Students enrolled in grades 11 and 12 in Victoria often find themselves face to face with a truly pivotal moment in their school and academic career: VCE exams and curriculum.
The Victorian Certificate of Education (commonly known as VCE) is the certificate that the majority of students in Victoria receive on satisfactory completion of their secondary education. The VCE provides diverse pathways to further study or training at university or TAFE and to employment.
The VCE is divided into different areas called "studies" where students are expected to enrol and learn various subjects and their specifics.
When it comes to VCE Science, VCE Physics and VCE Chemistry, there is a specific study that encompasses all of them (plus more).
If you are interested in becoming a VCE Science tutor, keep reading to learn more about the VCE Science study as well as some tips to become the best tutor with the help of Superprof.
About VCE Science
Before understanding the importance of VCE Science, it is imperative to understand the VCE system as a whole.
For students to enter into a university course they need to complete the prerequisite subjects and achieve the required scores. The standard VCE score requirement is a 25 raw study score. The standard IB score requirement is a 3 for Higher Level (HL) or 4 for Standard Level (SL). Even with an ATAR of 99.95, students will not be able to study a course if they have not completed the prerequisite subjects or achieved the required scores.
Every course will require the completion of VCE 3/4 English (this can include English, Literature, English Language or EAL) or IB Language and Literature SL or HL.
To give you an idea of what students will face as part of their VCE outcome, in Victoria, the University of Melbourne and Monash University have the strictest entry requirements.
With this in mind, it is important to know that the only compulsory subject is one English subject in years 11 and 12 and the rest are the students' choice.
If a student is interested in pursuing a career related to science, they might enrol in one of the VCE Science courses. VCE Science is divided into five studies:
- VCE Biology
- VCE Environmental Science
- VCE Psychology
- VCE Chemistry
- VCE Physics
VCE Biology enables students to investigate the processes involved in sustaining life at cellular, system and species levels. In undertaking this study, students develop an understanding that, in the dynamic and interconnected system of life, all change has consequences that may affect an individual, a species or the collective biodiversity of Earth. Students gain insights into how molecular and evolutionary concepts and key science skills underpin much of contemporary biology, and how society applies such skills and concepts to resolve problems and make scientific advancements.
On the other hand, VCE Environmental Science enables students to explore the interrelationships between Earth’s four systems. Students examine how past and current human activities affect the environment and how future challenges can be managed sustainably. In undertaking this study, students gain an understanding of the complexity of environmental decision-making, and how innovative responses to environmental challenges can reduce pressure on Earth’s natural resources and ecosystem services.
VCE Psychology provides students with a framework for exploring the complex interactions between biological,
psychological and social factors that influence human thought, emotions and behaviour. In undertaking this study,
students apply their learning to everyday situations including work and social relations. They gain insights into
a range of psychological health issues in society.
As a VCE Science tutor, it is important that you have knowledge of the impact of the specific subject you are teaching in order to make your tutorials as practical as possible.
If you want to dive into maths tutoring learn more in our specific VCE Maths article.
About VCE Physics
VCE Physics is another important study as part of the Science options for students. In VCE Physics students develop a range of inquiry skills involving practical experimentation and research, analytical skills including critical and creative thinking, and communication skills. Students use scientific and cognitive skills and understanding to analyse contemporary physics-related issues and to communicate their views from an informed position.
The study is made up of four units:
- Unit 1: What ideas explain the physical world?
- Unit 2: What do experiments reveal about the physical world?
- Unit 3: How do fields explain motion and electricity?
- Unit 4: How can two contradictory models explain both light and matter?
Each unit deals with specific content contained in areas of study and is designed to enable students to achieve a set of outcomes for that unit. Each outcome is described in terms of key knowledge and key science skills.
There are no prerequisites for entry to Units 1, 2 and 3. Students must undertake Unit 3 prior to undertaking Unit 4. Students entering Unit 3 without Units 1 and/or 2 may be required to undertake additional preparation as prescribed by their teacher. Units 1 to 4 are designed to a standard equivalent to the final two years of secondary education. All VCE studies are benchmarked against comparable national and international curriculum.
After enrolling in VCE Physics students should be able to:
- Apply physics models, theories and concepts to describe, explain, analyse and make predictions about diverse
physical phenomena - Understand and use the language and methodologies of physics to solve qualitative and quantitative problems
in familiar and unfamiliar contexts - Understand the cooperative, cumulative, evolutionary and interdisciplinary nature of science as a human endeavour, including its possibilities, limitations and political and sociocultural influences
- Develop a range of individual and collaborative science investigation skills through experimental and inquiry tasks
in the field and in the laboratory - Develop an informed perspective on contemporary science-based issues of local and global significance
- Apply their scientific understanding to familiar and to unfamiliar situations, including personal, social, environmental and technological contexts
- Develop attitudes that include curiosity, open-mindedness, creativity, flexibility, integrity, attention to detail and respect for evidence-based conclusions
- Understand and apply the research, ethical and safety principles that govern the study and practice of the
discipline in the collection, analysis, critical evaluation and reporting of data - Communicate clearly and accurately an understanding of the discipline using appropriate terminology, conventions and formats.
If you are interested in becoming a VCE English tutor you can head to our guide for VCE English here.
About VCE Chemistry
VCE Chemistry enables students to examine a range of chemical, biochemical and geophysical phenomena through the exploration of the nature of chemicals and chemical processes. In undertaking this study, students apply chemical principles to explain and quantify the behaviour of matter, as well as undertake practical activities that involve the analysis and synthesis of a variety of materials.
The study is made up of four units:
- Unit 1: How can the diversity of materials be explained?
- Unit 2: What makes water such a unique chemical?
- Unit 3: How can chemical processes be designed to optimise efficiency?
- Unit 4: How are organic compounds categorised, analysed and used?
The VCE Chemistry study should give students the ability to:
- Apply models, theories and concepts to describe, explain, analyse and make predictions about chemical
phenomena, systems, structures and properties, and the factors that can affect them - Understand and use the language and methodologies of chemistry to solve qualitative and quantitative
problems in familiar and unfamiliar contexts - Understand the cooperative, cumulative, evolutionary and interdisciplinary nature of science as a human
endeavour, including its possibilities, limitations and political and sociocultural influences - Manage general VCE Science competencies as described above
If you want to learn more about the qualifications to become a VCE tutor, head to our becoming a VCE tutor article!
How to Become a VCE Science Tutor With Superprof
Are you ready to join the tutoring world of Superprof and help with young people's education? The learning that is done as part of tutorials outside of school is quite different to that of a traditional school setting which is why you need to go beyond what a regular teacher might do.
Tutors generally work in a private setting for their tutorials in order to understand the student and their needs and help them achieve the best possible results (ATAR).
All you need to do in order to start your path to becoming a full-time tutor is create your account with Superprof. On this account you will need to describe your experience, how much time you have spent teaching, your location, the cost per hour of private lessons and whether you do in person or online courses or both.
It is important that you offer as much information as possible about your experience, your methods and how you expect to work with your students. Remember that a student seeking tutoring is probably looking for someone who has specific knowledge and can help them get into university or pursue a Bachelor's degree. Be it biology, chemistry or physics, you will need to prove that you have the experience needed for tutoring and to make studying way easier for them.
Currently, online teaching or online tutorials are extremely popular with tutors and students who feel comfortable with remote learning so you could offer this as an option on your tutor profile as well.
Get ready to become a private VCE tutor with Superprof!
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