Education Studies - BA (Hons)

Birmingham City University

This module is designed to encourage you to start thinking about your own professional practice, and your intentions for your career after you graduate. In this module, you will be prepared for your placement experience through the completion of safeguarding training to help you understand your role as an educational professional in supporting the safeguarding of young and vulnerable people, as well how to safeguard yourself whilst on placement. You will evaluate some pertinent examples of safeguarding concerns and consider appropriate responses. You will also be prepared for your placement through systematic and reflective analysis of your own professional skills. Tutors will support you to identify your strengths and your areas for development and will help you to develop the confidence to create and implement a plan for skill development, using supporting theoretical models. You will be supported by the Careers+ team throughout your learning, and Graduate+ is embedded into this module, allowing you to complete the silver award through engagement with reflective activities focused on your professional development. In the second half of the module, you will have the opportunity to start to apply your learning in a professional setting through attending your placement one day per week to develop key relationships, familiarise yourself with processes in preparation for a longer placement in semester two. Note: different arrangements will be offered with regards 1 day per week placement for those students who wish to complete their semester 2 block placement overseas with our partner institutions.

This module builds on Professional Practice, Placement and Safeguarding 1 in Semester 1, and the key focus of this module is a placement experience of around 120 hours, organised into a block placement of approx. 5 weeks. You will have begun to develop relationships with your placement setting in semester 1, and these will continue into semester 2, where you will be given specific tasks to complete on placement related to your other modules to guide your placement experience and to allow you to reflect on how educational theory translates to practical placement experience. You will be encouraged to keep a record of good practice that you witness on placement, including good practice in inclusion, sustainability, technology or safeguarding, and consider how this links with relevant theory, policy, or research. You will also evaluate how examples of good practice can be used to shape your own future practice. You will develop your professional skills through contributing to the day-to-day work of your placement setting, which will help you to make a positive contribution to the setting and develop your own future career prospects. Throughout the module, you will have contribution from the Careers team to support the continued development of your professional skills.

The focus of this core module is to help you develop a deep understanding of the relationship between educational policy and educational practice. Throughout the module, we will investigate how and why educational reform is initiated and implemented considering some of the reasons why we have seen much change to education, particularly since 1988, making links to relevant theories and perspectives. You will learn about the influence of governmental ideologies on educational changes and will be supported to evaluate some examples of educational policy and how these policies have influenced the educational experiences and outcomes of different groups of learners. During the module, we will focus on specific policies which have had a significant impact on schools, classrooms, teachers and learners and we will debate the reasons behind the introduction of these changes. We will investigate, and begin to evaluate, the role of key educational stakeholders including government, teachers, learners, parents, employers, HEIs (Higher Education Institution) in developing educational policy. Throughout this module, you will learn the importance of understanding the context of educational policy, and therefore we will discuss educational policies from international contexts and consider the impact of comparative education on shaping UK education. We will consider how policy decisions can have consequences for equity, equality, and social justice in education, and evaluate how these can be addressed in practice. By the end of the module, you will have understanding of educational policy reform, its challenges and opportunities, and the skills necessary to engage in policy analysis, advocacy, and evaluation. You will also have a clearer understanding of how your practice as a future educational professional could be shaped by interpretation of educational policy.

This module offers an introduction to inclusion, diversity, and Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND) in education. It explores various theoretical frameworks, policies, and practices that may be used to understand how inclusive education may work across diverse settings. It aids understanding of how to organise effective inclusive learning environments and how to personalise learning for different groups of learners with diverse needs. It considers how exclusionary practices may be present in educational settings and how they can be challenged and resisted. The module will introduce the key concepts of inclusion, diversity and special educational needs and examine their associated definitions and underlying principles and values. It will examine the historical context of how inclusion has evolved in education, with reference to policy, theory and practice exploring how inclusion is viewed and implemented in our education system. The module will incorporate UK perspectives and policies relating to education, alongside some reference to international policies. It will explore the importance of collaboration between different stakeholders to aid inclusion in education. The module will encourage students to consider how to establish an inclusive educational setting, whilst considering the barriers which may hinder this process.

This module is an introduction to carrying out research projects. As well as developing your understanding of key aspects of research in education, this module will also prepare you for your final research project at Level 6. The module will support you to engage in a critical analysis of contemporary issues and debates in research, policy and practice related to your field of study. You will identify and design a small-scale study, in readiness for your research project module at Level 6. The module will take you through the key stages in designing a piece of research, including identifying and justifying a suitable research question, conducting a literature review, deciding on appropriate research methods, and considering ethical considerations in research. By the end of the module, you will be able to carry out an extended research project relevant to your degree subject. This module will support you to explore the following: - Why do we need to do research? - What is my role in research within my chosen field? - What are the different approaches to conducting research? - What are the basic concepts relating to research methodology and research design? - What are the key ethical principles that I need to adhere to when conducting a piece of research?

This module enables and supports you to conceive, plan, and conduct a small-scale research project that attends and adheres to key ethical principles, in an area relevant to your programme of study. This module encourages you to engage in independent and collaborative critical analysis of contemporary issues and debates in your research focus area, in policy and in practice. You will be provided with an opportunity to clarify your understanding of key research terms, as well as to consider the link between epistemology, methodology and methods, and the impact that your own personal philosophies have upon the design of your study. You will self-source and examine current examples of relevant research and will design and conduct your own piece of research that explores a relevant and contemporary challenge within your programme area. The module is also designed to support you to critically examine the connections between research, policy, and practice and to consider this connection in relation to the findings of your own study).

The starting point for this module is the acknowledgement of the importance of digital technology in contemporary education, not just in the UK but worldwide. Therefore, this module aims to take you on a journey of understanding how digital education can be used as a force for good within the classroom and beyond. During the module, you will explore the theories and practicalities of implementing effective digital pedagogy in the classroom. Together, we will tackle key issues including the ethics of using technology, digital poverty and its impact on access, and how digital technologies can be used to drive inclusion in the classroom. All of this will be done while acknowledging the increasing prominence of modern technologies such as virtual and augmented reality, artificial intelligence and beyond. Throughout this journey, you will learn how to consider all the above in your practice as well as developing your own digital skills in preparation for the modern, digitised workplace. Finally, you will have an opportunity to try some of these technologies out for yourself, with workshops on VR (Virtual Reality) and AR (Augmented Reality) facilitated by knowledgeable members of staff. This experience will culminate in an assessment where you will be expected to choose a type of digital technology and demonstrate its usefulness in a classroom setting, paying mind to inclusivity and the theory underpinning the module.

This module will focus on transitions in the context of career development. You will learn about different theories of career and transition, and how they apply to educational professionals. We will examine established concepts of transitions that focus on decision learning, opportunity awareness, transition learning and self-awareness, commonly known as DOTS. We will also explore critical career approaches that promote a pedagogy that is conscious of the political and ideological aspects of career development and consider the importance of considering such factors when working in educational environments. As a result, we will delve into topics such as identity, gender, and ethnicity to critically examine accepted perspectives and thoughtfully review how work and career intersect with personal, familial, cultural, and structural experiences to help you review your own development thus far, but also consider your next steps. Reflective practice will be a crucial component of this module; you will be encouraged to reflect on your personal transitions and career development. This includes considering the self and your placement within a broader context of society. This module will also have input from wider university services to support your next steps after university. Careers+ will deliver sessions to support your employability, and Graduate+ is embedded in this module to allow you to achieve the Gold award.

This module is designed to provide students with a critical understanding of a range of challenges and debates that shape the current educational landscape. Students will explore diverse perspectives regarding complex issues impacting on education in contemporary society. Throughout the module, students will examine a range of contemporary issues affecting education at local, national, and global levels. The module aims to be responsive to changing educational contexts, so issues covered will vary depending on what trends and debates are currently prominent. However, these may relate to topics such as educational policy reforms, educational systems and structures, equity and social justice in education, diversity and inclusion, technological advancement and integration, educational curricula and assessment practices, student health and wellbeing and the role of education in addressing societal challenges. Students will be given opportunities to engage in critical discussions of the issues raised and with relevant theoretical concepts, research, and case studies to gain a deep understanding of the complex and dynamic nature of education today. They will also be encouraged to critically appraise the social, cultural, political, and other key factors that shape the experiences of students, educational professionals, parents, and other key stakeholders. Upon completion of this module, students will be equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate and contribute to ongoing discussions and debates in the field of education. They will be better prepared to critically analyse and address the contemporary challenges faced by educational institutions, and to make informed decisions as future educators, policymakers, researchers, or advocates in the field of education.