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This foundational module provides a critical exploration of key issues in education studies, equipping students with the knowledge and analytical skills necessary to navigate a rapidly evolving world. Drawing upon cutting-edge research in the School of Education, we examine historical, contemporary, and emerging approaches to education. Students will develop a deep and critical understanding of pressing challenges, opportunities and social justice in education, fostering a capacity for innovative and equitable educational practices

This module examines the core concepts of Developmental Psychology, including cognition (intelligence, language, learning) and emotional development, behaviour and well-being, social development (including family and attachment, peer relations and trauma) as well as the study of individual differences (with reference to developmental differences such as autism, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and mental health conditions). The increasing digitisation of learning and online media is explored across a range of educational contexts and childcare professions. The ways in which psychological research and theory has affected a range of governmental policies, services and professional practices and wider societal attitudes to young people will be considered within transnational contexts.

This module introduces different approaches to conceptualising learners and learning which fall within the broad field of critical psychology. The module begins with an introduction to the development of mainstream psychology in Europe and America, and an exploration of the subsequent development of alternative and critical psychological perspectives. Within the broader critical psychology landscape are a number of different threads (such as discursive psychology, indigenous psychology and feminist psychology). This module will examine the key principles of these various critical psychological perspectives with particular attention to their concepts of learning, learners, and learning communities. It will offer a challenge to some of the dominant ideas around learning which have emerged from mainstream fields of psychology since the 19th Century.

This module explores how diverse perspectives from across disciplines - including psychology, sociology, and philosophy - shape our understanding of learning, knowledge, and educational research. Through critical engagement with key debates and controversies in the field, you will gain a nuanced appreciation for the complexities of educational research. The module culminates in the development of your own research proposal, equipping you with the critical thinking and research skills necessary to address complex educational challenges and contribute to meaningful change in an increasingly interconnected world.

The dissertation is a major part of the MA in Education and associated programmes. The dissertation topic can develop a theme raised during the taught part of the course, or an issue which relates to the specialised research areas covered by the students' own interests. The Course Team provides guidance on the choice of a suitable topic for investigation and advice and support throughout the study period (December to August). A wide variety of study is possible, including empirical studies, theoretical reviews, historical or philosophical investigations. The dissertation is 12,000-15,000 words in length. Each student is allocated a supervisor - a specialist in the research area. Students and supervisors work together over the four months of the dissertation period before submission of the thesis.