| Unit name | Big Ideas in Education |
|---|---|
| Unit code | EDUCM0069 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Kate Hawkey |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | School of Education |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
This unit will introduce students to the multidisciplinary field of education. It will offer an introduction to the history of educational research, provide an overview of different traditions of research and knowledge in the field, and explore how these traditions contribute to understanding educational debates of contemporary significance.
The unit will comprise a series of lectures from different disciplinary perspectives combined with discussion sessions led by the unit coordinator in collaboration with the contributor. The lectures will be organised to examine different disciplinary perspectives on a series of contemporary debates in education including, for example: the challenge of social justice, the implications of new biological sciences for education, education and big data, education and sustainability. The discussion sessions will allow students to reflect on the complexity of education as a research field and to explore the different contributions of psychological, sociological, cultural, critical and comparative approaches to the understanding of education. These key debates may change year on year, what will stay consistent is that the unit will support students to develop a thorough overview of how different disciplinary perspectives can contribute to examining, understanding and addressing contemporary educational issues. In this way, the unit will act as an important foundation for students’ further study and specialisation within the M.Level programme as a whole.
The unit aims for students to:
The unit aims for students to:
There will be 10x2 hour teaching sessions which will include lectures, seminar style discussions, peer group work, and tutor support for assignment planning and writing.
In the assignment for this unit, students will critically explore the contributions made by selected different disciplinary perspectives to key contemporary education debates, demonstrating a broad understanding of the educational research field and critically reflecting on the implications of different educational perspectives for the student’s own area of research or professional practice. The assignment comprises two parts, with the first part being completed earlier in the unit than the second.
Part 1 (25%) Critical review 1,000 words or equivalent
Students are asked to critically compare and contrast two perspectives that have given rise to educational insight.(ILO 1,3)
Part 2 (75%) Essay 3,000 words
Students are asked to explore contributions made by different disciplinary perspectives to a specific educational debate.(ILO 1-4)
Dufour, B. & Curtis, W. (eds.) (2011) Studying Education: An Introduction to the Key Disciplines in Educational Studies. Maidenhead : Open University Press.
Furlong, J (2012) Education: An Anatomy of the Discipline, Rescuing the University Project. London: Routledge.
Furlong, J and Lawn, M (2011) Disciplines of Education: Their Role in the Future of Education Research, London: Routledge
Whitty, G and Furlong, J (2017) Knowledge and the Study of Education: An International Comparison, Oxford: Oxford Studies in Comparative Education, Symposium
In addition, specific reading associated with each lecture will be identified by each lecturer to provide the latest synoptic overview of each disciplinary perspective or contemporary issue.
