Education Studies - 2012 entry

The indicative modules below will give you a sense of the scope of the subject.

Year 1

Constructions of Childhood introduces the ideas of childhood as a contested terrain of differing social and cultural conceptions and the way in which these have changed over time and place. It focuses on the contexts within which childhood is experienced and draws on sociological, historical and cross-cultural perspectives to examine both the impact of these contexts on childhood and the role of children as active agents in society.

Education in a World of Change: Policy and Provision introduces you to the central aspects of educational policy in England. This will include how education has been altered due to its links to the economy, culture, technology and politics. You will study just how different an education in the 21st century is compared to one in the late 19th century.

Introduction to Child Development examines understandings of notions of development and the ways in which developmental issues both underpin, and impact upon, children’s learning.

Exploring Learning investigates the ways in which human beings learn. You will explore different learning approaches, strategies and styles. You will then examine these frameworks against yourself and discover how you learn.

Other modules include:

• Understanding Language
• Understanding Media
• Early Years: the UK Context
• Families, Culture and Context.

Years 2 and 3

Year 2

Classroom Cultures deconstructs the notion of ‘multicultural’ in the context of global and mobile communities of the 21st century. It specifically focuses on ‘multicultural’ within educational contexts: how this term is understood by schools, teachers, and policymakers, and what it means in practice for the child and the teacher. The challenges that face bilingual learners and their teachers are deconstructed and explored, as well as the interface between language and culture, and the differing languages/cultures of school, home and community.

Community Resources for Learning seeks to explore questions about the nature of knowledge and how this is represented in learning and curriculum. This will be explored through the wider context of the community – as an expansion of the more formal learning environments of early years settings, schools, colleges and universities.

Cross-National Perspectives on Education will explore to what extent previously separate educational traditions and systems are becoming comparable in an increasingly interdependent world. Generic themes will be considered cross-nationally, such as approaches to citizenship, learner autonomy and curriculum. You will be encouraged to explore the social, cultural and historical influences that shape these approaches, and to examine assumptions about your own and other educational systems.

Education for Sustainability offers you the opportunity to develop your understanding and appreciation of the national and global promotion of education for sustainability in schooling and higher education, as well as through non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

Educational Inequalities: Schooling and Youth investigates the relationship between formal education processes and outcomes and wider social processes and structures. It considers contesting visions of equality in educational debates, and how these are manifested in policy. It will examine the relationships among identity, school and wider cultures, the subjectivities of learners, and consequent experiences of education.

From Education to Work looks at the 14-19 curriculum and higher education, focusing on the transition from school to work. It explores the intended and unintended consequences of past and current policies.

Inclusion: Special Educational Needs and Disabilities explores the issues and challenges around inclusive provision for children and young people with special educational needs/disabilities. It analyses notions of discrimination and challenges you to think about your own attitudes and beliefs.

Psychology of Learning explores how people learn and why they often fail to learn. Perspectives from social, cognitive and developmental psychology will be examined to explore learning across the life span in both formal and informal learning contexts. The impact on the learning process of individual factors and contextual factors will be evaluated.

Research Methods in Childhood and Education introduces you to various research tools (interviewing, observation, questionnaires, etc) and appropriate data analysis. It equips you with the skills necessary to undertake a final year dissertation.

The Social World of Childhood involves a consideration of the implications of different models of socialisation and an examination of structural, cultural and experiential factors in the development of child identity. A strong feature of the module is its use of life and oral history approaches to the study of childhood.

Children and the Media explores the way in which children interact with different forms of media, such as television, video games, computers, mobile and imaging technology.

Literature for Young Children aims to develop your knowledge and understanding of the range of texts available for young children. You will develop skills in selecting texts which support language development with particular focus on phonological awareness and reading development.

New Media and Youth Identities investigates issues in digital media use and identity among young people in a range of individual, social and institutional contexts. You will consider how new forms and practices such as mobile phones and SMS, gaming and social networking sites offer new ways of expressing and communicating selfhood, and are shifting perceptions of private and public identity.

Outdoor Learning will explore how young children use play to learn and how adults plan for exploration and play in the outdoors environment.

Writing Technologies examines the impact of the technology of writing on individuals and society. Over the course of the module you will consider the philosophical, historical, cultural and political importance of different writing technologies and modes of written communication, such as handwriting, print, type, text, and hypertext.

Spirituality and Children explores the phenomenon of children’s spiritual development in its practical, historical and comparative dimensions, looking at major world religions, new age and secular developments.

Year 3

Controversial Issues in Education will follow up key issues introduced in previous modules and enable you to explore and debate these in some depth, through group discussion and extended individual research. 

Critical Discourse in Education studies the public policy context of education by examining the debates surrounding education policy and practice in the UK and internationally from a discourse perspective.

Education in International Development studies the place of education in international development programmes, and explores the impact of economic development, foreign aid and international relations on educational opportunity. Development education policy and practice is located within this discussion through the examination of educational case studies from actual development projects around the world.

e-Pedagogy for the Future investigates the variety of uses of information and communication technology (ICT) in the learning process and enables students critically to evaluate different approaches to e-learning. It examines the part that ICT can play in creating powerful learning environments to enable distributed cognition, engagement in learning, communication and the development of community, and knowledge building.

Inclusion: Diverse Perspectives outlines a range of perspectives on inclusive education and provides you with an opportunity to explore the ways in which various groups traditionally excluded from education can be included. We will look at the experiences of children who are marginalised or excluded and focus on the impact on the child. We will also explore and critique a range of national and international models and practice relating to inclusion.

Learning through Social Interaction will examine the social and intellectual outcomes of learning in groups. It examines the importance of group-based learning across the educational spectrum and offers a fresh perspective on a topic that has gained increasing interest worldwide. It links the theories that underpin the study of group dynamics to their practical application in the classroom and explores whether group-based learning experiences can promote socialisation and friendships while facilitating learning.

Dissertation: an in-depth study (under the supervision of an academic tutor) of a chosen problem related to education.

It is important that you have the opportunity to experience different learning contexts so the course provides you with several opportunities to undertake visits or short placements.

In Year 1 (Level Four) you will have the opportunity to carry out observations of children in an early years or primary setting in the compulsory module, Introduction to Child Development.

In Year 2 (Level Five) you have two options for short placements or visits: Classroom Cultures involves study of a school/bilingual learning context, and Community Resources for Learning involves comparing, contrasting and evaluating the aims and approaches taken in two different contexts such as a museum, non-institutional learning centre, or community/arts/cultural project.

In your final year (Level Six) Inclusion: Diverse Perspectives will provide you with an opportunity to explore the ways in which various groups that have traditionally been excluded from education can be included. You will undertake a case study during a placement to develop a critical awareness of inclusion issues and how a particular school is addressing those issues.

Information about exchanges, European work placements and other study abroad programmes, is available here.

Free language courses are available to all full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students who are studying any course on our Headington (including Marston Road), Harcourt Hill or Wheatley Campuses, and can be taken as a credit on some courses.

GCSE: 5 subjects at grade C or above

Please also see the university's general entry requirements.

Please see the university's standard English language requirements.

English language requirements for visas

If you need a student visa to enter the UK you will need to meet the UK Border Agency's minimum language requirements as well as the university's requirements. Find out more about English language requirements.

Full-time students should apply for this course through UCAS.

The Institute Code Name is OXFD and the Institute Code is 066.

All applications for part-time study should be made directly to the university using the university application form.

When you accept our offer you agree to the conditions of acceptance. You should therefore read those conditions before accepting the offer.

Oxford Brookes operates the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). All undergraduate single modules are equivalent to 7.5 ECTS credits and double modules to 15 ECTS credits. More about ECTS credits.

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