Equip yourself for leadership in education the smart way.

This module encourages critical reflection and evaluation through an evidence-based approach to practice and continuous professional development. It enables you to develop your knowledge and to enhance your writing, research and study skills, following academic conventions. The module gives you the opportunity to analyse and evaluate literature, research, policies and developments in your own professional context.

This module provides an opportunity for you to explore and evaluate the impact of change within the context of your educational organisation. You will develop a critical understanding of how policy developments can impact the organisation. Through engagement with current texts and relevant policy documents, you will critically analyse and evaluate contemporary issues and theories. Taught knowledge and understanding of key themes and issues in educational leadership and management include theories, values, change leadership, strategy, partnerships and collaboration.

This module develops critical awareness of issues relating to inclusion and additional learning needs, enabling reflective and progressive practitioners to develop positive attitudes, policies and practices which support the engagement and achievement of all individuals in education and community settings.

This module will enable you to demonstrate a systematic and critical understanding of the roles of leaders and managers in an educational context with particular reference to concepts of human resource leadership and management. You will explore the differences between the role of leader and manager and how they intersect when managing groups and teams in an organisation. The module provides an opportunity to evaluate critically the roles played by members of teams and recognise the importance of team dynamics in effective leadership of change. You will critically evaluate methodologies that facilitate the analysis of teams and the practicalities of working with teams that internally and externally influence the educational context.

This module fosters a critical understanding of the value of mentoring and coaching in developing and improving professional practice. It explores the importance and purpose of peer observation of learning and teaching and gives you the opportunity to reflect critically on good education practice. It identifies the potential impacts of professional development through coaching, mentoring and classroom observation on raising standards and improving pedagogy and the ability to enhance the quality of learning and teaching through advanced professional activity.

This module enables you to develop a critical and systematic analysis of the links between the study of philosophy, education, research and academic practice. You will critically evaluate philosophical approaches and relevant theories that currently influence education in your context. You will critically reflect on your own educational values and how these serve as a reference point for your own practice. Underpinning this module is the need for you to critically reflect on the role of your personal philosophical perspectives in your own evidence-based educational practice, research and professional learning.

This module critically evaluates the meaning and role of learning technology in education. It enables you to critique learning technology from within your own contexts and experiences by analysing relevant literature, policy, legislation and practice. You are invited to critically examine the role of technology in making education accessible for all.

This module explores the relationship between formal education, informal education and critical pedagogy. It critically examines how education can be used to constructively challenge inequalities and imbalances of power in society. It will assist you to reflect on your own practice to ensure that you are working in an inclusive, democratic and anti-oppressive way.

This module explores the philosophical and theoretical frameworks that underpin educational research. You will examine, critique and evaluate different research methodologies that will be considered when proposing and conducting the research project module.
As a result of studying this module, you will be able to put forward a coherent research strategy where you can align concepts of philosophy, ontology and epistemology in order to pose and answer a research question that relates to your own work-based practice.

This module enables you to prepare to engage in a significant work-based research project. You will be able to demonstrate a deep level of understanding of the philosophical roots of educational research by proposing an area for research, researching an initial question and by arguing the case for a coherent research design for your chosen research question.

This module enables you to critically and systematically apply research theory to practice-based research. You will demonstrate the ability to critically evaluate existing research using a range of current texts and seminal sources. You will collect and analyse research data, demonstrating critical skills of analysis and evaluation. The research project enables you to draw together your skills at master’s level to demonstrate critical analysis, evaluation, synthesis and reflection on your own practice that will support your own professional learning in your educational context.