MA Educational Practice and Research (Part Time)

Key details

MA EDUCATIONAL PRACTICE AND RESEARCH (PART TIME)

Start Year

2021

Attendance

Part Time

Award

Degree of Master of Arts

Duration (years)

As an educator, your career is based on the ongoing process of learning. Our Educational Practice and Research MA is your opportunity to develop and explore your own thinking, expanding your knowledge in the same way that you help your students expand theirs.

Whether you’re looking to further your career, investigate an area you feel requires additional research or simply pursue your own academic interests, our part-time MA will build on your existing professional expertise.

You’ll be taught using the latest cutting-edge research, by academics who are both leaders in their field and fully committed to the development of new ideas and thinking.

You’ll also work alongside other professionals to actively share and discuss educational practices. You’ll enjoy flexible study patterns that complement your professional work commitments, and you’ll graduate with a wide range of skills that will prove invaluable in your future career.

About

Our part time Educational Practice and Research MA is designed for school teachers, further and higher education lecturers, and other practitioners currently working in an educational environment in the UK. It’s the ideal course if you’re looking to extend your professional development by studying for a Master’s level degree.

At UEA, you’ll discover a stimulating and challenging environment in which you can discuss and analyse classroom practice through a broad range of optional modules. You’ll benefit from a supportive learning community thanks to our diverse range of teaching and assessment methods, and our flexible learning options.

You will also have the chance to carry out research in an area that interests you, personally and professionally. This is your chance to explore and add to the latest thinking in your field, as well as cultivating greater understanding and innovation in your own teaching practice

Highlights of the course:

Flexible, personalised part-time study, to complement your professional work commitments.
January start date, avoiding the beginning of the academic year.
A broad range of module options, delivered in the evening and/or at weekends.
An annual MA conference, to meet and listen to eminent guest speakers from within the field of education, and hear about research topics currently being pursued by participants in their Dissertation module.
Accreditation of prior learning (APL) for any Master’s-level credits you’ve acquired through previous study (see Course Structure, below)
Fast-track study routes available.
Discounted fees for UEA Alumni.
Scholarships available for students working in eligible schools.
If you have not previously studied at Master’s level, you may be eligible for a Postgraduate Loan.

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Course Reference Number: 1544881

Important Information

Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the courses listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the regular review of course programmes. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes, there will normally be prior consultation of students and others. Changes may for example consist of variations to the content and method of delivery of programmes, courses and other services, to discontinue programmes, courses and other services and to merge or combine programmes or courses. The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will inform students.

Assessment for Year 1

We employ a range of assessment and feedback methods throughout the programme, including assignments, small-scale research projects and portfolios of evidence.

Structure

If you have previously studied for a Master’s-level qualification such as a PGCE, and acquired credits in the process, accreditation of prior learning (APL) allows you to use those credits towards this course and reduce your overall study time.

To complete our Master’s in Education Practice and Research, you’ll need to acquire 180 credits in total. So the length of your study is determined by the number of APL credits you already have.

One year part time: Requires APL of 90 credits. You’ll then study one 30-credit module option and complete a 60-credit dissertation.

Two years part-time: Requires APL of 60 or 90 credits. You’ll then need to complete one or two 30-credit module options, as well as your 60-credit dissertation.

Three years part-time: Requires APL of zero to 60 credits. You will then need to study up to four 30-credit module options across three years and complete a 60-credit dissertation.

The module options we offer are determined by our academic team’s interests and areas of research, which means you can be sure that you’re learning at the forefront of your field. The module options are routinely updated and you’ll be able to choose from a range of topics. Examples of the type of modules we cover include:

Understanding Health and Wellbeing in School Contexts
Writing Pedagogy
The Use of Technology in the Teaching and Learning of Mathematics
Shared Literary Reading in Primary and Secondary Schools
Assessment: Principles, Issues and Practice
Leading Teaching, Improving Learning and Global Education Reform

Please note that modules are subject to change each year

Teaching and Learning

Teaching

You will be taught by academics with years of practitioner-based experience across all educational phases. Experts in their field, they are totally committed to inspiring and nurturing your ideas.

Our teaching is informed by the latest cutting-edge research and practice, and your learning will comprise of small group seminars and workshops, which will either be delivered in the evening or at weekends, depending on the module(s) you’ve chosen. Guest speakers are invited to attend some of these sessions and you will be expected contribute to your sessions too, sharing and applying experiences from your own professional context. Our small group format is designed to encourage active debate and reflective dialogue between all group members.

Our teaching is supported by an annual MA Conference for all course participants. During the conference you will meet and listen to eminent guest speakers from within the field of education, and hear presentations by current dissertation students on their chosen research topics.

Independent study

Independent study is a key feature of this programme. You will be encouraged to read extensively in between taught sessions, and contribute your thoughts and ideas in a variety of different ways.

Admissions Live Chat

Assessment for Year 2

We employ a range of assessment and feedback methods throughout the programme, including assignments, small-scale research projects and portfolios of evidence

Structure

To complete our Master’s in Education Practice and Research, you’ll need to acquire 180 credits in total. So the length of your study is determined by the number of APL credits you already have.

One year part time: Requires APL of 90 credits. You’ll then study one 30-credit module option and complete a 60-credit dissertation.

Two years part-time: Requires APL of 60 or 90 credits. You’ll then need to complete one or two 30-credit module options, as well as your 60-credit dissertation.

Three years part-time: Requires APL of zero to 60 credits. You will then need to study up to four 30-credit module options across three years and complete a 60-credit dissertation.

Understanding Health and Wellbeing in School Contexts
Writing Pedagogy
The Use of Technology in the Teaching and Learning of Mathematics
Shared Literary Reading in Primary and Secondary Schools
Assessment: Principles, Issues and Practice
Leading Teaching, Improving Learning and Global Education Reform

Please note that modules are subject to change each year.

Teaching and Learning

Teaching

You will be taught by academics with years of practitioner-based experience across all educational phases. Experts in their field, they are totally committed to inspiring and nurturing your ideas.

Independent study

Independent study is a key feature of this programme. You will be encouraged to read extensively in between taught sessions, and contribute your thoughts and ideas in a variety of different ways

Admissions Live Chat

Assessment for Year 1

We employ a range of assessment and feedback methods throughout the programme, including assignments, small-scale research projects and portfolios of evidence.

Compulsory Modules

Optional A Modules

(30-60 credits)

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT IN EDUCATION

Code EDUA7002X

Credits 30

Modern education systems in many countries rely on leadership as a source of vision, influence and educational improvement. But is the role of head teachers, principals, deputy heads and middle leaders confined to ‘leading’ others, or does it also include the management functions, such as system design, delegation of tasks, and performance management? This module is concerned with enhancing your ability to understand and evaluate processes and techniques for leading (and managing) people in educational settings and the wider context of the school system. The module provides opportunities for discussions about a range of professional issues and reflection on your own principles as a current or future leader. The module starts with an exploration of ‘metaphors we lead by’. It then moves on to the topic of change management in the context of system-wide improvement. This is followed by an exploration of motivation and frustration, in the classroom and the staff room. The module is taught through seminars, workshops and interactive activities that offer you an opportunity to practise and evaluate a range of tools and techniques for leadership and management. Assessment consists of a portfolio made up of three parts that reflect the overall approach adopted in the module seminars and practical workshops. You will be able to: reflect on your experience of being a leader/manager (or being a follower) in real-life situations; develop a leadership plan and study current, cutting-edge research in the field.

DEVELOPING INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO TEACHING AND LEARNING THROUGH LESSON STUDY

Code EDUA7003X

Credits 30

This module will enable school-based teams of teachers to carry out a Lesson Study. Its viability will therefore depend on a) the recruitment of school-based teams (ideally 3-4 teachers) from a particular subject area, or teaching cross-curricular content in common; or b) the recruitment of individual teachers who are in a position to lead a lesson study group in their school. Lesson study is a collaborative form of teacher research that originated in Japan and has rapidly spread on a global scale to many countries, including the USA, UK, Sweden, Singapore, Indonesia, and Hong Kong. In Hong Kong Lo Mun Ling and her co-workers at the Hong Kong Institute of Education blended Lesson Study with variation theory developed by Ference Marton and his associates at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden. Variation theory provides teachers engaged in Lesson Study with a pedagogical tool for developing innovative teaching strategies aimed at ’learning with understanding.’ This form of Lesson Study informed by a learning theory, which focused the teachers’ attention on the quality of their pupils’ learning experiences, became known as Learning Study. It is this theory-informed approach to Lesson Study that the module will aspire to facilitate in schools. However, participating teachers will also be encouraged to explore the relevance of other learning theories as pedagogical resources for Lesson Study. The module will engage participating teachers in the progressive development of teaching and learning through a series of action research cycles in their schools. A lesson will be defined in terms of a focus on a particular object of learning, such as a topic, concept or complex skill, rather than a particular unit of time. An object of learning has both a specific and general aspect. It will involve the acquisition of specific subject knowledge, but also the development of those general capabilities involved in putting that knowledge to practical use in the contexts of everyday life and work. Deepening understanding of an object of learning will involve pupils’ in discerning both the specific and general aspects of an object of learning. In each cycle of a Learning Study, called ‘research lessons’, a group of teachers, often supported by an academic facilitator, test and modify their lesson design(s) and pedagogical strategies by observing a lesson, interviewing a sample of students from the class, and comparing pre and post lesson evidence of their levels of understanding . The data as a whole is subjected to a post-lesson analysis by the group, which then forms the basis of an amended lesson/pedagogical design for testing in the next cycle. The cyclical process of Lesson Study may be organized by participating teachers for public presentation to an external audience, both within and outside the school. In this way it contributes to a stock of professional knowledge that can be used by the teaching profession as a whole. This module will present Lesson Study as a process in which the professional development of participating teachers cannot be divorced and set apart from its role as a mode of producing public knowledge for the teaching profession as a whole. In this respect links will be made to Lawrence Stenhouse’s idea of the ‘teacher as researcher’ and its relationship to his process model of school-based curriculum development. Teacher teams involved in/with the module will be required to collectively construct a Lesson Study in publishable form for presentation to professional peers. It will be structured around a Research Poster presentation depicting the process, research methods, theoretical resources used and literature reviewed, and the major findings.

MEANING AND IDENTITY IN TEACHING

Code EDUA7004X

Credits 30

This module seeks to engage teachers with the meanings behind their teaching and teacher practices. It will focus on the reflection of individual teaching and teacher styles, the connection and tension between professional and personal identity and recognition about the wider implications of what a teacher is or could be. Discussions will also centre on the notion of social justice in the classroom and the role of teachers as ‘change agents’ both in and outside the school walls. Teachers will be encouraged to reflect on their own teaching and teacher journeys and will form a stronger sense of what those terms mean to them especially in relation to current policy and practice in schools.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION PEDAGOGY

Code EDUA7005X

Credits 30

This module aims to support physical education practitioners and those with an interest in physical education pedagogy to examine the purposes and practice of physical education and school sport, and to explore and reflect on discourses concerning curriculum innovation, implementation and impact on learners and their progress.

ENHANCING SCIENCE EDUCATION

Code EDUA7006X

Credits 30

What is effective science teaching? There are a number of potential answers to this wide-ranging question. Over the course of this module, you will explore the purposes and practices related to science education. You’ll gain a firm understanding of the potential implications of both research and policy on teaching and learning. You’ll also gain an understanding of how the image of science and science teaching practices in England have developed and changed, and how these have influenced both the curriculum and classroom pedagogy. You will start by examining and reflecting upon science teaching and the nature of science to consider how these have changed and the impact these changes have had on curriculum and the image of science teaching in general. You’ll then explore aspects such as the National Curriculum, assessment and the role of practical work in delivering and developing scientific skills and understanding. Throughout this module, you will consider how all of these aspects and more impact on children’s progress and engagement in science education. In seminars, you will learn with experienced educators and supplement this with independent study. You will be assessed through a written assignment. Through this module, you will develop your understanding of the factors influencing the effectiveness of science education and teaching. This will enable you to enhance your pedagogy whatever age range you work with.

UNDERSTANDING HEALTH AND WELL-BEING IN SCHOOL CONTEXTS

Code EDUA7007X

Credits 30

This module seeks to engage teachers with the theoretical and practical understanding of the concepts of health and wellbeing as it relates to the school context. During the module teachers will consider the possibilities for developing an active awareness of these issues for both themselves and their students by exploring a range of current initiatives at primary and secondary levels including the role of mindfulness training, healthy eating initiatives and physical activity. The module will reflect on recent government policy in this area as well as the impact of media stories. Teachers will also develop skills in their own health and wellbeing media literacy as well as consideration of potential interventions that they can take back to their own classrooms.

WRITING PEDAGOGY

Code EDUA7009X

Credits 30

This module is about the teaching of writing in primary and secondary schools. It will consider the nature of writing and its processes and how individuals, children and adults, become writers. It will provide opportunities to identify and reflect upon the range of skills, knowledge and understanding that contribute to the development of a skilled writer in schools and explore the teaching and assessment approaches that best support young and developing writers. Students will reflect upon and theorise their own classroom practices. It will support teachers’ own writing practices and explore the ways that these practices inform teaching and learning.

DEVELOPING EDUCATIONAL PRACTICE

Code EDUA7010X

Credits 30

The module will enable educational practitioners to develop their understanding of reflective practice in relation to three key domains: pedagogy, assessment and curriculum. It will also deepen their understanding of educational research as a process, strengthen their dispositions as potential researchers, and help them recognise and explore the contribution which workplace based research can make to enhancing students’ learning. This module will offer a set of shared readings in the three key domains (pedagogy, assessment and curriculum) and will look to relate these readings to participants’ own practice and their personal and professional contexts. A central focus will be to develop understanding of the processes of critical enquiry into practice, as informed by academic reading, the process of research, and exploratory and reflective writing and discussion.

MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES PEDAGOGY

Code EDUA7014X

Credits 30

The module aims to support second language practitioners and others with an interest in second language pedagogy, to examine policymaking, its purposes and practice in relation second language education. Participants will examine and critically appraise the influence and interplay between macro and micro level policy and its impacts. The taught content for this module will include discussion and review of language learning theories, and consideration of the evidence regarding how this underpins national policy, prevailing MFL methodology and pedagogical principles. The central focus will be on deepening understanding of context and MFL pedagogy in order to enhance practice through research based curriculum innovation. Participants will problematize and ask questions about their own beliefs as the module aims to develop an ability to engage in critical enquiry through exploratory and reflective discussion about practice, as well as through reading and the development of expository writing. You will explore ideas and develop frameworks for interpreting and developing practice.

THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN THE TEACHING AND LEARNING OF MATHEMATICS

Code EDUA7015B

Credits 30

This module introduces seminal studies in the use of digital technology in the teaching and learning of mathematics, including: Number and Arithmetic, mainly at primary level; Algebra and Geometry, mainly at secondary level; Calculus and Linear Algebra, mainly at university level; Mathematical Reasoning and Proof across educational levels; and, Mathematical Notation, Language and Representations across educational levels. Issues of teacher knowledge, beliefs and teacher education in relation to the use of technology are addressed across educational levels and through reference to key developmental and sociocultural theoretical perspectives. The module sessions touch on a range of technological environments including: Dynamic Geometry Environments; Computer Algebra Systems (CAS); Graphing Calculators (GC); programming languages (e.g. Logo); spreadsheets; and, internet applications. Although the module does not aim at the development of technical or usability skills, the engagement with technological environments naturally increases the expertise in them – and the appetite for deploying them in the mathematics classroom.

SHARED LITERARY READING IN PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS

Code EDUA7015X

Credits 30

shared literary reading in primary and secondary classrooms. It explores teaching practices and conventions associated with literary study such as ‘reading round the class’, using set texts and responding to poetry in schools. Often these activities entail reading texts aloud, followed by whole-class discussion or group activity. Frequently they prepare students for writing in distinctive genres requiring a critical and analytic perspective on the study text. What features of shared literary reading stimulate deep response? What range of responses do students offer? How can literary pedagogy be developed and refined?

Admissions Live Chat

Important Information

Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.

This is the second year of your taught masters programme.

Assessment for Year 2

We employ a range of assessment and feedback methods throughout the programme, including assignments, small-scale research projects and portfolios of evidence