Postgraduate Education 2020-2021

This course will focus on the theoretical and professional issues relating to learning and museums, including informal and formal learning, professional identity, regulatory and curriculum contexts, relationships between community and professional providers and social inclusion. Alongside seminars, normally held in the University’s museums, tutor-directed activities will include visits and observation of learning activities in local museums and similar organisations.

The course is intended to enable participants to reflect on current provision and practice in relation to learning in museums through critical consideration of current constructions and understandings of the ways in which museums are sites of learning for visitors.

This is the first module in the Into Headship PG certificate Programme. The aim of the course is to enable participants to understand their role as head teachers in applying the principles and practices of strategic leadership to frame and conceptualise educational problems and issues. The course provides opportunities for students to develop and to demonstrate knowledge and understanding, skills, qualities and other attributes in the following areas. It is based upon the model of professional learning which comprises four interdependent components: critical reflection, knowledge building, experiential learning and social learning processes.

This module focuses on the middle levels of leadership.  Formal and informal roles will be explored from a practical and research perspective. The role of the Head Teacher’s in facilitating and building teachers’ capacity to lead will be reviewed. Participants can focus on the concept of leadership, related to the different models of leadership that prevail in schools today with some accent on the impact and delivery of Distributed Leadership. The values and principles of leadership will be reviewed within the context of the participant's own professional context, and by open exchange of ideas with others in the group.

The School of Education has existing experience of successful collaborations in marketing and recruitment through the DLITE Primary and Secondary (PGDE) programmes.  Previous marketing has included joint marketing open evenings; sharing of flyers which the Local Authorities have distributed and feedback from Local Authority based events to support interested applicants.    The University has already created calendar statements which can be released at any time onto the School website for interested applicants.  In some Local Authorities potential participants are already known for consideration.  Further in discussion with GTCS, it is intended that a redirection will be possible from the GTCS website for suitable candidates to the University of Aberdeen.  This is also currently advertised on the GTCS website.

This module provides opportunities for participants to investigate current theories and research in improvement,  and further explore  those theories in relation to practices in their own school/work environment, along with the principles and practices of self-evaluation that inform them.  A seminar format will be followed providing participants the opportunity to contribute to discussion and actively input ideas relating to ways and means of initiating and leading improvement. Participants will meet regularly in a virtual, online learning environment which facilitates discussion and inter-action with others. Many of the principals and practices of school improvement are transferable to other organizations.

ED505A Mindfulness is the first course in the MSc in Studies in Mindfulness. The course introduces the three elements of the Programme: mindfulness practice, the study of mindfulness (and associated concepts) and the relevance of mindfulness to a self-selected professional, work or voluntary context. An introduction to developing a sustained, formal mindfulness practice, based upon a unique approach, is encompassed within the course. Within the course there are two residential weekends of teaching, study and practice.   

The course is assessed through the submission and assessment of a written assignment (4000-6000 words).

This course follows the same teaching approach as the first two courses. Its distinctive feature is understanding how and why we get caught up in habitual patterns of thinking and behaviour. Mindfulness and Compassion provide the foundation for clear seeing into the hidden mechanisms that give rise to conditioned reactions; and seeing how these have their roots in the subliminal level of mental activity. Practice is developed through Insight meditation and reflection. The module also draws on insights from evolutionary psychology, neuroscience and Buddhism.

The course is assessed by a written assignment (6000-8000 words). 

 

 

This module will form participants' first engagement with the 'In Headship' programme and be undertaken for the duration of the full programme.  During this module participants will engage critically and reflect on their transition to headship as they pursue equity and excellence through building capacity in self and others.

The unit will consist of an initial intensive study one night residential for the national cohort which includes a series of online critically reflective tasks pre-and post this event which draw on academic reading and experiences in practice). 

This module will provide focused challenge, requiring new head teachers to undertake a situational analysis and write action plans specifying what they want to achieve in their new post with an emphasis on strategic planning for school improvement drawing upon a range of academic literature and research evidence.

The mode of delivery for this module will be a blended model of face-to-face sessions complemented by online components.

There will be a focus on evaluative writing linked to strategic reporting which will be reflected in the formative and summative assessment tasks.

This course provides an overview and detailed experience of using the Computer Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis Software programme NVivo.

 

Students will have the opportunity to develop their own project after learning about the NVivo workspace and the different data sources that can be uploaded including text, audio, image, video as well as social media through the NCapture tool.

 

The course will cover conducting Literature Reviews in NVivo, creating memos, how to organise and code data, making cases with linked attributes and attribute values, how to conduct queries and how to visualise and export data and reports.

This is a flexible online 15 credit (SCQF11) Masters course that allows students to learn about Mindfulness, what it is, how it can be practised and how it has been applied. This course allows student to undergo an introduction to definitions and debates around mindfulness, as well as look at evidence of its application, potential and efficacy in multiple contexts. Students will also be required to undergo a range of mindfulness practices. This course therefore blends academic and experiential learning as students interogate the claims made for mindfulness and also undergo an experiential training in key practices. This course can be taken by anyone who has an interest in mindfulness and professionals from various contexts such as Healthcare, Education, Business, Sport, Community Work and Creativity will be able to look at literaure and evidence for the application of mindfulness, as well as investigate how they can also apply it to their work. Given the appetite for mindfulness in society this course can be a significant addition to the continuing professional development of students. For example, teachers who graduate in this course can put it towards professional recognition in mindfulness with the General Teaching Council.

Focus Courses: ED50BQ Literacy Difficulties and Dyslexia OR ED50BP An Introduction to Autism and Its Implications for Classroom Practice 15 SM Points each

The focus element of this combined 30 credit module examines either literacy difficulties in detail. Participants have the opportunity to explore in their practice how they might facilitate the enhanced participation of pupils facing these potential challenges in their learning.

 

This course aims to:

• enhance and extend professional practice in the teaching of subject/stage through the medium of Gaelic

• familiarise students with the support structures available in Gaelic education

• provide the advanced knowledge, understanding and skills required to deliver subject/stage in Gaelic medium

• develop the relevant Gaelic language skills so that participants are able to teach through the medium of Gaelic and respond to the needs of the pupils they teach

• provide knowledge and understanding of the range of theoretical perspectives relating to immersion and bilingual teaching and the promotion of Gaelic Medium Education

The dissertation forms the final part of the Master of Research degree. This course aims to support participants as they frame, specify, plan, carry out and report on a research-based investigation.   For students who plan to complete their studies with the MRes, the dissertation will report on a completed piece of independent and original research.  Other students, with prior agreement from the Director of Postgraduate Research Degrees, who plan to proceed to doctoral studies, may use their MRes dissertation as part of the preparation for subsequent PhD study.

This fully on-line course examines the current debates and research on leadership, particularly as these apply to not-for-profit organizations, such as education, nursing and other services.

This course aims to enable students to develop the personal qualities and professional skills necessary for competent and reflective practitioners within a person centred framework. Self-awareness, counselling theory, practice and research are integrated to a level that enables course members to engage with therapeutic processes in a range of counselling relationships. Although the counselling programme is structured on a modular basis it is conceptualised as a comprehensive experience. The programme has four strands: Counselling Relationship and Therapeutic Process; Counselling Theory and Research; Personal Development; Professional Development. This course constitutes the 1st module of the counselling programme.

This course aims to enable students to develop the personal qualities and professional skills necessary for competent and reflective practitioners within a person centred framework.  Self-awareness, counselling theory, practice and research are integrated to a level that enables course members to engage with therapeutic processes in a range of counselling relationships. Although the counselling programme is structured on a modular basis it is conceptualised as a comprehensive experience. The programme has four strands: Counselling Relationship and Therapeutic Process; Counselling Theory and Research; Personal Development; Professional Development. This course constitutes the 3rd module of the counselling programme.

This course will allow students to engage with the theory and practice of working with children in a range of settings, 0-3, 3-5 and 508, but with a particular focus on the role of the teacher in the setting in which they work.  Students will explore a number of contemporary educational issues and approaches in Early Years Education.  Course content will support the Early Years Framework (2008) through the development of specialist Early Years provision which will help to build the resilience of children, improve the capacity of parents and contribute towards developing supportive communities.

The course provides students with the opportunity to explore contemporary theories of language development and engage with the role of the practitioner in supporting the development of language and literacy across the age ranges 0-3, 3-5 and 5-8, but with a particular focus on the age range of the setting in which they are employed. The course will further build on core aspects of early years education previously studied in units ED50P7 and ED50P8.

This course will support you to frame, specify, plan, implement and report an academic or work-related research-based investigation or development. The course is available if you have successfully completed a postgraduate diploma and allows you to complete your Masters degree. Normally your diploma should have included courses which introduced the process and methods of conducting research. The work based project/dissertation course requires sustained independent research and you will receive individual or small group supervision. You will also have the opportunity to engage with workshops and online resources as part of a community of researchers in education and related areas.

The concept of Inclusive Pedagogy has been developed by studying the practice of primary and secondary classroom teachers who think about learning and teaching in a novel way. This approach acknowledges and responds to difficulties that children may face in their learning in ways that respect the dignity of the child in the community of the classroom. This approach leads to innovative partnerships between classroom teachers and other specialists such as additional support needs (ASN). It offers a framework for thinking about learning and teaching that can support planning and classroom practice.

This on-line course offers the opportunity for teachers and others in alternative professional settings to attain the skills and understandings required to conduct action-based research within their own professional contexts. Participants will identify a research topic and prepare a proposal, supported by a line-manager, which will then form the basis of the course. A number of virtual face-to-face sessions will be conducted at intervals throughout the module giving participants the opportunity to interact with other members in whole group and small group settings. Assessment will include a poster presentation and a 5,000 word submission in a journal article format.

The course provides students with an opportunity to develop a specific understanding of issues in the design and implementation of research, and the analysis and interpretation of research, within a social/educational context.  A variety of methodological orientations are studied: mixed methods analysis; narrative enquiry; phenomenology, advanced quantitative research design and multivariate analysis.  It aims to provide the knowledge, skills and understanding required for the dissertation stage of the programme

Personal and social development linked to health and wellbeing is increasingly recognised as central to an effective education in which the potential of the whole individual is developed.

Curriculum for Excellence and Health and Wellbeing E&O’s emphasize the importance of planned approaches. This module is therefore designed to increase competence in identifying and meeting the developing needs of young people through effective planning.

The module covers aspects below:

• planning, development and delivery of inter-disciplinary programmes of PSHE including assessment, evaluation and improvement planning
• learner-centred approaches and the importance of a supportive climate

This is the second module in the recently developed, SCEL initiated Into Headship PG certificate programme. The aim of this course is to enable participants to gain the knowledge and understanding needed to manage a collaborative change process with members of the wider school community. The module will also map sets of strategies to address the educational issue identified in Module 1 of the PG Certificate.

ED555B Compassion is the second course in the MSc in Studies in Mindfulness. The key study theme is the role and importance of compassion within mindfulness. ED505B Compassion is unique not only in prioritising the study of compassion but also in developing compassion within mindfulness practice. Specific topics include evolutionary psychology, our compassionate nature and ‘the undercurrent and the observer’.

 

 

This course provides the opportunity for students to critically investigate and improve aspects of their professional practice through enquiry. The course essentially explores the notion of the practitioner researcher within the policy – theory – research – practice landscape. The development of knowledge and understanding of the research process, and the evidence-based design, implementation and analysis of an investigation exploring an important context-specific aspect of each student’s professional practice, are key elements of the course. On-line tutor-led group sessions are used at key points to provide formative support for student learning.

 

 

This course aims to:

• provide a critical appreciation of how the key concepts of language understanding and development are integrated into subject/stage teaching and how they impact on each other
• give participants opportunities to understand and review critically pedagogies used to deliver their stage/subject through Gaelic medium
• examine theories of learning in the context of Gaelic medium and to engage the participants in an interrogation of how the Gaelic language is used in the classroom to teach the subject/stage and how children use the Gaelic language

• examine policy initiatives and their relationship with Gaelic Medium education

This course encourages you to consider issues of innovation and change that arise from external and internal influences on the FE sector. It provides an opportunity for you to develop innovative, professional ideas and practice, interlinking theoretical aspects with practice and considering future professional contexts. The course offers an opportunity to reflect on your wider professional role and context, and the different factors that impact on these, taking into consideration, social, political, economic, legislative, and technical changes. This course will help you develop critical responses to a continually changing educational landscape.

Participants will review and critically appraise current conceptual understandings of change, gain an understanding of change management, and evaluate change processes in their own school/organisational setting. Implementing and managing change has become an on-going leadership task; coping with the complexity, ambiguity and stress which change can generate is seen as a key leadership skill. It is widely accepted that leaders and managers will succeed more often if they have the necessary knowledge of how to view, cope with, initiate and sustain change. This course is designed to increase the understanding of participants who are involved in leading to enhance performance.

This course aims to enable students to develop the personal qualities and professional skills necessary for competent and reflective practitioners within a person centred framework. Self-awareness, counselling theory, practice and research are integrated to a level that enables course members to engage with therapeutic processes in a range of counselling relationships. Although the counselling programme is structured on a modular basis it is conceptualised as a comprehensive experience. The programme has four strands: Counselling Relationship and Therapeutic Process; Counselling Theory and Research; Personal Development; Professional Development. This course constitutes the 2nd module of the counselling programme.

This course aims to enable students to develop the personal qualities and professional skills necessary for competent and reflective practitioners within a person centred framework. Self-awareness, counselling theory, practice and research are integrated to a level that enables course members to engage with therapeutic processes in a range of counselling relationships. Although the counselling programme is structured on a modular basis it is conceptualised as a comprehensive experience. The programme has four strands: Counselling Relationship and Therapeutic Process; Counselling Theory and Research; Personal Development; Professional Development. This course constitutes the 4th module of the counselling programme.

This course will  allow students to engage with the theory and practice of the role of the teacher in the setting in which they work, but with a particular focus on the other two settings in age range (0-3, 3-5, 5-8) in which they are not normally employed. This course is designed to follow on from and compliment ED50P7. Course content will support the Early Years Framework (2008) through the development of specialist Early Years provision which will help to build the resilience of children, improve the capacity of parents and contribute towards developing supportive communities.

This course will support you to frame, specify, plan, implement and report an academic or work-related research-based investigation or development. The course is available if you have successfully completed a postgraduate diploma and allows you to complete your Masters degree. Normally your diploma should have included courses which introduced the process and methods of conducting research. The work based project/dissertation course requires sustained independent research and you will receive individual or small group supervision. You will also have the opportunity to engage with workshops and online resources as part of a community of researchers in education and related areas.