Education MA

This foundational module provides a critical exploration of key issues in education studies, equipping students with the knowledge and analytical skills necessary to navigate a rapidly evolving world. Drawing upon cutting-edge research in the School of Education, we examine historical, contemporary, and emerging approaches to education. Students will develop a deep and critical understanding of pressing challenges, opportunities and social justice in education, fostering a capacity for innovative and equitable educational practices

This module explores how diverse perspectives from across disciplines - including psychology, sociology, and philosophy - shape our understanding of learning, knowledge, and educational research. Through critical engagement with key debates and controversies in the field, you will gain a nuanced appreciation for the complexities of educational research. The module culminates in the development of your own research proposal, equipping you with the critical thinking and research skills necessary to address complex educational challenges and contribute to meaningful change in an increasingly interconnected world.

In this module students design, carry out and present the findings of an educational research project. Students' projects can develop a theme raised during their earlier modular studies, or an issue which relates to students' own research interests. The course team provides guidance on the choice of a suitable topic and methodology - including empirical and desk-based approaches to research - with further supervision provided throughout the study period.  Research projects are assessed through the submission of a portfolio of materials and a presentation, allowing students to demonstrate the breadth of academic and technical skills they have developed over the MA year.

This module examines the core concepts of Developmental Psychology, including cognition (intelligence, language, learning) and emotional development, behaviour and well-being, social development (including family and attachment, peer relations and trauma) as well as the study of individual differences (with reference to developmental differences such as autism, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and mental health conditions). The increasing digitisation of learning and online media is explored across a range of educational contexts and childcare professions. The ways in which psychological research and theory has affected a range of governmental policies, services and professional practices and wider societal attitudes to young people will be considered within transnational contexts.

This module introduces different approaches to conceptualising learners and learning which fall within the broad field of critical psychology. The module begins with an introduction to the development of mainstream psychology in Europe and America, and an exploration of the subsequent development of alternative and critical psychological perspectives. Within the broader critical psychology landscape are a number of different threads (such as discursive psychology, indigenous psychology and feminist psychology). This module will examine the key principles of these various critical psychological perspectives with particular attention to their concepts of learning, learners, and learning communities. It will offer a challenge to some of the dominant ideas around learning which have emerged from mainstream fields of psychology since the 19th Century.

Early childhood education is shaped by diverse and often competing ideas about childhood, learning, development and care. In this module, you will explore how social, cultural, political, and economic factors influence policy and practice. You will consider different views of childhood and why issues such as equity, inclusion, and children's rights are central to early childhood education today.

The module introduces key ideas and frameworks from theory and research,  and supports you in using them to understand different approaches. By the end of the module, you will be better equipped to question assumptions, advocate for children, and make informed decisions, whether in a professional role or through a broader interest in young children's education.

Language is an integral part of our identity, and many of us learn new languages at different points in our lives. This module gives you an advanced understanding of key theories and approaches in language education and the relationships between linguistic structures (e.g. grammar, spelling rules, accents and so on) , social categories and educational settings. Various cutting edge theoretical and empirical issues from the interdisciplinary fields of sociolinguistics (the study of language in society) and education will be addressed, together with factors that influence processes of second language development. By the end of the module, you will have developed advanced competence in qualitative research methods for the study of language, society and education. You will have the opportunity to explore topics within educational settings and the application of theory and research to aspects of second language teaching and learning.

This module will provide you with a critical understanding of issues and debates surrounding disability, neurodiversity, and inclusion in educational policy and practice. Inclusive and special education are subject to intense public, professional, and political debates across the globe, raising urgent questions about the role of schools in supporting diverse learners.

This module will introduce you to three major conceptual understandings of disability, including the medical, social, and relational models. You will examine how these conceptual understandings apply to patterns and labels of neurodivergence in and beyond the classroom.

By studying this module, you will develop a deep understanding of the contested nature of neurodiversity and disability, enabling you to apply them in your own practice or research.

Rapid developments in digital technologies are transforming how learning is imagined, experienced and shaped across educational contexts. These changes raise important questions for educators, children and young people, and policy-makers, prompting consideration of the skills and knowledge likely to be most valued in the near future, as well as the pedagogical approaches needed to support them. They also highlight complex challenges relating to privacy, digital rights, ethics in education and sustainability.

In this module, you will explore these issues critically and creatively through discussion, research-informed inquiry and hands-on workshops. You will examine digital pedagogies and emerging technologies through collaborative creative activities and work with peers to design inclusive approaches to teaching and learning for a digital age.

Through this process, you will develop transferable critical thinking skills, confidence in creative problem-solving and practical approaches for education in a rapidly changing digital world