Postgraduate Education 2015-2016

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.

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.

This course explores the changing discourses linked to community work in different settings and their impact on the design and management of current community projects. It will also provide an opportunity to explicitly engage with current issues in the field of practice with an appreciation of their historical, social and political contexts.

Enquiring Professionalism is the first course of the PG Dip CLD.  It addresses the processes of both the programme and the broader professional role.  It introduces participants to the programme demands such as critically reflective practice and professional enquiry; all capacities which are important to the continuing professional development of the professional.  The course runs in parallel to the three practice- faced courses providing a steady anchor to these courses and allowing the academic and practical components of the programme to integrate with each other. The course prepares participants for the final stage of the programme, the action enquiry project.

This course provides an opportunity for participants to follow an interest of their own and explore an area of specialism. Individuals are supported to identify a challenge in their own professional practice and to use action research processes to understand it better.  Participants will develop their own practice though practitioner enquiry and will contribute to the knowledge base of the field of practice.

The course will develop the capabilities of engaging and working with communities to plan in partnership and seeks to develop the critical understandings and attitudes that underpin these capabilities. Participants will be introduced to a variety of creative means of engaging with diverse perspectives.  The course assessment will require them to work with others in their professional context to compile a community profile.  

This course seeks to assist individuals to enhance their capabilities in working in and through relationship and to found these on the community education value base and code of ethics and a critical appreciation of power relations. Power will be explored in a variety of creative ways – through drama, dance, image etc.

This course is designed to extend knowledge and understanding and enhance practice in mentoring and coaching.  Participants will develop a critical understanding of the theoretical concepts and principles underpinning approaches to mentoring and coaching; reflect critically on their own attitudinal qualities, interpersonal and communication skills when in role as a mentor and mentee; through skills development, enhance their skills when involved in mentoring and coaching contexts; contribute to enhancing the quality of provision within their learning community through undertaking mentoring and coaching related activities and reflect on the impact of their role on self and others.

Applicants must be fully registered with the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) and working in a professional context.

This course is worth 30 credit and is summatively assessed by an assignment linked to the themes listed below:

• The nature of teachers’ mathematical knowledge

• Children as ‘learners of mathematics’

• Making connections and developing mathematical talk

 

This course provides opportunities to acquire advanced knowledge, understanding and skills in self evaluation and critical reflection of practice, collaborative working, professional learning and professional portfolio development. The course will help early career teachers to develop the confidence, knowledge, intellectual and practical skills required to take forward their practice in these areas. Participants will critically engage in professional reading, thinking, writing; engage in the process of self evaluation and reflect on impact of approaches used on self and others; engage in professional learning action planning; engage in and reflect on role and impact of collaborative learning on own learning.

This course provides the opportunity to engage in an extended, context-specific classroom-based (action) research project to enhance the learning of pupils, self and others.  Aligning with aspects of current discourse in education, participants will demonstrate a respect for evidence, in turn evaluating the impact of their project on self/others.  Through an enquiry based approach participants will work with others (in learning communities) to identify and carry forward their professional knowledge in a specialist area of interest with a particular emphasis on pupil learning gains.

This course explores learning theories, inclusion, reflection on pedagogy and the rationales behind Curriculum for Excellence and Assessment is for Learning.  This course may be of interest to those beginning their Master’s journey consolidating their professional learning for the purposes of Professional Update and/or for those who have had a career break and wish to inform their practice regarding more recent changes in Education. 

The course is aimed at secondary teachers wishing to move into the primary sector. This is the only course of its kind in Scotland and is registered with the GTCS in alignment with their registration regulations

This second course builds a deepening understanding of the elements of ED503H making links between theory, policy and practice.  This is the
second course aimed at secondary teachers wishing to move into the primary sector and participants must have undertaking ED503H first.

This course is designed to enable participants to begin to link educational practice, evidence and theory in order to design, deliver and evaluate courses and programmes for both undergraduates and taught postgraduates. It encourages participants to experiment with, and take a critical, scholarly stance on, different approaches to learning, teaching and assessment. Course workshops are designed to facilitate participants’ engagement with pedagogical literature, to challenge current approaches to teaching and to encourage planning for their further professional development in the learning and teaching arena.

This course is for students undertaking postgraduate study which requires a good standard of critical reading and writing skills.

The essential aim of the course is to provide participants with a working knowledge of what is required to appraise journal and other material, and be able to present a reasoned argument based on evidence. By the end of the course you will be able to demonstrate the capability to

• develop a critical understanding of the principal theories and concepts of the topics studied, together with knowledge of major policy issues involved

• analyse critically evidence and arguments to support professional judgments

The course is focussed on social science research and applications in professional / work contexts. Participants make critical connections between policy, theory, research and practice in the context of investigating their own practice. Course coverage includes research philosophy and methodology, research implementation (design, methods, data collection and ethics), data analysis and interpretation, and reflective evaluation. Participants conduct a small scale research activity to enable exploration and evaluation of the application of research in their own context. The course offers a supportive, formative learning experience in preparation for a larger project.

This course introduces students to key issues integral to educational research (such as the nature of practitioner enquiry in educational research, the relationship amongst: research, policy and practice, critical reading of texts, research and policy, and different views of knowledge). The course aims to explore the links between educational research, policy and practice and to develop the skills associated with the critical reading and evaluation of policy documentation and research texts.

 

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.

This course provides the opportunity to engage in an extended, context-specific classroom-based (action) research project to enhance the learning of pupils, self and others.  Aligning with aspects of current discourse in education, participants will demonstrate a respect for evidence, in turn evaluating the impact of their project on self/others.  Through an enquiry based approach participants will work with others (in learning communities) to identify and carry forward their professional knowledge in a specialist area of interest with a particular emphasis on pupil learning gains.

This course introduces students to all aspects of the educational research design process, main research methods and terminologies.  It will briefly introduce students to educational research resources including textual and digital resources.  The course aims to engage students in the process of critical analysis of published research literature of relevance to various educational audiences, in particular the evaluation of design approaches.

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 HW 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 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 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.

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.

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).

ED505B 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’. 

Within the course there are two residential weekends of teaching, study and practice.

The course is assessed by a written assignment (4000-6000 words).

ED505B Compassion is followed by a week long study retreat on Holy Isle in Scotland.

ED505C Insight and Wisdom is the third course of the MS in Studies in Mindfulness. Study begins with defining both insight and wisdom within cultural contexts and in relation to both mindfulness practice and psychology. The emphasis within the course is upon creating the conditions for insight to arise and for wisdom to follow. Practice is developed through Insight meditation and training

Within the course there are two residential weekends of teaching, study and practice.  These augment and support both study and mindfulness practice.  

The course is assessed by a written assignment (4000-6000 words).

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.

Participants identify successful practice and from that develop a theory of practice. Video analysis software is used to analyse practice (specifically positive practice) and then practice is theorised with the help of identified literature. You will be articulating your theory of practice and testing it out, the process will be:

Identifying Successful Practice → Developing Theory → Looking again at Practice

There are online sessions and learning sets for group tasks. Assessment is through a portfolio of evidence gathered throughout the course of each participant’s engagement with their own practice and relating that to their critical analysis of relevant literature

Building on Developing a Theory of Practice 1, participants will engage in a more in-depth reading, reflection and sharing of theoretical drivers which determine the individual participants’ conceptualisation of a Theory of Practice. There will be further

·        identification and sharing of participants’ perceptions of the drivers of effective practice within their professional context.

·        reflection and problematisation of these issues and articulation through visual mapping exercises.

·        identification of key areas of personal practice as a focus for further enquiry

·        critical reading of underlying theories in order to define a vision for future practice

 

This module examines the concept of change as it relates to the development of inclusive curricula, and considers the influences and assumptions that shape the curriculum. It is designed to develop an understanding of the inter-relationships amongst various organisational systems, and to examine the professional and personal activities that take place within these interconnected systems.

This module explores the principles of inclusion, and considers national and local policy and practice. It explores the dimensions of human difference and is designed to enable participants to reflect on their own work in school/college, to examine the personal philosophy that drives their own practice, and to consider options for change. It examines the implications for practice, the key principles of learning and teaching and the multiplicity of factors affecting learners’ experiences in school/college.

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 or autism 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 considers in detail effective practice in collaboration, and examines systems and organisational issues, as well as the development of personal skills. It also considers in particular the potential impact of collaboration on the learner.  

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 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:

• 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

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

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 course critically explore controversies and dilemmas relating to four themes in Autism & Learning: causation and diagnosis; inclusive service provision; self-understanding and self-determination; relationships and sexuality. We critically explore current policy and legislation in relation to these topics in the light of current literature and research, making links to workplace provision and professional practice. We also draw on the Professional Enquiry course across the programme in order to deepen knowledge and understanding of enquiry methods, practice enquiry skills and undertake a small scale enquiry relating to one of the controversies and dilemmas listed above.

This course covers a range of conceptual issues fundamental to an understanding of autism in inclusive contexts. Participants will therefore develop a critical knowledge and understanding of policy, literature and research relating to the diagnostic criteria for autism, the key theories of autism, the main strategies used to support learners and the key themes and issues in the field. This will be linked to a critical knowledge and understanding of policy, literature and research on inclusion and issues around its meaning and enactment. The role of interprofessional collaboration and learner participation in facilitating inclusion is emphasised across the course.

This course explores the links between the diagnostic criteria for autism  (difficulties with social communication, social interaction, flexibility of thought & sensory integration) and behaviour. We critically explore positive, evidence-based approaches to identifying solutions. We also critically examine the links between the national strategy for autism, theory and practice and the meaning of the notion of the ‘autism friendly workplace’. Students are introduced to strategies for reflecting critically upon workplace provision via structured auditing and action planning for change.

This course allows you to explore theory and practice relevant to learning and teaching. It addresses the planning, implementation, assessment and evaluation of learning and encourages you to engage with a variety of perspectives to inform your own professional development.  It draws on a cyclical process of reflection on practice, in practice and for action, and encourages you to draw on reflective dialogue, peer review and learner feedback to enhance your practice. The supported use of a range of technologies throughout the course will also enhance your digital practice.

This final core course in the MSc EPP provides opportunities to review and consolidate the skills, knowledge, values and practices developed across the earlier part of the programme as well as other aspects of ongoing professional learning. The course will focus on critical self reflection and act as a mechanism to provide a synopsis and synthesis, within participants’ current work based context, of key new learning, enhanced ways of collaborative/cooperative working; enquiry/research techniques planned/implemented, action research project findings and impact; and enhanced professional practice arising from experiences across the programme.

This course provides opportunities to explore, compare, contrast and critically assess a number of educational theories and approaches to learning and teaching and their relevance and application to their own practice settings. Participants will discuss and review critically issues arising from the application of theory to practice; evaluate the relevance and importance of theories in different practice settings; undertake a negotiated, comparative study of three theories or approaches of individual interest; design (in collaboration with others), carry forward, evaluate and report on a teaching intervention to apply/test an aspect of theory or an approach in their own workplace setting.

This module explores the principles of inclusion, and considers national and local policy and practice. It explores the dimensions of human difference and is designed to enable participants to reflect on their own work in school/college, to examine the personal philosophy that drives their own practice, and to consider options for change. It examines the implications for practice, the key principles of learning and teaching and the multiplicity of factors affecting learners’ experiences in school/college.

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 which provide for the well-being of young people and those in need of care. 

The Exploring Leadership course will give participants the opportunity to engage in learning and discussion with others interested in exploring current ideas about leadership in professional settings and other factors impacting on organizational effectiveness.

Theoretical models and explanatory frameworks will be examined, not just as academic exercises, but in the expectation that they can illuminate practical circumstances in professional settings.

This course provides the opportunity to extend/deepen knowledge and understanding of the responsibilities of all practitioners for literacy, numeracy and health and well-being, and associated principles and practices, in relation to the experiences and outcomes of CfE.  Participants will extend their knowledge, understanding, application and evaluation of cross-disciplinary learning and teaching practices; use action research based approaches, to design, implement, and reflect on, innovative cross-disciplinary classroom-based learning and teaching practices/interventions that will develop a number of the capacities of Curriculum for Excellence, at the same time gathering robust pupil learning attributes data to evidence the impact of these practices.

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 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 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 3rd 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 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.

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.

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.

This course provides an overview of the different purposes and characteristics of academic writing, academic reports and presentations. Critical review and analysis of examples of academic writing is undertaken to identify the structure and organisation of academic papers, reports and presentations. The course aims to broaden understanding of research dissemination principles and processes by applying a critical analytical approach; and to develop the academic conventions associated with research reporting and presentation, viz. interpretation, selection, summarising, sequencing and communication skills.  

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.

The course is designed to develop participants’ critical understanding of the pedagogy of eLearning, while also facilitating engagement with a range of elearning tools and practices and evaluating their impact on learning and teaching. Materials covered develop participants’ ability to formulate pedagogic enquiry to design, deliver and evaluate learning and teaching activities and lay the foundations for participation in education research. This course is aligned with the UK Professional Standards Framework for Learning & Teaching in H.E.  

This course is designed to expand participants’ sense of their wider learning and teaching activities through examining critical issues that are facing higher education currently. The course explores the wider corporate, political and social contexts in which higher education operates, introducing participants to some of the latest research and thinking on learning and teaching. An underpinning principle of the course is to develop participants’ ability to formulate pedagogic enquiry to evaluate learning and teaching activities, and lay foundations for participation in education research. This course is aligned with the UK Professional Standards Framework for Learning & Teaching in H.E.

This course is designed to support and develop participants as they take a critical, strategic view of their research and the wider academic research environment. This is achieved through engaging participants with the key factors in developing a research profile, (collaborations, networks and consortia) and through exploring the institutional, UK and global research environments while also stressing the importance of leadership qualities, public engagement activities, professional development and reflective practice to build a successful higher education research career. This course is aligned with the UK Professional Standards Framework for Learning & Teaching in H.E.

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 course is for students undertaking postgraduate study which requires a good standard of critical reading and writing skills.

The essential aim of the course is to provide participants with a working knowledge of what is required to appraise journal and other material, and be able to present a reasoned argument based on evidence. By the end of the course you will be able to demonstrate the capability to

• develop a critical understanding of the principal theories and concepts of the topics studied, together with knowledge of major policy issues involved

• analyse critically evidence and arguments to support professional judgments

The course is focussed on social science research and applications in professional / work contexts. Participants make critical connections between policy, theory, research and practice in the context of investigating their own practice. Course coverage includes research philosophy and methodology, research implementation (design, methods, data collection and ethics), data analysis and interpretation, and reflective evaluation. Participants conduct a small scale research activity to enable exploration and evaluation of the application of research in their own context. The course offers a supportive, formative learning experience in preparation for a larger project.

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 addresses a number of the key strands in the MSc (Educational and Social Research) programme (such as the nature of practitioner enquiry in educational research, the relationship amongst: research, policy and practice, critical reading of texts, research and policy, and different views of knowledge). Focusing on quantitative and qualitative research design and applications, the course aims to explore conceptions of reality and different views of knowledge and characteristics of quantitative and qualitative research. A variety of methodological orientations are studied: practitioner research; ethnography; critical discourse analysis; and statistical approaches.

The course aims to develop a deepening understanding of philosophical and methodological perspectives that underpin social/educational research; and the relationship between the research question, design and method. It also aims to further develop an awareness of the researcher’s responsibility with respect to the complex issues surrounding the ethics of social/educational research, especially in relation to working with children and young people.

This is a practice-based course designed for experienced practitioners in a variety of professional contexts who want to develop their understanding of professional learning. The course is based on an Action Enquiry process

which will enable you to

•       Find out more about encouraging learning through self-evaluation, critical reflection and collaboration  with colleagues

•       Link different theories with your experience of practice-based learning and mentoring

•       Discover new ways of developing confidence and capability

This course encourages you to consider and embrace 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 the wider professional role and context, and the different influencing factors that impact on these, taking into consideration legislative, political, economic, social and technical changes, to help you develop resilience as a practitioner in a continually changing educational landscape.

This course emphasises the role of the lecturer in enabling successful learning for all learners. This course encourages you to critically reflect on your understanding of your learners and yourself as a learner.  You will be encouraged to deepen your insight of the needs and characteristics of your learners, underpinned by appropriate theoretical ideas which address factors that impact on being successful learners. The course brings together ideas of reflective practice, effective facilitation of learning and the development of skills for learning. It will support you to become flexible, reflective, innovative, creative and committed to professional development. 

Participants examine international and national legislation and case law relevant to schools leaders in Scotland. This will include the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Standards in Scotland's Schools Act 2000, additional support legislation, negligence, the Equality Act 2010, staff disciplinary and grievance procedures, exclusions and the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014. Online group discussions and presentations are followed by participants' action research into a legal issue of relevance to their workplace. Support is provided online in group and individual sessions.