EDUC9971 Key Issues in Education

In an increasingly globalizing world formal education systems are experiencing significant challenges. Participants in education, from students, to teachers, administrators and leaders in the field require the tools to appraise both global and regional forces that shape their educational context. This topic seeks to introduce students to the broad field of contemporary education from a multi-disciplinary perspective (sociology, history, psychology, philosophy, leadership and management, educational practice). The topic also introduces students to innovative and contemporary research approaches as an instrument for developing an adaptive, innovative and critical engagement with education. There is a strong focus on the relationship between academic practice and professional practice. This topic addresses education across the scope of developing national contexts.

This topic aims to develop:

• Student awareness and judgement of good educational research across different research and professional fields
• A critical capacity in assessing educational issues and their research dimensions
• An advanced understanding of the politics and ethics of education policy, research and management
• Student awareness of the profession/academic interface in educational research, practice, policy and governance, and
• Knowledge of key issues in educational practice, policy, governance and cultural change

1. Identify and discuss key issues in education from a transdisciplinary perspective
2. Identify good educational research, the different forms of educational research, and three different epistemological approaches to educational research (objectivism, constructionism, social constructionism)
3. Justify a research approach to exploring an educational issue
4. Identify the key academic journals in their educational research and practice field
5. Demonstrate an initial capacity to appraise and review educational research and educational research articles
6. Integrate and apply the multidisciplinary skills and knowledge that are required to progress education policy, management and practice, and
7. Demonstrate an advanced understanding of the politics and ethics of education policy, and the role of research and management