Postgraduate Module Descriptor

EFPM914: Education Studies

This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.

Module Aims

The module has the following principal aims:

To enable you to develop a strong understanding of the core approaches 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 these disciplinary perspectives in a confident, structured and imaginative manner, in order to address a range of key educational questions
To provide you with the theories and analytical critical skills needed in order for you to apply these critical 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)
This module's assessment will evaluate your achievement of the ILOs listed here - you will see reference to these ILO numbers in the details of the assessment for this module.
On successfully completing the programme you will be able to:
Module-Specific Skills	1. Describe, discuss and distinguish between the different theoretical approaches (sociology, psychology, philosophy and history) which underpin education studies 2. Draw on these different approaches to critically analyse a selection of key topics in education 3. Confidently apply these different disciplinary perspectives to an area of research or professional interest
Discipline-Specific Skills	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
Personal and Key Skills	6. Engage in critical and reflective debate 7. Synthesise and organize key ideas to present an argument

Module Content

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:

Why are we here? Education – a historical perspective.
What is education and what is its purpose (philosophy)?
Dialogic learning (psychology)?
Education in whose interests (sociology)?
Additional perspectives on education – the contribution made by economics, cultural studies and international education
Application of these perspectives to major educational issues (e.g. race, ethnicity, gender and social class inequalities, learning, and inclusion)

Learning and Teaching

This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:

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

...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:

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. web-based activities; creating a personalized reading list; preparing for academic tutorial; preparing for seminars; responding to seminar activities; contributing to online discussions
Guided Independent Study	100	Preparation for assignments and further independent reading

Online Resources

This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).

Indicative Reading List

This reading list is indicative - i.e. it provides an idea of texts that may be useful to you on this module, but it is not considered to be a confirmed or compulsory reading list for this module.

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

Furlong, J. (2012) Education: An Anatomy of the Discipline, Rescuing the University Project. London: Routledge.

Lauder, H., Brown, P. and Halsey, A. (2009) ‘Sociology of Education: critical history and prospects for the future’ Oxford Review of Education 35, 5, 569-85

Phillips, D. & Schweisfurth, M. (2014) Comparative and International Education: an introduction to theory, method, and practice, 2nd edition. London; New York: Bloomsbury Academic.

Hayes, D. (ed) (2004) The Routledge Falmer Guide to Key Debates in Education, London, Routledge.

Sheehy, N. (2003) Fifty Key Thinkers in Psychology, London, Routledge.

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

Scott, J. (2006) Fifty Key Sociologists: The Contemporary Theorists, London, Routledge.

Black, J. & Macraild, D. (2000) Studying History, Basingstoke, Palgrave.

Jones, K. (2003) Education in Britain. 1944 to the Present Day, Cambridge, Polity.

Baggini, J. (2002) Philosophy: Key Texts, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan.

During, S. (2007) Introduction in The Cultural Studies Reader (3^rd Edition), London: Routledge