Develop your understanding of teaching and learning with our MA Education specialist pathways
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Overview
Develop your understanding of contemporary issues in education
Important
This is an online-only course. We also offer an in-person MA Education course.
Our exciting new online MA Education degree course supports you to critically engage with and analyse teaching and learning. Our unique course structure enables you to learn about key aspects of education and how they are applied in your own specialism and context.
The course improves and deepens your understanding and subject knowledge in education, as you learn to utilise evidence-based practice to unlock the potential of all learners.
Study topics informed by the latest research
The programme explores core topics such as pedagogy, curriculum, and inclusion and links these to key themes such as learning, assessment and research. The course is designed to allow participants to share perspectives from their own contexts and to learn about global educational issues.
The programme draws on the expertise of staff at the University of Chichester to ensure that teaching sessions are informed by the latest evidence and research in teaching and learning in your specialism.
Learn from anywhere
Our online course enables participants to learn from anywhere in the world and engage in specialist Masters’ level qualification from a highly-rated and popular Education department in an institution committed to teacher education since 1839.
Unique online structure
Our unique online structure allows you to engage with common themes in teaching and learning and then to apply these in one of five pathways:
- MA Education (Early Years)
- MA Education (Primary)
- MA Education (Secondary English)
- MA Education (TESOL/Second Language Teaching)
- MA Education (SEND)
The Course
Learn how research and evidence can be applied in your specialist context
Our online MA Education programme develops your knowledge and critical understanding of key concepts and practices underpinning effective teaching and learning.
You will study part-time, taking four modules plus a final dissertation. Your teaching will take place online.
Choose your specialist pathway
You will specialise in one of our five pathways:
- MA Education (Early Years)
- MA Education (Primary)
- MA Education (Secondary English)
- MA Education (TESOL/Second Language Teaching)
- MA Education (SEND)
Each pathway allows you to:
- Explore diverse perspectives on relevant curricula and pedagogy.
- Develop your knowledge and critical understanding of key concepts and practices in the relevant context.
- Learn to analyse and reflect critically on your previous experience s, attitudes, and assumptions.
- Develop a critical awareness of current issues and debates in the relevant context.
- Consider distinctive opportunities, challenges, and concerns within your chosen specialist pathway.
- Develop your own personal educational philosophies.
- Become an agent of change through critique and development of your own practice and wider educational settings.
Modules
Select a year
Understanding and Developing the Curriculum
In this module, you will critically explore diverse perspectives on the role of the curriculum within the function, value, and purpose of education.
You will examine current issues and debates that relate to the curriculum, as you apply these to your own specialist pathway.
Indicative module content may include:
- The purpose of education.
- What is curriculum and why do we need it?
- Key principles and factors that influence curriculum design.
- The contribution that cognitive science can make to curriculum design.
- Determining the effectiveness of the curriculum.
- Adapting curricula to meet differing needs.
Assessment
You will critically analyse the realities and potential of the local or national curriculum relevant to your own context and specialist pathway.
Thinking Critically About Pedagogy
The module will critically explore diverse perspectives of pedagogy and support you to develop and apply systematic knowledge, critical understanding, application and evaluation of key pedagogical concepts and practices.
Indicative module content may include:
- The inseparable learning and teaching duality.
- Science of learning and implications for teaching.
- A review of social and emotional learning for education systems.
- Critical pedagogy.
- Differentiated and inclusive pedagogy.
- Innovation in pedagogy: new ways to teach and learn.
- Digital life and pedagogy.
- Sustainability and pedagogy.
- Pedagogical leadership.
Assessment
You will critically analyse a key, signature, or innovative pedagogy relevant to your own context and specialist pathway and reflect on and evaluate the extent of the impact of this on practice, including implications for development and innovation.
Inclusion
The module will critically explore diverse perspectives on the value, principles, and purpose of inclusion.
Indicative module content may include:
- The value of diversity: towards equal opportunities in education.
- Scientific principles of inclusive education.
- Characteristics of an inclusive school: organisational and curricular measures to address diversity.
- The educator as an active agent in generating inclusive educational responses.
- Designing for inclusive learning: the universal design of learning.
- Design and evaluation of projects in inclusive education.
Assessment
You will critically analyse a situation or need arising in or pertinent to your context and specialist pathway and design, implement and reflect on an intervention, evaluating the impact.
Research and Education
The module will critically explore diverse perspectives on the function, value, and purpose of research in education.
Indicative module content may include:
- Education research and the teacher.
- What research can tell us about teaching and learning.
- Varieties of educational research and the types of questions they are trying to answer.
- The importance of understanding and structuring the research process. How can we structure educational research to inform practice?
- Designing a research project.
- Data collection, analysis, and presentation.
- Ethical considerations.
Assessment
You will critically analyse the relevance and impact of a piece of recent or seminal research and design and propose a research project for an area of interest in the context of your specialist pathway.
Dissertation
The dissertation is the culmination of your study for the MA Education. You will select a research topic of your choice relevant to your specialist pathway and investigate it through independent study with tutor supervision.
You will reflect on published research in your chosen area; identify a focus for your enquiry; develop your knowledge of evidence and theory relating to your focus; design and undertake your own research; and evaluate and disseminate your findings.
The module will further your expertise and support you to become a confident and effective educator who can make a positive contribution to the wider professional community.
Teaching and Assessment
Combine cohort participation with specialist teaching to maximise your learning
Teaching
Our unique course structure includes both whole cohort and specialist learning experiences. Each of your modules will be structured around five key questions or topics relating to the central concept. Each topic will be taught over two weeks through synchronous and asynchronous tasks (constituting approximately six hours endeavour).
During the first week of each topic, you will work alongside participants in all the specialisms to explore common issues and ideas. While in the second week, you will apply these insights to your own specialism through smaller group activities.
Through each topic, a mixture of live video meetings, recorded lectures, small-group discussions, and challenging practical tasks, will enable you to work together with peers and expert subject specialists to extend your knowledge and critique practice.
As a culmination of your programme, you will complete small-scale research for a dissertation project in an area of personal interest.
Assessment
Each module will be assessed during the course, with formative assessments and consistent feedback included to ensure you are supported to achieve highly. Each module will be assessed through submission of a formal written assignment relevant to your context.
Your specialist tutor and other lecturers will be available for advice throughout your programme.
Careers
Develop your career opportunities within the education sector
Our online MA Education degree will enable you to think deeply about education and develop a range of transferable knowledge and skills applicable in a range of different roles and contexts.
This course is not an initial teacher training programme but will support existing teachers and educational professionals to develop their practice.
For initial teacher training programmes please see our teaching routes.
Further study
MA Education pathways are also suitable if you wish to progress to a PhD programmes in Education at the University of Chichester.
Course Costs
Course Fees 2024/25
UK and International fee
- Part time fees are calculated based on sum of module credits taken per annum. Most students will take two modules per year (£2220).
- International students will need to provide a deposit of £2000 on registration.
- For further details about fees, please see our Tuition Fee page.
- For further details about international scholarships, please see our Scholarships page.
University of Chichester alumni who have completed a full undergraduate degree at the University will receive a 15% discount on their postgraduate fees.
Entry Requirements
- An honours degree or equivalent at 2:2 or higher.
- If English is not your first language then English language proficiency required is IELTS 6.5 (with no element less than 5.5) – or equivalent qualification.
Recognition of Prior Learning:
- Applicants who have already completed up to 60 credits at Masters Level may use these credits to apply for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) towards the total of 180 credits to gain the MA Ed. Please note that RPL may affect your eligibility for any Postgraduate loan. For details go to gov.uk/masters-loan/eligibility.
Contact us
For more information about this course, please contact the MA Education Administrator via:
Email: medu@chi.ac.uk
Telephone: 01243 812045
Apply
MA Education (Secondary English | Online)
To apply for the Secondary English pathway of this course, please click the button below.
MA Education (TESOL | Online)
To apply for the TESOL pathway of this course, please click the button below.
MA Education (Early Years | Online)
To apply for the Early Years pathway of this course, please click the button below.
