Education - MA

This module is intended to raise critical debate through exploring a range of societal issues and current topics focusing predominantly on class, gender, race, sexuality, disability, and intersectional identities and education. There is an emphasis on equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) agendas, policies, theoretical concepts and practices in the UK educational landscape where you will be invited to draw upon your own professional and personal experiences, observations and viewpoints. The module is designed to encourage honest, critical and divergent thinking on various EDI topics working closely with module tutors and peers, constructively challenging your own possible biases and privileges.

Delivery will be largely online through some synchronous taught sessions, asynchronous learning activities and personal study.

Education is profoundly affected by the opportunities and challenges of a digital age which has brought about radical shifts in popular culture, in teaching and learning cultures, communities, and in educational practices, challenging established (formal and informal) education practices and their underpinning theories. In this module you will critically explore this fast-moving and diverse field to consider how the digital intersects with multiple aspects of education and the consequences of what happens at these intersections for access, social justice, equality, and inclusion.

Underpinned with the theoretical principles and practices of critical pedagogy, you will gain insight into the emergence of digital culture, engage with the current challenges of the digital information landscape, including the use of technological tools such as AI (Artificial Intelligence), learning management systems and social media, and consider the characteristics and impacts of the digital in educational spaces. You will also be both critical and creative in considering what digital educational futures might look like in your own educational setting and more broadly and envisage how these might be shaped by educators. 

It is very important that education professionals are able to critique their practice in terms of the traditions and the curricula that support it. This module is designed to equip you with the knowledge, understanding and skills to analyse critically the ways in which curricula are managed and led across education settings. To this end it explores how curriculum design influences the processes of learning and teaching, as well as educational outcomes for learners. The module will use the UK education systems in schools as a point of reference for gaining an in-depth insight into key issues, debates and discourses surrounding curricula development and leadership.

This module explores the politics and historical trajectories of education policies in the UK. It draws on concepts from the social sciences such as the state, globalisation, neo-liberalism, discourse, policy cycle, convergence, policy learning and policy borrowing.

It also asks you to consider the ways in which policies impact on education practices (including assessment, teaching and learning etc.) across the different sectors.

The module is especially concerned both with the content of policy and with the way in which policy is made. For example, education is a powerful instrument for shaping the development of future generations of citizens and workers, as well as an important source of jobs and investment in many communities. It asks what factors influence societies in the development of their ideas about what schools, colleges and universities should or should not be doing? This connects with views on the way literature and assessment should work, about the importance of accountability and the role of marketisation in raising standards and about employability and the economy.

The discussion in the module will be led through the use of case studies drawn from actual practice and group discussion and through the module Moodle forum.

This module is designed for you to develop critical perspectives on the uses and purposes of assessment, critique new and existing assessment regimes and rethink more innovative and authentic policies and practices across a range of educational settings and within your own experience(s). Theoretical understandings of assessment are allied to this critical investigation of assessment practices in a variety of contexts and develop your assessment literacy. You will be able to operationalise assessment practices in your own situational practice, or review previous experiences either as educators, learners or as a key stakeholder such as a parent.

This module will consider leadership and management definitions, values, theories, strategies and styles and their impact on the performance of others and on teaching and learning, as well as the relationships and differences between leadership and management.

We will examine the role of legislation, policy, guidance and local/national frameworks in relation to educational leadership across a range of settings. We will focus particularly on global perspectives of leadership and management and will draw on the valuable experiences of the participants. There will be opportunities to discuss effective practice of leadership and management from a variety of contexts.

The practices of leadership and management will be discussed with regard to: the importance of collaboration, consultation, communication and challenge; leadership and management structures and processes; and teams and how they are integrated into institutions.

Discussions will be led through the use of case studies drawn from actual practice and group discussion and through the module Moodle forum.

This module introduces you to the importance of active reflection throughout a professional practitioners working life and is essential for anyone working in education from early years to post-16. Introducing reflective models and ideas helps practitioners to better frame and make sense of their own professional place, challenge assumptions and better understand the lenses of others in both physical and increasingly virtual and online environments.

The purpose of this optional module is to enable discerning and experienced practitioners to become more critically reflexive practitioners through reflecting on, and evaluating, significant milestones in their professional learning journeys and prior experiences to date and beyond. A flexible framework, with tutor support, will aid you to structure and apply reflective principles and models to become more aware of your thoughts, positions and feelings in relation to learning and the impact of your professional practice in educational contexts or settings – leading to reflexivity. This module is a useful 20 credit shorter reflection on practice option for experienced practitioners.

The purpose of this optional module is to enable discerning and experienced practitioners to become more critically reflexive practitioners through reflecting on, and evaluating, significant milestones in their professional learning journeys and prior experiences to date and beyond. A flexible framework, with tutor support, will aid practitioners to structure and apply reflective principles and models to become more aware of their thoughts, positions and feelings in relation to learning and the impact of their professional practice in educational contexts or settings – leading to reflexivity.

This module looks at the identification and provision for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).  You will learn the importance of being a reflective practitioner in this specific field. An introduction to the history and evolvement of SEND will be examined as the basis to understand policies, legislations and advances in thinking. You will explore the concept of inclusion and the various provisions available. You will also have the opportunity to examine SEND policies developed in England and their implication for learners and learning within a range of educational contexts. Drawing on previous research, solutions will be explored in relation to some of the barriers to learning for SEND students whilst in Education.

This module will introduce you to the study of education in other countries, looking at how educational contexts, curricula, structures and policy vary throughout the world. It begins by introducing methods of comparison and looks at education in other European and Asian countries. There is a special focus on the pedagogy and practices and the module examines thematic issues relating to this including teaching, teacher training, school and classroom environments, curricular arrangements and structures of different education systems. It also introduces you to subjects such as globalisation and education, ideology and education and historical, social and cultural influences on education.