Starting your MA Education course soon? Here are a few simple ways to feel more prepared before you begin postgraduate study at BCU.
The MA Education is designed for teachers, lecturers, trainers and those interested in the wider field of education. It gives you the opportunity to build your professional knowledge, explore current debates and connect educational theory with your own practice. BCU offers the course full-time on campus or part-time online, with topics including leadership and management, SEND, critical digital pedagogies, policy, assessment and EDI.
Think about your professional goals
Before you start, spend some time thinking about what you want to get from the course.
You could ask yourself:
- What area of education am I most interested in?
- How could this course support my current role or future plans?
- What questions do I have about teaching, learning, policy or leadership?
- What experiences from my own practice could I reflect on during the course?
This will help you approach your studies with a clearer sense of direction.
Start reading around education
You don’t need to know everything before you arrive, but it helps to build your understanding of current education topics.
You could explore areas such as:
- Equality, diversity and inclusion in education
- Special educational needs and disability
- Education policy and practice
- Assessment and curriculum
- Digital learning and technology
- Leadership and management in education
- International education systems
- Research-informed practice
As you read, think about how these topics connect to your own experience or the educational setting you’re interested in
Get ready for Master’s-level study
Postgraduate study involves more independent learning, critical thinking and academic research.
Before you begin, it may help to refresh your confidence with:
- Academic reading
- Note-taking
- Referencing
- Critical writing
- Research skills
- Time management
- Using feedback to improve your work
The course includes an Introduction to Master’s-Level Study module, which helps you plan an educational practice enquiry in your chosen field.
Education Courses
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Start thinking about research
A key part of the MA is using research to explore education in a deeper way.
You don’t need to have a final research idea yet, but you could start thinking about:
- A challenge you’ve noticed in education
- An area of practice you’d like to improve
- A policy or debate you want to explore
- A group of learners or educational context you’re interested in
- How research could support change in your setting
This will help you begin connecting your own interests with academic enquiry.
Keep up with education news
Education is shaped by policy, society, technology and changing learner needs. Keeping up with current issues can help you feel more confident in discussions and assignments.
Look out for stories about:
- Schools, colleges and universities
- Education funding and policy
- SEND provision
- Assessment and curriculum
- Teacher recruitment and retention
- Digital learning
- Inclusion and access
- International education
Try to read from a range of reliable sources and think critically about different perspectives.
Practical things to do before you start
Make sure you:
- Check your emails for enrolment, induction and course updates
- Review the course page and module information
- Plan how study will fit around work or other commitments
- Set up a simple system for notes, readings and deadlines
- Make use of BCU library resources and academic support
- Think about the educational topics you may want to explore in assignments