EducationMA

Critical Theory and Education

You will be introduced to a range of significant critical theorists in the field of Education Studies and beyond. These writers will include Marx, Adorno, Althusser, Foucault, Bourdieu, bell hooks and Freire. Although their ideas can be carried forward into all your modules, in this one, they will be considered in relation to the neoliberal context in which the vast majority of education systems operate. In the process of doing so, key issues around the use of schools to deploy disciplinary power and to reproduce pre-existing patterns of privilege and disadvantage will be examined.

The module aims to:

defamiliarise and problematise common sense understandings of education;

provide students with a range of theoretical tools with which they can analyse educational systems and outcomes;

encourage students to develop a holistic understanding of the Scientific Revolution, the European Enlightenment, and the rise of capitalism and how these intersected with one another in creating the modern, neoliberal world;

introduce students to aspects of ontology and epistemology that problematize naïve realism.

Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment

Module Description

This module will introduce you to the ideas of learning, pedagogy, assessment and curriculum. It is envisioned as a generic entry point into debates around key issues related to contemporary educational provision. You will be introduced to different perspectives on learning, teaching, assessment, human knowledge and models of curriculum planning. The module will encourage you to critically analyse different types of curricula and educational provisions. Doing this will enable you to appreciate the socially constructed and ideologically driven nature of educational policies and processes. The module will use the English education system as a point of reference to analyse how social, historical, economic and political processes inform and influence educational policies and provisions. This module will equip you with knowledge, understanding and skills to critically analyse curricular provision and contribute to its review and development.

Module Aims

The module aims to:

introduce students to some key perspectives on human knowledge and important theories of learning.

familiarise students with curriculum theory and some important theoretical perspectives with a view to enable them to analyse and evaluate curricular provision.

develop in the students a critical understanding of different models of curriculum planning and development.

equip students with the skills to critically analyse educational provisions and contribute to the processes of curriculum development.

Education Dissertation

This is a core module for the MA in Education and the single most significant learning unit on the programme as it constitutes one-third of the total credit value of the programme – 60 credits.

This module requires students to conduct a small-scale qualitative research into any aspect of education.

At the beginning of the module, students are encouraged to review and refine a topic of personal/professional relevance and/or interest within the academic discipline of education that they identified in the research proposal that they would have written for the module Research Methods in Education. The are supported to refine the focus of their proposed research and operationalise it in the form of a researchable question.

The module encourages students to further explore some key debates in the philosophy of research and the emergence of the interpretivist paradigm in social research. They will be asked to locate their studies within the interpretivist paradigm and develop convincing justifications for doing so.

The students will have opportunities to develop a deeper understanding of various aspects of qualitative research methodology. This knowledge will help to devise a sound design for their dissertation research projects.

The module will help the students develop and enhance their skills of qualitative data analysis.

Throughout the module, students will be provided opportunities to develop the skills of writing a good-quality dissertation that will report the execution and findings of a small-scale, qualitative primary research project.

Module Aims

The module aims to enable students to:

enhance their knowledge and understanding of some of the key philosophical debates related to the ontology and epistemology of social research.

Consolidate and deepen their understanding of the purposes, nature, components, and processes of social research.

be able to design and conduct a small-scale qualitative research study in education.

be able to insightfully review and critique existing social research.

be able to confidently report the findings of a small-scale primary qualitative research study.

Research Methods in Education

Throughout the module, students will engage with the stages of the research process in social and educational research. The module will prepare students to develop a small-scale qualitative research proposal. Students will be encouraged to identify a research topic related to their personal/professional interest and/or interest within the academic discipline of education.

The module will enable students to understand the nature of qualitative research and the differences with quantitative research. Students will be introduced to some key debates in the philosophy of research and the emergence of the interpretivist paradigm in social research. They will be required to locate their research topics within the interpretivist paradigm and conduct a mini-literature review (including the theoretical framework) to contextualise their research.

Students will have opportunities during the lectures and seminars to develop a deeper understanding of the research process (literature review, qualitative research design, data collection, data analysis, ethical issues, subjectivity/reflexivity, writing up their research proposal).

They will be encouraged to reflect on their own research topics throughout the module.

Module aims

The module will provide students with the appropriate skills and knowledge to

understand the meaning of social and educational research and its function in creating and interpreting new knowledge; 

engage with the philosophical bases of educational research and understand the difference between the two main traditions of social research – the positivist and interpretivist paradigms. 

develop familiarity with a range of qualitative research approaches used in educational research.

explore different methods of data collection and methods of data analysis.

develop an understanding of the importance of ethical issues, reflexivity and subjectivity in qualitative social and educational research.

write a mini-literature review (including initial ideas for the theoretical framework) as part of the qualitative educational research proposal which will form a basis of the MA dissertation. 

Critical discourses in Early Childhood

In this module the aim is for:

You to develop an in-depth knowledge of a range of theoretical lenses through which current issues/concerns can be understood

You to explore and critically examine contemporary issues in relation to early childhood

You to consider the global, cultural, economic and political context of early childhood issues

You to explore contemporary issues (local and national) which directly impact on your work, reflecting on personal development in relation to early years practise

Curriculum Leadership

The curriculum leadership module develops critical knowledge and understanding of curriculum policy, strategy, and leadership of learning in educational settings (formal or informal) in the context of theoretical frameworks, ideological debates, and empirical study.

The module is designed to equip students with the knowledge, understanding and skills to critically analyse how the way in which the curriculum is conceived, led, and managed influences the processes of learning and teaching as well as both educational and social outcomes.

Students will engage with a wide range of theory and research to explore questions and themes related to curriculum and leadership of learning:

What is curriculum?

What are the purposes of education and the role of the curriculum in learning?

How are different leadership models and behaviours linked with these purposes?

How does leadership shape the way the curriculum is constructed and delivered?

What influence does curriculum leadership have on student (learner) learning and outcomes and the impact on different groups of learners?

What is the concept of the hidden curriculum and how do differing leadership philosophies and approaches impact the hidden curriculum.

The module will use the UK education system as a point of reference for gaining an in-depth insight into key issues, debates and discourses surrounding curriculum leadership in general. However, students’ experience of different UK and international contexts will be used to enrich and extend the scope of the module.

Module aims

Students will engage in activities that enable them to:

critically analyse how the content, delivery and assessment of a school’s curriculum are located within historical, social, cultural, economic and political contexts;

develop a critical understanding of ideological and pedagogical debates underpinning curriculum leadership;

develop a critical insight into different styles and models of curriculum leadership;

develop a critical understanding of the way different approaches to leadership influence curriculum planning, delivery, development and student learning.

Identity and Self in the Early Years

This module aims to:

You will be introduced to key theories in relation to babies and young children's development

You will consider the implications of these for development and learning in early and later childhood.

You will analyse the relationship between social policy and cultural contexts, and provision in early years

You will be enabled to identify and evaluate good quality early years provision

You will be enabled to reflect on their own personal development in relation to early years practise

Issues in Language Learning: An Intercultural Approach

This module focuses on key issues in language learning and teaching that are relevant to contemporary classroom practice. You will explore how pedagogical thinking has developed in different cultural contexts and how this influences language teaching and learning in particular.

This module aims to extend your knowledge of cultural differences in the creation of methodologies and approaches in language teaching and learning; the different cultural status of teachers; the role of the learner and their languages in their learning process; and more specific considerations of curriculum, syllabus and teaching materials in the teaching of global languages in local classrooms.

The module also promotes the problematisation of key concepts in language teaching and learning, such as ‘culture’, ‘language’, and ‘identity’ and you will be encouraged to reflect on your own experiences as a learner and/or teacher in order to evaluate your own knowledge and expertise and develop an analytical, critical and global perspective to the teaching of languages that is essential for your professional development.

In this module, you will:

• explore the relationship between language and culture in the teaching of global languages
• examine how language teaching methodologies are influenced by different understandings of language, culture, and learning
• reflect on the role that culture plays in communication, particularly in multicultural contexts
• study how language teaching curricula, methodologies, and materials can impact the identity construction of language learners

Social Justice Education

This module introduces students to multiple perspectives and ideas about social justice and inequalities in education, including knowledges with which students can consider various socio-political and professional contexts for social justice in education. It explores research evidence, discourses, tensions and complexities within educational policies and practices, with respect to concerns for education (in)justices, designed to develop critical awareness and thinking around values, assumptions, agency and educational change. Students are supported to engage in critical analysis with a view to articulating and applying a position in relation to models and theories of social justice education

The module will aim to:-

• introduce students to multiple perspectives and theories of social justice;

• critically examine key aspects (social class, gender, ethnicity/race, send) of educational injustice, their intersections and relationships

• provide knowledges with which students can consider socio-political and professional contexts for educational social justice within national settings

• explore tensions within education policies and practices - structures, social relations, curricula - with respect to concerns for educational (in)equalities

• encourage students to develop and articulate a standpoint with respect to models and theories for social justice education change

The Multilingual Classroom

This module provides students with an overview of current issues in multilingualism with a specific focus on its impact on classroom teaching and learning. It aims to develop a critical understanding of key theoretical frameworks, while inviting students to reflect on their own personal experiences to consider the practical implications of linguistic diversity in educational contexts. Students will increase their awareness of learning environments where learners and/or educators do not have full and equal access to the language(s) of instruction, allowing them a deeper understanding of their future multilingual pupils.

The two-part assessment will provide an opportunity for students to use their creativity, alongside newly developed theoretical understandings, to design a subject-specific lesson plan for an hour-long class in a multilingual setting. The plan will be put into action through a 15 to 20-minute micro teaching session focused on one specific activity. Fellow classmates will become the ‘students,’ with peer evaluations forming part of the micro teaching mark, strengthening students’ skills in critical evaluation of classroom activities in multilingual environments. In doing so, students will deepen and develop their own teaching practices.

The module is targeted at students working or planning to work in multilingual, educational contexts and will be particularly attractive to those interested in teaching languages. However, the increasing prevalence of linguistic diversity in the majority of educational contexts means educators with any specialisation will benefit from being prepared to work with multilingual students and learning to value and draw on their diversity of knowledge and experiences.

Module Aims:

• You will reflect on and experience teaching and learning in contexts where students and/or teachers do not have full and equal access to the language(s) of instruction
• You will explore different perspectives on multilingualism and their implications for teaching and learning
• You will integrate practical theories of multilingualism into the planning, design, and implementation of subject-specific lessons in multilingual contexts
• You will broaden your understanding of the concept of multilingualism through an interdisciplinary consideration of current debates, discussions, and developments

Understanding the Language Classroom

This module is an investigation into the language classroom and into learner and teacher roles and interactions. It develops themes relating to how languages are learned, what motivates people to learn other languages, and how best to support and develop learning in the classroom. The module draws on students' own experiences of language learning or teaching and encourages them to reflect on theoretical and practical aspects of language learning while the implications in developing their own practice as language teachers.

Through language classroom observations, students will become familiar with common practices in language teaching and learning and have the opportunity to develop a teacher-researcher perspective. The module introduces a range of theoretical considerations and practical implications of recent developments regarding the language classroom, including theoretical debates that widen students’ understanding of language learning and teaching processes. The practical implications of these debates on classroom teaching and learning will be considered. In doing so, the students are provided with an opportunity to evaluate and analyse learners and learning through exploring classroom solutions and incorporating lived experiences with academic literature.

Importantly, students are required to find an institution where they can observe at least 4 hours of English language tuition at any level.

Module Aims:

• You will become familiar with common practices in language teaching and learning and investigate how different cultural, social, and psychological factors influence learning
• You will undertake research on teaching and learning
• You will critically analyse recent theoretical developments in language teaching
• You will consider the practical classroom implications of these theories
• You will analyse learners' needs and identify classroom solutions while observing students in a classroom setting
• You will identify a range of techniques for promoting learning in the classroom