as principals and regional managers.

Qualified teachers looking to study at a postgraduate level

For qualified teachers considering postgraduate study, a Master of Education can help you learn the key skills for the next chapter in your education career. Learn about Southern Cross University’s online Master of Education  

I have a bachelor’s degree in another discipline and want to study education at a postgraduate level. Is this possible?

Depending on the degree you have, you may qualify to study a Master of Teaching, a two-year course that qualifies you as a teacher.

Do I need to sit a numeracy and literacy test to qualify to teach in Australia?

If you are about to embark on initial teaching training (a Bachelor of Education or a Master of Teaching) you are required to pass a basic literacy and numeracy test to gain your qualification. This test has been designed to ensure teachers can meet the demands of teaching. You have to pass to get your teaching qualifications, and there’s three chances to sit it. Qualified teachers who have already received their degree, and who are, or want to study at a postgraduate level do not have to sit these tests.  

What options does Southern Cross University offer?

We offer undergraduate education courses and postgraduate education courses, including a Bachelor of Education, a Master of Education and a Master of Teaching.

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Study a Master of Education with Southern Cross University

For more details about the SCU’s Master of Education, complete the form at the top of the page to download your brochure. You’ll receive in-depth information on:

• Entry criteria
• Course duration
• Fees and financing options
• Courses and assessment types
• Industry-related work
• Student support
• Careers pathways

Download a course guide