ED3EEP: Examining Educational Policy

Module code: ED3EEP

Module provider: Institute of Education

Credits: 20

Level: Level 3 (Honours)

When you'll be taught: Semester 2

Module convenor: Dr Anna Tsakalaki, email: a.tsakalaki@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: na

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: Yes

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 27 June 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module will allow students to analyse current and real issues from the world of education policy. Students will examine the historical emergence and development of contemporary education systems, and consider debates on the place of education in global society. Through this module, students will significantly develop their critical thinking and analysis skills as applied to education and policy.

This module will encourage students to see education from a sociological, economic, historical, philosophical, and political context, with reference to relevant legislative and policy developments. It will examine the reasons why certain policies exist and debate the nature and different forms of evidence in education and how these relate to policy.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate and communicate an understanding of the nature and different forms of evidence in education and how these relate to policy.
2. Critically analyse the knowledge, skills and understanding related to the targets of education policy and how it is or can be evaluated.
3. Examine the purposes, strengths and limitations of education policies and methods of their evaluation.
4. Discuss the nature of gaps between evidence and educational policy.

Module content

The following content is indicative as the content may differ depending on current policy developments:

1. What is education policy and its role in shaping a society?
2. Analysis of process of education policy-making
3. Education policy around the world: Comparisons of policy implementation across different countries and contexts
4. Critical reflection on education policy reform, evaluation and research: what is the evidence for policy?
5. Implementation of education policy 
6. Skills needed to implement policy 
7. Challenges of policy enactment 

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

Lectures, discussion groups, small group tasks and online contributions. Specifically, students will engage in policy analyses, small group work, class debates, presentations, informed discourse with guest speakers, tutors, and other students, and supplement their assigned readings with ones they have found. As an additional skill, students will develop their IT skills by interacting fully with the VLE.

Study hours

At least 18 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 40% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: /cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Reassessment

Additional costs