Teaching Focus [30.0]

IMPORTANT NOTE: In accordance with article 138 para. 4 of the decree of 7 November 2013 concerning higher education and the academic organisation of studies, teaching practice placements will not be assessed in the September session. Students are required to make every effort to successfully complete the teaching practice in the June session, subject to having to retake the year.

The teaching focus is centred on preparation for teaching the upper years in secondary education.

The programme is designed to develop the following skills:

• design, planning and assessment of practices;
• examination of practices and their context;
• understanding the institution of school, its framework and the major players. 

There are three main types of activity:

• periods of teaching practice in upper secondary education (60 hours); 
• seminars;
• formal lectures.

They are divided into two main categories:

• teaching practice, classes and multidisciplinary seminars, common to all disciplines. They have the LAGRE course code (13 credits);
• teaching practice, classes and multidisciplinary seminars, relating to the relevant discipline(s) (17 credits).

The teaching focus of the 120 Masters’ degrees includes training for the teacher training certificate in upper secondary education (Agrégation de l’enseignement secondaire supérieur – AESS), (300 hours – 30 credits), with reference to the Decrees of 8 February 2001 and 17 December 2003 (concerning the foundations of neutrality) relating to the initial training of teachers in secondary education in the French-speaking Community of Belgium.

The 30 credits also form the AESS programme in Germanic languages and letters which can be taken after a 60 or a 120 Master’s degree.

In practical terms, satisfactory completion of the Master’s degree with a teaching focus leads to the award of professional status as a qualified teacher in addition to the Master’s degree with a teaching focus. Assessment of the AESS programme is spread over the 2 blocks of the Master’s course.

Students are therefore strongly recommended to do their utmost to pass in the June period as they will otherwise have to retake their year of study.