* Typical modules offered each year.
Students select any modules to the value of 60 credits per year.
EDU8197 - Action Research: Creating professional knowledge in teaching Teachers investigate a range of issues relevant to early professional development. The significance of the contemporary context; and the value of reflective and collaborative practice in professional learning are considered. This is developed at a personal level as participants plan for and complete action research.
EDU8126 - Coaching for Change in Teaching One-to-one peer coaching can significantly change teaching and learning and help teachers to explore the influences on their practice. In addition to developing a conceptual understanding of coaching, module participants will be trained to coach, enabling them to work alongside colleagues in understanding and developing their teaching and learning approaches. Key components of this are the use of video and structured coaching dialogue. The module draws on the emerging outcomes of a national research project, funded by the CFBT and NCSL, into developing successful approaches to coaching which is being conducted by the module tutors.
EDU8042 - Counselling, Communication and Culture Participants will explore counselling as a form of communication with an emphasis on the person-centred approach. The module is experiential in approach, focussing on the counselling relationship and associated skills; and understanding the link between theory and practice. There is an opportunity to experience group process and sensitivity training.
EDU8201 - Developing Innovative Curriculum Through Pupil / Student Enquiry An enquiry-based curriculum provides coherence in learning. It promotes opportunities for learners to become more skilled, motivated and autonomous in a socially constructed environment. Enquiries also encourage teachers to be more critically engaged in their own pedagogy. This module will allow participants to exploit the new national curriculum to its full.
EDU8124/EDU8202/EDU8203/EDU8003 - Investigating Learning Investigating Learning runs in both semester 1 and 2: semester 1 is designed to be more appropriate to full time students as it is spread over 5 sessions of teaching, whereas semester 2 is timetabled to be more part time friendly with 2 full days and one twilight session. Both semester versions include the same content and process it is only the timetabling that is different. Prospective students need to choose the most appropriate module for them.
Investigating Learning also has 2 options available in each semester: a 30 credit version and a 40 credit version. The 30 credit version has the same teaching time as the 40 credit version but the assignment is 2000 words shorter. This is aimed to fit around different programme needs.
Critical engagement with theories of learning, alongside teachers’ classroom investigations into learning provide a springboard to improve the learners’ experiences and outcomes. This module introduces a range of research methods enabling participants to conduct small scale research in their own context and to evaluate its validity and reliability.
EDU8035 - Policy and Practice in Assessment Schools are working to translate Assessment for Learning principles into effective assessment practice. This module considers the research, policy and pedagogy involved in this process. Participants will investigate practical ideas for assessment in relation to an understanding of what learning is, how assessment affects it and how assessment can support it.
EDU8196 - Students, Teachers and Headteachers in Popular Culture: Representations and Images This module looks at how popular British television series such as Hope and Glory (1999) and Waterloo Road (2006/2007) represent the student, the teacher and the Headteacher and why this should matter to us as teachers. As a reflective tool, interrogating fictional and semi-fictional media images allow us to explore relevant theoretical perspectives surrounding bullying, teacher identity, ‘failing’ / ‘successful’ schools, and ‘effective’ school leadership. Key questions addressed in this module are: What do these images tell us about how those outside the profession might see schools and schooling? How can such images impact on our own understanding, situation and practice as teachers?
EDU8998 - Teaching thinking skills This module aims to raise participants’ confidence, skills and understanding in teaching thinking skills. As such participants will gain an enhanced awareness of how they can develop thinking classrooms and establish practices that enable students to develop metacognitive awareness and abilities.
EDU8006 Professional Learning in Context This module enables part-time students who work in educational contexts to make use of teacher-research processes as a means of supporting school improvement, and personal professional development. Students undertake two short professional enquiries. Short seminars outline the nature, scope and alternative research methods that may be appropriate for each enquiry. Further support is provided by course documentation, portfolio handbooks and tutorial support appropriate to the student and their context. The nature of students’ individually designed professional enquiries will determine the themes they investigate and research approaches practiced. In most cases this will involve students in the collection and analysis of primary evidence using a mixed-methods approach (e.g. qualitative and quantitative), and the use of secondary evidence from existing data and research and / or policy literature
EDU8007 - Investigating Classroom Talk This module is open to all teachers from primary, secondary and FE sectors. The course will be talk-oriented, with a focus on teacher talk and talking about teacher talk. We will consider learners as active participants in their own learning and explore the complex relationship between teacher talk, classroom interaction and learning opportunity. In more particular terms, we will consider the role of language in learning and explore how language is being used to achieve pedagogic goals. The course thus recognises three particular characteristics of quality teaching: language awareness, pedagogic awareness and interactional awareness. Participants can expect a strong emphasis on collaborative learning and opportunities for enquiry based research.
EDU8995 - Research in Practice This module provides an introduction to research strategies, research methods and analysis. The module begins by investigating the ways that researchers design their research (strategies). We will then look at the types of methods used within these strategies. The module will introduce ways in which you can analyse both quantitative and qualitative data. Finally, we will investigate how we can evaluate others’ research (and your own). You will develop your knowledge about survey research, sampling, experiments, ethnography, questionnaires, interviews and observation.
EDU8170/ EDU817 2- Leadership and Strategic Management (20 credits): Leadership, at all levels of the organisation, is an essential element in providing, developing and sustaining effective education. In this module we critically analyse the key role played by educational leaders in determining the effectiveness of their educational organisation, and examine the techniques of strategic management as they apply to education. Organisational cultures and structures are discussed, together with the range of leadership roles adopted within educational organisations. We consider the importance of individuals in creating an effective learning environment. The module involves critical engagement with relevant literature in the field, and reflection on your own professional practice in the light of current theory, wider contexts and perspectives.
EDU8015 - Policy, Planning and Effectiveness (20 credits):
Education has become a key focus for policymakers in many parts of the world, with the aim of enhanced educational effectiveness leading to both economic and social benefits. In this module we review the international policy environment, tracing the interaction of policy at international, national and local levels with planning for educational provision. We then critically review both theory and research evidence on organisational effectiveness in education, focussing on the ways in which the research base has been interpreted by policymakers. Finally, we look at how organisational effectiveness and policies intended to increase it accord with or contradict what we know about improving schools and other educational organisations. We consider the extent to which educational organisations can be improved through systematic planning processes.
EDU8028 - Management of Change (20 credits): In many countries, leaders and managers of educational provision are working in contexts of volatility and change, as their organizations respond to rapid changes in society and to increased policy intervention in the education sector. There is therefore a pressing need for educational leaders and managers to be familiar with theory and research on managing change in educational organisations. In this module we review key aspects of educational change and take a critical look at the literature on change management both in education and in the public and private sector. We discuss how these theories relate to organisational effectiveness and improvement, and what they might mean for educational leaders in
practice. We interrogate some of the reasons for the rapid changes in education, and discuss how leaders can plan change strategically, and how they can work to influence organisational cultures in order to manage change.
EDU8033 - Investigating Educational Leadership (40 credits): Developing our understanding of leadership at all levels of educational organisations is an important current focus. This module is available to practitioners at any level of their organisation who have an interest in deepening their knowledge of educational leadership issues within their own work context, and improving leadership practice through practitioner research. It will enable you to develop knowledge and skills in educational leadership and to conduct small scale investigations at your own place of work, in order to understand and improve leadership practice. You will become familiar with a range of research methods and be able to evaluate their appropriateness, and you will become critically engaged with research and research evidence as an integral part of your professional development.
EDU8112 - Middle Management in Education (20 credits): The focus of this module is the role played by the middle manager in educational settings; as part of the management structure with core responsibilities for teaching and learning and quality assurance. the module will help students reflect on professional practice in the light of relevant theory and consider wider contexts and perspectives.
EDU8402 Leading and Managing People in Educational Settings (20 credits):
Leaders have to make things happen through other people rather than by taking direct action themselves. How do they achieve this? This module looks at the ways that leaders motivate and inspire the people who work for them. The module will also explore influencing strategies, coaching and mentoring, building a high performing team, holding people accountable, professional development, performance management and dealing with underperformance.
As well as examining relevant theories and literature the module aims to build the practical skills of the participants.
EDU6000 - Emotional Intelligence and Educational Leadership (20 credits): Emotional intelligence is the key to effective leadership’ (NAHT, 2007).
The evaluation of programmes which facilitate the development of emotional intelligence among children and staff show positive results, as seen for example in Education Action Zones in the English Midlands. By increasing your awareness of ideas, concepts and issues relating to the use of emotional intelligence and leadership in education, exploring contemporary emotional intelligence research and theory, along with a variety of leadership approaches, the course will provide opportunities for personal development in these areas. You will then be able to apply current ideas, concepts, theories and skills to the practice of leadership and develop ways of dealing with situations that can be informed by emotionally intelligent approaches.
EDU8212 - Placement Module The placement would provide ‘hands on’ experience of living and working within a developing country in an area - education – that is vital to development. This placement would provide a valuable and exciting experience concerned with developing countries, their culture, creativity and entrepreneurship of those living in poor areas, and the regulatory context set by the government in which they work.
EDU8214 - Economics for Development: Competition, Innovation and Entrepreneurship There are two goals for this course: The first is to investigate and define issues concerning development such as the measurement of poverty, growth, and development. The second is to critically engage in current debates about how best to tackle such global issues. Key texts are used to explore issues such as:
EDU8211 - Education Policy and Entrepreneurship for Development It is widely assumed that free public education is the only way to enable the poor to access education, especially in the most deprived parts of Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. However, it is also widely acknowledged that a low-cost private education sector is mushrooming, apparently to meet the educational needs of the poor. This course examines evidence on the emergence and current status of this sector, and critically evaluates evidence on its size, nature and performance relative to the government sector. These findings are then put into the context of recent academic and development policy debates. Anyone interested in how education policy decisions are made, and the role of entrepreneurship and markets in education in developing countries will gain knowledge and awareness from this course. It is proposed that guest speakers will be invited to take part in a debating session concerning different viewpoints concerning the role of entrepreneurs and the state in education policy.
EDU8213 - Educational Technology for development This course uses as its research base the ‘Hole in the Wall’ project researched by Professor Sugata Mitra whilst Head of Research at NIIT (New Delhi, India) which was designed to evaluate the benefits that poor children would obtain by having access to computers and the Internet. Its core rational is self-organising systems and the wisdom of crowds. That is, children being able to use technology (in this case computers) in order to self instruct themselves and each other. The course is for all those interested in educational technology and possible uses in developing countries. This does not mean that children in developing countries would use computers/technology in the way it is used in developed countries.
EDU8997 - Contemporary Issues in Mathematics Education This module aims to enable students to develop a critical awareness of a range of major issues in mathematical education. It will provide opportunities for students to apply knowledge of recent research and theory to their own contexts.
Students will reflect and work on their own mathematics and their teaching of it, work on their own mathematical autobiography and explore readings and ideas in current mathematical education research.
EDU8133 - Critical Reflection on Professional Practice Professional learning underpinned by a professional development course or experience forms the basis of this module. Teachers and lecturers acting as mentors, engaging in action research networks, participating in CPD, or undertaking a development project on their context can use this as the basis for reflective commentary. It is also possible to use a pre-approved training activity completed during a GTP programme for this module. The module itself is not taught, but support is given through seminars and tutorials.
EDU8130 - NPQH Conversion Module Success in NPQH allows participants to submit a short reflective commentary on an element of their leadership, contextualised by making links between practice evidence, research evidence and theory. This course is not taught, but support is given through seminars and tutorials. It is offered at a reduced rate for 60 credits.
For further enquiries about this programme, please contact:
Telephone: +44 (0) 191 222 6532
E-Mail: ecls.ppd@ncl.ac.uk