Unit information: Education, Inequality and Social Justice in 2014/15

Unit name	Education, Inequality and Social Justice
Unit code	EDUCM0022
Credit points	20
Level of study	M/7
Teaching block(s)	Academic Year (weeks 1 - 52)
Unit director	Professor. Tikly
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	None
Co-requisites	None
School/department	School of Education
Faculty	Faculty of Social Sciences and Law

Description including Unit Aims

The unit will explore the role of education in perpetuating and overcoming inequality and in promoting social justice. Topics covered will include the nature of and interaction between different kinds of inequalities in the global era including those based on social class, ethnicity and gender; theoretical perspectives on the relationship between education, inequality and social justice; evidence for the role of education in reproducing and overcoming inequalities; and, practical strategies that can be used by policy makers, leaders and practitioners for overcoming inequalities. The unit will draw on evidence and on case studies from the UK and from around the world including Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas and from a range of organisational settings. Participants will be encouraged to apply insights gained to their own contexts. The aim of the unit is to develop critical understanding of education’s role in reproducing and overcoming inequality and in promoting social justice in the UK and internationally.

Intended Learning Outcomes

By the end of the unit students will be able to demonstrate:

1. A conceptual understanding of different kinds of inequalities including those based on social class, ethnicity and gender, of the relationship between them;
2. An awareness of the impact of globalisation and of the historical, economic, political, social and cultural context on shaping inequalities in the UK and selected other regions and countries;
3. An ability to differentiate between alternative theoretical approaches towards understanding the relationship between education and inequality;
4. An awareness of different kinds of evidence that can be used to evaluate the role of education in perpetuating and overcoming inequalities based on social class, ethnicity and gender;
5. An understanding of different theories of social justice and of their implications for education;
6. An appreciation of the impact of a range of initiatives and practical strategies that have been used by policy makers, educational leaders and managers, the private sector, non-governmental organisations and classroom practitioners to overcome inequalities in education;
7. An ability to apply theoretical and practical insights critically to different organisational settings.

Teaching Information

The course will be delivered through a combination of teaching strategies, which may include whole group lectures and seminars, case studies, critical analysis of key readings, group discussions, class activities and student presentations.

The needs of a wide range of students, including those with disabilities, international students and those from minority ethnic backgrounds have been considered. It is not anticipated that the teaching and assessment methods used will cause disadvantage to any person taking the unit. The Graduate School of Education is happy to address individual support requests as necessary

Assessment Information

Summative assessment for the unit will be on the basis of a 4,000 word assignment. Formative feedback will be given on student class presentations of case studies. The assignments and case studies will demand that students apply key concepts and theoretical approaches to cases related (wherever possible) to their own practice with a view to developing clearer understanding of race equality issues. In this way, the case studies and assignment will between them assess all five learning outcomes. Students will be encouraged to use the case study materials and the formative feedback gained from their presentation as a starting point for their assignments.

Reading and References

Fraser, N. (2008) Scales of justice: Re-imagining political space in a globalising world, (Cambridge, Polity Press).

Reay, D (2006) The Zombie stalking English schools: social class and educational inequality British Journal of Educational Studies, 54(3), 288 – 307.

Tikly, L. and A. M. Barrett (2011). "Social justice, Capabilities and the quality of education in low income countries." International Journal of Educational Development(31).

Tikly, L. and H. Dachi (2009). Social justice in African education in the age of globalization. Handbook of Social Justice in Education. W. Ayers, T. Quinn and D. Stovall. Oxford, Routledge: 120-137.

Tikly, L., Haynes, J., Caballero, C. Hill, J. & Gillborn, D. (2006) Aiming High; Raising African Caribbean Achievement Project. London: DfES.

Unterhalter, E. (2007). Gender, Schooling and Global Social Justice. London, Routledge.