Advanced Diploma in Primary Art Education

This programme is offered to:

• Candidates who have studied Art as one of the prescribed curriculum subjects in the Teaching of Art during their Diploma in Education (General), BA (Ed) (General) or PGDE (Primary) Programmes.
• Candidates with a Certificate in Education or Diploma in Education or its equivalent but without Art as one of their curriculum subjects. Candidates will be required to sit for an art focused interview to ascertain suitability. This interview will assess the aptitude of potential candidates through the following components:
  • Art portfolio (techniques and concepts focused )
  • Teaching Portfolio (art pedagogy and curriculum focused)

For enquiry on course administration, please e-mail: [email protected].

The Advanced Diploma in Primary Art Education offers 7 courses divided into subject knowledge and curriculum studies courses. Each course carries 3 Academic Units (AUs). Participants are required to complete 7 courses with a total 21 AUs to complete the programme.

Subject Knowledge

IVP4401: Two Dimensional Exploration

This course is an introduction to the techniques and technologies involved in Drawing and Painting from both observational and expressive perspective. Students will have an opportunity to learn about the tools used as well as develop process skills like responsiveness, comparison and reflection, that are involved in art making. This course will reinforce the students existing knowledge and is designed to give the student well rounded competencies in the two dimensional media.

IVP4402: Three Dimensional Exploration

This course will provide primary teachers with the opportunities to work in an extended, in-depth manner with aspects of three-dimensional studies. Teachers will be able to learn a range of three-dimensional processes and techniques, including time-based and site-based installation works.

IVP4403: New Media Exploration

This course introduces students to foundational aspects of working with New Media technologies. It will equip students with fundamental and technical knowledge of and skills in digital camera handling. The course will also inculcate in student teachers the abilities to explore digital still-image making, digital videography and stop-motion animation photography, with emphasis on process skills such as narrative and sequencing that are important in new media studies.

IVP4404: Visual Literacy

Visual images are ubiquitous in our society. They come in different forms, such as art, architecture, technical illustration, computer graphics and digital photographs. They perform different functions, from offering the viewer an aesthetic experience to providing entertainment, as well as communicating information. This course aims to familiarize student teachers with common modes of interpreting visual images. Using examples from wide-ranging historical periods and geographical locations, they will learn the fundamentals of relating the visual elements of an image to the context of its creation and reception. They will also gain an understanding of how visual images work in tandem with non-visual forms, such as the written text and sound, to generate meanings. The course will also explore how knowledge of Visual Literacy can contribute to the teaching of art in the primary school classroom.

Curriculum Studies

IVP4405: The Development of Children’s Art and its Implications for Teaching

This course will consist of introductions to classical and contemporary theories of children’s development in the visual arts. This course will help primary teachers understand the various theoretical frameworks and how these underpin particular approaches to pedagogy and classroom practice. Participants will be aware of the values and philosophies that underpin the art curriculum in primary school and will also learn how to design art experiences for young children which will promote and encourage intellectual and emotional development. Participants will also gain an in-depth understanding of the centrality of meaningful art engagements to the development of the whole child – specifically in the areas of artistic and aesthetic maturation, creative growth and human resiliency.

IVP4406: Methods and Materials: Appropriating artistic techniques and material usage within the primary school context

This course is designed to amalgamate studio and artistic practices of student teachers with pedagogical approaches. In this course, participants will learn to translate studio techniques and material usage to suite the primary teaching setting and will design lesson packages that are developmentally and pedagogically appropriate. Students will learn about theories surrounding concept-based pedagogy and design lessons that incorporate multiple visual art forms (i.e. 2D, 3D, New Media). In addition, students will also have the opportunity to sample best practices in the field as well as pilot their own lessons design and pedagogical approaches.

IVP4407: Curriculum Development and Assessment

Teachers will be introduced to the various theories on curriculum and evaluation in art education. Teachers will be exposed to various curriculum models and evaluative instruments (prescriptive and naturalistic) currently in practice locally as well as internationally. In addition, teachers will also learn how to work across subject discipline and integrate the visual art curriculum meaningfully and insightfully. In essence, teachers will develop competencies in designing art curriculum and programmes for primary schools while at the same time, be critical in examining and reflecting upon the various models and theories that they are adopting.

Using the Advanced Diploma for entry into NIE’s full-time Bachelor of Arts (Education) / Bachelor of Science (Education) OR part-time Bachelor of Education

Upon successful completion of this programme, you may wish to apply for admission into the NIE/NTU degree programme. Admission is not automatic and all applications would be given due consideration. The admission criteria for returning teachers who are interested in using the Advanced Diploma to help gain admission into the full-time Bachelor of Arts (Education) / Bachelor of Science (Education) OR part-time Bachelor of Education are as follows and may be subjected to further updates from the Office of Teacher Education:

• Obtained at least overall Pass in Dip Ed/ Dip PE/ Cert Ed and a minimum of 'C' Grade in an Advanced Diploma (obtained prior to the introduction of GPA System) or a minimum of CGPA of 2.50 in an Advanced Diploma (obtained after introduction of GPA System)*

AND

• Recommendation by Principal

*For admission to Bachelor of Education (Primary) Part-time Programme, in addition to the above criteria, candidates must also meet the following:

• Be employed by the Ministry of Education;
• Have at least two years of trained teaching experience; and
• Have an annual appraisal grade of at least Grade C or better.