Education with Leadership and Management MA

Leeds Beckett University

This module introduces some of the key approaches, challenges, and theoretical debates in education. Through exploratory discussions and independent research, you'll gain a deeper understanding of the complex relationship and interaction between learners, educators, the curriculum, and the learning environment. The knowledge and skills you'll develop will facilitate an in-depth exploration of issues relevant to your personal and professional interests. This will enable you to relate in-class learning to wider professional and social contexts.

Drawing on key sociological and educational theory from the 20th and 21st centuries, this module explores the development of sociological thought in relation to the study of education, inequality, and injustice. You'll gain valuable theoretical insights to support your dissertation, enhance your understanding of professional practice, and prepare you for future academic or career development.

This module provides you with the tools to undertake methodological critiques and to interrogate research findings, with a key focus on the ethics of empirical research. Working within a community of practice, you’ll develop your own lines of enquiry rooted in a critical understanding of current literature and you’ll design and evaluate a research project which will form the basis of your dissertation proposal.

Undertake an extended project in a subject area of interest that relates directly to your professional practice. This module will deepen your independent thinking, broaden your subject knowledge, and strengthen your ability to analyse, apply, and contribute to existing theory. You'll build on the research skills and learning strategies developed in the Research Methods module, supported throughout by expert supervision. The guidance you'll receive will boost your confidence and prepare you to present and defend an academic review of your chosen topic with clarity and conviction.

Explore the big ideas, and the real-world contexts, that shape contemporary leadership. In this module, you'll dig into the theories, policies, and cultural forces that influence how leadership is understood and practiced. Together, we'll unpack questions of power, identity, inequality, and ethics, and examine how they intersect within organisational life. You'll build confidence in critically analysing research and policy, and develop a sophisticated understanding of leadership in relation to equity, diversity, and participation. By the end of the module, you'll be able to evaluate the ethical, cultural, and contextual dimensions of leadership practice as well as assess the evidence that underpins truly inclusive leadership.

Develop your ability to design, justify, and evaluate inclusive leadership strategies that drive organisational improvement. You'll explore contemporary leadership challenges and apply research-informed thinking to the creation of inclusive and sustainable solutions. Through critical analysis and applied problem-solving, you'll evaluate improvement initiatives, assess their impact, and justify strategic leadership decisions using theory, evidence, and professional insight. The module places strong emphasis on real-world practice, ethical leadership, and evidence-based organisational improvement. Learning is adaptable to your professional experience. If you're working in a leadership or management role, you'll apply concepts directly to your own organisation, while the module remains fully accessible to those without a current leadership context.