MA Education MA

About the course

The traditional route towards a Master's still suits many serving practitioners, allowing them the opportunity to work within a learning community of fellow professionals from differing backgrounds and with different perspectives.

Taught sessions are built around discussion, discovery, shared learning and peer review with tutor support and expertise immediately at hand.

All modules are constructed so thatthe focus of the work should be upon the professional and practical requirements of the individual teacher’s roles and responsibilities.

180 credits are required for the full Master's. However, the maximum credits that can be imported from outside the University of Hertfordshire is 60.

Why choose this course?

What we offer:

• For each 30 credit module, attendance at between 6-8 evening sessions per module
• A significant amount of private study and reading. Some independent research
• An assignment of 4,000 words or equivalent for 30 credit modules
• A final 60 credit module over a year with a 12,000 word assignment
• Full access to the university’s LRC (library) and virtual learning environment

Please contact Jon Berry for further information

Study routes

• Part Time, 3 Years
• Full Time, 1 Years
• Full Time,

Locations

• University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield

Teaching methods

For each 30 credit module attendance is required at between 6-8 twilight sessions of some two hours each. Although much work is presented in traditional essay format, we are very open to the presentation of learning in a variety of ways including presentation, artwork and other artefacts.

A final, year-long 60 credit module, the Practice Based Research Project, is the culmination of the work towards a Master's and presents the opportunity for practitioners to carry out some primary research into their professional practice.

Structure

Year 1

Core Modules

Optional

• Creativity - You and Your Practice

  The aim of this module is for students to unlock creative thinking and to use this to inform practice. Within this aim students will be introduced to concepts and theories of creativity and be asked to explore their own creative identities, acknowledging assumptions and personal values and beliefs about the role of creativity in their professional context. Students will also explore the role of the adult in supporting the purposes and practice of developing creativity in children and young people and/or exploring their role in supporting creativity in others with whom they work. The module will offer an opportunity to meet people from different contexts and discover different perspectives about creativity. Students will carry out a small scale enquiry related to personal practice.

• Developing Subject and Professional Knowledge

  The module will require students to identify an aspect of their professional practice and consider the major issues relating to this. They will need to consider a range of possible influences that have had an impact on this issue and this will, in turn, enable them to contextualise their own knowledge and understanding of it. Students will be asked to consider a range of sources and to demonstrate the ability to critically analyse and evaluate the relevance of these. They will be asked to consider the ways in which their study of this aspect of their practice has had an impact on themselves and fellow professionals both now and in the future.

• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

  This module will cover issues of equality, inclusion and diversity. This will include history, legislation and different theoretical models as well as practical questions of how these issues arise, impact upon and may be tackled in areas of professional practice such as education in a variety of contexts in contemporary society. Participants will consider how different common conceptualisations of identity have profound implications for the extent to which equality can exist in areas of professional practice such as education. Participants will interrogate a range of literature, and media relating to popular culture in order to critically analyse questions of racism, sexism, attitudes to disability, homophobia and other concerns about equality in areas of professional practice such as education.

• Leadership and Management

  In this module students will critically examine dimensions of leadership and management, with a focus on particular issues which are significant in their institution; the leadership and management of change; and key features of national and local policy. The module will encourage students to reflect on and critically evaluate their own leadership and management practice and to become aware of the impact of issues in the leadership of change on practice and the implications for professional development, for themselves and for colleagues.

• Mentoring and Coaching

  This module invites students to engage in practitioner enquiry to enhance their understanding of mentoring, coaching and leadership. Through exploration and critical reflection of their own professional experience and knowledge, as well as literature and research evidence, students develop greater awareness of themselves and organisations. This module will adopt a blended learning approach. Participants will be required to work collaboratively, cooperatively and independently, both in the taught sessions and online throughout the module. Participants will be required to have access to the internet in order to complete online learning activities as part of this module.

• Practice Based Research Project

  The focus of this module will be to enquire into practice using appropriate approaches and methods. The focus for the enquiry should be based upon a problem, area or issue, arising from a professional context. In the design of the research students will examine the purposes and principles of practitioner research and a range of research skills and strategies. A key feature of the project is the emphasis on the consideration of the impact of the research findings on own professional practice and on others with whom they work.

• Research Informed Practice

  In this module students will review the different perspectives of quantitative and qualitative approaches to research. They will explore the development of practitioner research and its influence on policy and practice. There will be a focus on data collection methods evaluating the strengths and limitations of each. This module is designed to develop students understanding of research methods in order that they then start the Practice Based Research Project with an understanding of possible appropriate data collection methods for their particular chosen research focus and approach.

• Wellbeing and Raising Aspirations

  This module focuses the following aspects associated with developing children and young people’s wellbeing and in turn their aspirations: - Children and young people’s voices - Children and young people’s rights - Children and young people’s wellbeing from a health perspective - Children and young people’s position within society - International perspectives on learning Participants will be encouraged to explore in further depth the aspect that most interests them in order to produce a resource to inform colleagues about listening, working and learning with children and young people. They will then be required to write an assignment to critically analyse the rationale and the resource drawing on relevant literature and other sources of information.

Fees & funding

Discounts are available for International students if payment is made in full at registration

View detailed information about tuition fees

Other financial support

Find out more about other financial support available to UK and EU students

Living costs / accommodation

The University of Hertfordshire offers a great choice of student accommodation, on campus or nearby in the local area, to suit every student budget.

View detailed information about our accommodation

How to apply