MA Educational Practice and Research (Part Time)

Key details

MA EDUCATIONAL PRACTICE AND RESEARCH (PART TIME)

Start Year

2023

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 further learn, develop, expand and explore your existing knowledge of education, with the aim of enabling you to use this to inform and transform your future educational practice.

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 and knowledge 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 dissertations.
Accreditation of prior learning (APL) for any Master’s-level credits you’ve acquired through previous study.
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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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, as well as your final 60-credit dissertation of 15,000 words.

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 in the first year and then your 60-credit dissertation in the second.

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 the first two years and then complete a 60-credit dissertation in the final year.

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 broad range of topics to suit your personal development. This academic year’s module options can be found on the Course Modules page.

You will also need to complete the compulsory Dissertation module in your final year, which incorporates Research Methods and will result in you producing a compelling piece of independent research on a subject of your own choosing.

Teaching and Learning

You will be taught by experienced academics with practitioner-based experience across a variety of educational phases. As experts in their field, they are committed to inspiring, challenging 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. We actively welcome, students sharing and contributing 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 between taught sessions, and contribute your thoughts and ideas in a variety of different ways.

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Assessment for Year 2

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 in the first year and then your 60-credit dissertation in the second.

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.

Teaching and Learning

Independent study

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

Clearing and Admissions Live Chat

Open Days

Assessment for Year 1

Compulsory Modules

Optional A Modules

(30-60 credits)

UNDERSTANDING HEALTH AND WELL-BEING IN SCHOOL CONTEXTS

Code EDUA7007X

Credits 30

This module seeks to engage teachers and other educational professionals 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.

DIGITAL RESOURCES IN MATHEMATICS TEACHING AND LEARNING

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.

TALK AROUND TEXTS FOR LEARNING AND ORACY

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?

ASSESSMENT: PRINCIPLES ISSUES AND PRACTICE

Code EDUA7016B

Credits 30

This module will introduce students to the theory, concepts and practices that inform educational assessment. We will explore the grand theoretical themes in educational assessment including assessment purposes, validity, fairness, reliability, and consequences. We will discuss these ideas in relation to real life examples and controversies - from assessment for learning, to high stakes examinations. We will also examine contemporary issues in assessment design, such as inclusive assessment, digital assessment, innovative domains, and large-scale assessments. Throughout the module will encourage the participants to reflect critically and creatively on their own assessment practice.

LEADING TEACHING, IMPROVING LEARNING AND GLOBAL EDUCATION REFORM

Code EDUA7018B

Credits 30

As governments in many countries across the world seek to transform their education systems, questions about leading teaching and improving learning are more important than ever. How do we know that our students are learning and making progress? What forms of knowledge are needed to improve teaching? Can we scale up local improvements or borrow policies from other countries to improve teaching and learning locally? This module enables you to investigate the relationship between approaches to improving learning ‘locally’ and the tendencies towards standardisation and complexity reduction characteristic of global education reform. You will have opportunities to reflect on the leadership (or management) of improvement initiatives that are sensitive to the individual needs of children, young people or adults learning in diverse local contexts. Through a depth study of a specific ‘local’ issue, you will also have an opportunity to examine the complex nature of leadership initiatives and policies aimed at improving teaching and learning. The advantages and limitations of researching the ‘local’ and the ‘particular’ will be discussed in relation to knowledge gleaned from large-scale educational surveys, schools’ ‘league tables’ and international comparisons.

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Important Information

Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring and review of modules. Where this activity leads to significant change to a programme and modules, the University will endeavour to consult with affected students. 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. Availability of optional modules may be restricted owing to timetabling, lack of demand, or limited places. Where this is the case, you will be asked to make alternative module choices and you will be supported during this process.

This is the second year of your taught masters programme.

Assessment for Year 2

Compulsory Modules

Optional A Modules

(30-60 credits)

UNDERSTANDING HEALTH AND WELL-BEING IN SCHOOL CONTEXTS

Code EDUA7007X

Credits 30

WRITING PEDAGOGY

Code EDUA7009X

Credits 30

DIGITAL RESOURCES IN MATHEMATICS TEACHING AND LEARNING

Code EDUA7015B

Credits 30

TALK AROUND TEXTS FOR LEARNING AND ORACY

Code EDUA7015X

Credits 30

ASSESSMENT: PRINCIPLES ISSUES AND PRACTICE

Code EDUA7016B

Credits 30

LEADING TEACHING, IMPROVING LEARNING AND GLOBAL EDUCATION REFORM

Code EDUA7018B

Credits 30

Clearing and Admissions Live Chat

Open Days

Important Information

Entry Requirements

Degree classification

Bachelors degree - 2.2 or equivalent

Degree subject

Any subject area

Additional entry requirements

Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) or at least three years of current relevant employment in an educational institution. Students need to be employed in a substantive role, which allows them to apply the course theory. Applicants should submit at least one employment reference.

Students who have completed the University of East Anglia’s Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) with 90 Master’s level credits, within the last 5 years, can transfer 90 credits from their UEA PGCE course.

Graduates of other Universities wishing to transfer relevant Master’s-level credits from other institutions will need to apply for accreditation of prior learning (APL) and should contact the admissions office at pgt.admissions@uea.ac.uk. The University APL/APEL policy can be found here.

Students for whom english is a foreign language

We welcome applications from students whose first language is not English. To ensure such students benefit from postgraduate study, we require evidence of proficiency in English. Our usual entry requirements are as follows:

IELTS: 6.5 (minimum 6.0 in all components)
PTE (Pearson): 67 (minimum 64 in all components)

Test dates should be within two years of the course start date.

Other tests, including Cambridge English exams and the Trinity Integrated Skills in English are also accepted by the university. The full list of accepted tests can be found here: Accepted English Language Tests

INTO UEA also run pre-sessional courses which can be taken prior to the start of your course. For further information and to see if you qualify please contact intopre-sessional@uea.ac.uk