📖Program Curriculum
With an intentional focus on practice policy and theory this MA aims to broaden your understanding of the latest issues in education at local regional national and international levels.
Covering core educational philosophies methodologies and theories you’ll be encouraged to think critically about education and the ways in which current trends and research influence policy and practice. You’ll be introduced to a range of contemporary educational issues.
One major strength of the course is the option to undertake a research-based placement in an educational institution typically one day per week over three months. This provides an excellent opportunity to help improve a particular aspect of professional practice teaching delivery or administration engaging in observations shadowing and collaborating with an on-site mentor.
If you decide to opt out of the Placement module you will have a chance to pursue a research project of your interest in the more traditional Dissertation module. Recently our students have explored the impact of COVID and looked at how technology is changing education and what this means for teachers.
The MA Education can be studied as either a one-year full-time or two-year part-time course with a September and January start date. It is also possible to study more flexibly part-time on a modular basis accumulating degree credits by taking individual modules over a period of maximum of five years.
If you already hold a postgraduate qualification in Education you may be considered for Recognition of Prior Learning which could contribute to the credits required.
Core Taught Modules
EDU-40114 Reflecting on Practice (30 credits)
This module is intended to foreground the significance of reflective practice in enabling practitioners to develop informed insights and perspectives on key philosophical social cultural and political debates about education/workplace setting. You will engage actively with a variety of theories and practices associated with reflective practice with more thoughtful reflection being posited as the key to reflective practice. You will reflect on an aspect of your practice and develop an action plan for future practice. You will be assessed through a reflective assessment that you will develop over time (including an official observation of practice) related to critically analysing an aspect of your practice.
EDU-40118 Issues in Inclusive Education (15 credits)
Inclusive education has been positioned and promoted as a positive reaction to segregated schooling inequality and prejudice. Inclusion more generally has permeated policy and social discourse in the last few decades as a concept and practice that attempts to include everyone into the local community. For example community work rather than imprisonment community housing rather than mental (health) institutions and not least of all mainstream education is promoted for all pupils including those with a range of difficult learning needs. In the face of this politicians and policy makers emphasise their commitment to issues of inclusion and social justice and in the process the meanings policy and practice of inclusive education have been rethought - nowhere more so than in relation to special educational needs. This module offers insights into many different aspects of inclusive education.
EDU-40100 Global Education Issues (15 credits)
This module explores the changing world of education in the context of social political economic and cultural globalisation. It reflects on the 'nature’ of international identity both for teachers and students and critically explores what 'international’ means educationally in this context. The module aims to enable you to understand and reflect critically on the expansion origins tensions and challenges experienced in international education. It invites you to critically examine the primary aspects of globalisation and their impact on education in any setting and to explore the concept of professional identity in the context of a globalised education policy and practice.
EDU 40123 Research Methods (30 credits)
This module addresses issues about research design as well as qualitative and quantitative research. You are prepared to consider the ethical issues entailed in designing and conducting various forms of enquiry such as narratives life histories auto/biographies case studies and other qualitative or ethnographic methods. The module also explores the political and social contexts related to the research process and analysis. It considers aspects of the research process such as the researcher's own reflexivity and the negotiation of consent and involvement in the research process.
EDU-40122 Education Employment and Professional Identity (15 credits)
This module explores changing patterns of education and work the dynamic relationship between these two institutions and how this has developed over time. It examines the wider social cultural and economic contexts that shape both educational and work institutions and how these affect the lives and identities of those involved in them. The module considers the way in which wider changes linked to globalisation post- industrialism education reform and marketisation and related social and economic shifts have affected people’s experiences of education and employment their social relationships and sense of self. The course draws upon a range of concepts and approaches including: globalisation post-industrial society credentialism human capital gender and theories of self and identity. It critically examines evidence about the changing labour market and its impact upon educational institutions.
EDU-40202 International Comparative Education (15 credits)
This module enables you to understand and explain the differences in educational policy and practice across selected countries. The module focuses on comparisons in terms of governance roles and responsibilities and in terms of balances between the imperatives of competition striving to maintain standards and being inclusive. The module aims to develop your comparative analysis skills using a range of sources including research statistics policy documents and personal experience/accounts and themed discussion. It illustrates how roles and responsibilities among educational stakeholders vary across the countries and regions according to history and to political and economic priorities. The module asks theoretically productive questions of other education systems based on critical reflection on your own contexts.
Optional Core Modules
OPTIONAL CORE MODULE
You will choose one of the following modules.
EDU-40027 Dissertation
The purpose of the Dissertation is to contribute substantially to the Research methods training. You are to demonstrate an understanding of the philosophy and principles of research (empirical or non-empirical) and show competence in the design execution and reporting of a research project. You will develop your ability to carry out subsequent research independently and to commission manage and evaluate the research activities of others. The dissertation may be empirical or non-empirical in nature. The dissertation is normally a student project rather than original research though it can be part of a research project for which you have considerable responsibility for and is underpinned by the research module which must be successfully completed prior to undertaking this module. The dissertation’s target word limit is 15000 words.
EDU-40164 Placement Module
This module offers an educational work-based professional experience through a three-month placement in either primary or secondary school. During the placement you will observe practitioners in the education workplace. You will work with your assigned school-based mentor to identify educational topics that your placement school would like you to research. You will then plan the scope and nature of research evidence that will need to be collected to research these topics.
You will subsequently develop and conduct a small research project on a topic chosen by your placement school following the 'Spiral of Enquiry' methodology. The module will finish with a 15000 - 18000 words dissertation.
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