Education Studies

Module title	Education Studies
Module code	EFPM914
Academic year	2025/6
Credits	30
Module staff	Dr Lauren Stentiford (Convenor)

Duration: Term	1	2	3
Duration: Weeks	10

Number students taking module (anticipated)	100

Module description

Have you ever wondered what education is for, who it serves, or who decides how it should be organised? This module will enable you to take a critical and questioning approach to a number of issues in education and to further develop an engaged and informed understanding. You will be encouraged to explore different issues by adopting different theoretical approaches and disciplinary perspectives. This module provides an important foundation for further study on our other MA Education modules and will be accessible for current and future educational professionals alike.

There are no pre-requisites to this module. You may be asked to read material in advance of the taught session.

Module aims - intentions of the module

The module has the following principal aims:

• To enable you to develop a strong understanding of the core theoretical approaches and disciplinary perspectives which underpin education, in order for you to be able to recognize the particular and distinct contributions that they make to this field of study

• To advance your understanding of education as a complex, holistic, multi-dimensional field

• To enable you to draw upon different approaches and perspectives in a confident, structured and imaginative manner, in order to address a range of key educational questions

• To provide you with the knowledge, understanding, and analytical critical skills needed for you to apply these approaches and perspectives to your own areas of professional or research interest and to the other key educational phenomena, processes or practices which you will encounter during the rest of your MA study

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

1. Describe, discuss and distinguish between different theoretical approaches and disciplinary perspectives which underpin education studies
2. Draw on these different approaches and perspectives to critically analyse a selection of key topics in education
3. Confidently apply these different approaches and perspectives to an area of research or professional interest

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

4. Critically engage with relevant sources of literature and current debates
5. Demonstrate ability to apply theoretical insights to a research problem or professional practice and to suggest a conclusion supported by relevant arguments

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

6. Engage in critical and reflective debate
7. Synthesise and organize key ideas to present an argument

Syllabus plan

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:

• What is education and what is its purpose?

• Has education changed over time?

• Who decides what is ‘valuable’ knowledge?

• What is teaching and learning?

• Does education reproduce or challenge inequalities?

• What theoretical approaches and disciplinary perspectives shape the study of education?

• Application of these approaches and perspectives to major educational issues (e.g. race, ethnicity, gender and social class inequalities, learning, and inclusion)

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
30	270	0

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	30	10 x 1.5 hour lectures, 10 x 1.5 hour seminar/workshop sessions
Guided Independent Study	50	Directed reading related to topics discussed in the module
Guided Independent Study	120	Directed study e.g. creating a personalized reading list; preparing for academic tutorial; preparing for seminars; responding to seminar activities
Guided Independent Study	100	Preparation for assignments and further independent reading

Formative assessment

Form of assessment	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Written assignment	1,500 words	1-7	Written tutor feedback

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Coursework	Written exams	Practical exams
100	0	0

Details of summative assessment

Form of assessment	% of credit	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Written assignment	100	4,000 words	1-7	Written summative feedback

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Original form of assessment	Form of re-assessment	ILOs re-assessed	Timescale for re-assessment
Written assignment (4000 words)	Written assignment (4000 words) (100%)	1-7	6 weeks

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Arthur, J., & Davies, I. (2010). The Routledge education studies textbook. Routledge.

Bailey, R. (2010). The Sage handbook of philosophy of education. SAGE.

Ball, S.J. (2004) The Routledge Falmer Reader in Sociology of Education. Routledge Falmer.

Ball, S. J. (2021). The Education Debate (Fourth edition). Policy Press.

Bartlett, S., & Burton, D. (2020). Introduction to education studies. (Fifth edition). SAGE.

Birch, S., Cline, T., & Gulliford, A. (Eds.). (2015). Educational psychology: Topics in applied psychology (Second edition). Routledge.

Boronski, T., & Hassan, N. (2020). Sociology of education (Second edition). SAGE.

Brooks, R. (2019). Education and society: Places, policies, processes. Red Globe Press.

Corcoran, T. (Ed.). (2014). Psychology in Education: A Critical Theory-Practice. Brill.

Dufour, B. & Curtis, W. (eds.) (2011) Studying education: An introduction to the key disciplines in educational studies. Open University Press.

Kumar, A. (2018). Curriculum in International Contexts: Understanding Colonial, Ideological, and Neoliberal Influences. Springer International Publishing.

Littleton, K. S., Wood, C., & Kleine Staarman, J. (2010). International handbook of psychology in education. Emerald.

McCulloch, G. (2011). The struggle for the history of education. Routledge.

Moore, T. W. (2010). Philosophy of education: An introduction. Routledge & Kegan Paul.

Murphy, L., Mufti, E., & Kassem, D. (2009). Education studies: An introduction. Open University Press.

Rury, J. L., & Tamura, E. (Eds.). (2019). The Oxford handbook of the history of education. Oxford University Press.

Simon, C. A., & Downes, G. (Eds.). (2020). Sociology for education studies: Connecting theory, settings and everyday experiences. Routledge.

Zajda, J.I., & Majhanovich, S. (Eds.). (2022). Discourses of Globalisation, Ideology, Education and Policy Reforms. Springer International Publishing.

Key words search

Education, Education Studies, Theoretical Approaches, Disciplines, Teaching and Learning, Educational Inequalities, Knowledge

Credit value	30
Module ECTS	15
Module pre-requisites	None
Module co-requisites	None
NQF level (module)	7
Available as distance learning?	No
Origin date	25/05/2018
Last revision date	15/04/2025