Programme Specification
A statement of the knowledge, understanding and skills that underpin a
taught programme of study leading to an award from
The University of Sheffield
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Programme Title
Educational Studies
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Programme Code
EDUT091
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JACS Code
Not applicable
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Level of Study
Postgraduate
5a
Final Qualification
Master of Education (MEd)
5b
QAA FHEQ Level
Masters
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Intermediate Qualification(s)
Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip), Postgraduate Certificate
(PGCert)
7
Teaching Institution (if not Sheffield)
Not applicable
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Faculty
Social Sciences
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Department
Educational Studies
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Other Department(s) involved in
teaching the programme
None
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Mode(s) of Attendance
Part-time, Distance Learning (St Lucia)
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Duration of the Programme
2-3 years
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Accrediting Professional or Statutory
Body
None
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Date of production/revision
June 2003
15. Background to the programme and subject area
The University’s Department of Educational Studies has been involved in teachers’ continuing professional
development in Trinidad and Tobago since 1987, particularly in the area of Special Educational Needs. This
initiative arose following the Marge Report (1984), which highlighted the need for training programmes for over
500 teachers, to enable them to address the learning needs of the islands’ children. Between 1987 and 1998,
the University functioned as a teaching and validating agency for courses at both pre-degree and postgraduate
levels.
In 1993, the MEd in Special Education was launched. In 1998, access to the MEd was widened through the
provision of the MEd in Educational Studies. As a result, in the recent past, approximately two hundred and fifty
students have been trained through the certificate, diploma and masters programmes. The St. Lucian
programme arose out of the strategic objectives of the Department of Educational Studies in 1999. The
Department had been working closely with the Ministry of Education, St. Lucia and the St. Lucia Teachers'
Union and were invited in 1998 to take a leading role in the professional education of teachers in that country.
The programme offers change-orientated approaches that have clear educational purposes and lead to
rigorously moderated, high status educational qualifications. The programme has created a model of
sustainable professional development through distance education that is practical and effective.
Graduates of our professional development programmes in the region, working together with other leading
Caribbean educators, have established an educational institute, the Caribbean Institute for Research and
Professional Education Ltd (CIRPEL), which provides local tutoring, coordination and administrative support for
the programme.
The programme has been developed on the principle of commitment to educational research and the desire to
relate that research to the issues that practising educators face in their own professional contexts. The
programme has been developed with flexibility to give students the opportunity to pursue the enquiries that are
relevant to them in the Caribbean context.
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16. Programme aims
The aims of the MEd Educational Studies are to:
1. Offer those working in education opportunities to engage with theory, reflect upon practice and evaluate
research that underpins practice.
2. Provide opportunity for long-term professional development for teachers.
3. Enhance teachers’ knowledge, understanding and skills in ways that meet the training needs of teachers.
4. Equip teachers with research skills which enable them to identify areas of concern, plan strategies for
improvement, implement their plans and evaluate the effectiveness of their work.
17. Programme learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding:
On completion of the PG Certificate in Educational Studies, students will be able to demonstrate:
K1
A critical appreciation of the research literature covered by the course.
K2
Evidence of critical engagement with educational practice and issues of teaching quality.
In addition to the above, on completion of the PG Diploma in Educational Studies, students will be able to
demonstrate:
K3
A critical understanding of further educational issues relevant to their professional contexts, needs and
interests.
K4
A critical understanding of current problems and/or new insights relevant to their chosen area of study
within the field of study.
In addition to the above, on completion of the MEd in Educational Studies, students will be able to demonstrate:
K5
Advanced knowledge and understanding in the field of Educational Studies.
K6
A critical understanding of research methodologies, methods and techniques relevant to the field of
Educational Studies.
Skills and other attributes:
On completion of the PG Certificate and PG Diploma in Educational Studies, students will be able to
demonstrate:
S1
An ability to critically evaluate educational policy at national, local and school level.
S2
An ability to produce a piece of written work that will demonstrate an ability to synthesise work in practice,
review relevant literature and develop a coherent and sustained argument.
In addition to the above, on completion of the MEd in Educational Studies, students will be able to demonstrate:
S3
An ability to carry out an independent, sustained study to the appropriate standard (which involves the
skills of research design, choosing appropriate methods, data analysis and writing a research report).
S4
Originality in the application of knowledge.
18. Teaching, learning and assessment
Development of the learning outcomes is promoted through the following teaching and learning methods:
The programme’s teaching is research-led. Research-led teaching is fostered through scholarly activity of staff,
appropriate use of research in the relevant fields and the development of students’ own research skills. Students
are encouraged to develop as active and independent learners and teaching and learning activities have been
developed which are appropriate to these aims.
The programme is delivered through distance learning. Distance learning within this context is defined using the
terms identified within the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) Guidelines on Distance Learning (March, 1999).
The provision offered is best described by the two dimensions ‘Materials-based learning’ and ‘Learning
supported from the providing institution remotely from the student’. On the distance learning programmes,
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students are supplied with learning resources materials, attend two study schools per academic year and are
supported by local tutors (based in the Caribbean) throughout the programme. The learning resources are
developed to provide opportunities for student reflection on material in the light of their own professional
contexts. Distance learning teaching and learning materials include: material written specifically for the
programmes, readings, CD Rom and video material. Study schools incorporate lectures (which are used to
impart knowledge), seminars (an interactive forum, tutor or student-led, in which students explore key aspects of
knowledge and understanding), workshops (tutor guided, students engage in a range of activities focused on a
specific topic e.g. research methods) and tutorials (to support academic progress).
The following table demonstrates how these methods relate to the learning outcomes:
K1
K2
K3
K4
K5
K6
Distancelearning
study
materials
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Lectures
Seminars
Workshops
Tutorials
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S1
S2
S3
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S4
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Opportunities to demonstrate achievement of the learning outcomes are provided through the following
assessment methods:
The PG Certificate and PG Diploma are assessed through assignments which take the form of essays and
reports. The Masters is assessed through a dissertation. These modes of assessment relate to the learning
outcomes as follows:
Assignments Dissertation
K1
K2
K3
K4
K5
K6
S1
S2
S3
S4
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19. Reference points
The learning outcomes have been developed to reflect the following points of reference:
Department of Educational Studies’ Teaching and Learning Strategy
Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (2008)
http://www.qaa.ac.uk/Publications/InformationAndGuidance/Pages/The-framework-for-higher-educationqualifications-in-England-Wales-and-Northern-Ireland.aspx
University Strategic Plan
http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/strategicplan
Learning and Teaching Strategy (2011-16)
http://www.shef.ac.uk/lets/strategy/lts11_16
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20. Programme structure and regulations
Recent educational initiatives and policy developments have meant that many educational professionals need to
draw from a range of disciplines within educational studies. The programme has, therefore, been designed to
enable students to continue to develop substantive knowledge and understanding of the field of educational
studies. All students take the first, core Foundation Module which introduces them to fundamental philosophical
and curriculum issues in education.
The second module is also a core module that introduces students to research methodology and methods. This
research module develops further the introduction to educational research and preliminary study of research
methodologies introduced through the foundation module, tutorials and first study school. Different perspectives
on educational research are introduced and the difference between method and methodology discussed.
Programme members consider the role of the researcher within the educational research process. They then
progress to modules 3 and 4 respectively from which they are allowed to choose 2 specialist options from an
available range. These enable them to focus upon their specific areas of interest. They may choose from any of
the following: educational management; special and inclusive education; guidance and counselling; the adult
learner; information technology; education for employment.
Students can choose to exit after completion of 60 credits, at which point they would be awarded a PG
Certificate or on completion of 120 credits, at which point they would be awarded a PG Diploma. Students who
go on to complete the dissertation of 60 credits, thus gaining 180 credits overall, are awarded the MEd.
Detailed information about the structure of programmes, regulations concerning assessment and progression
and descriptions of individual modules are published in the University Calendar available on-line at
http://www.shef.ac.uk/govern/calendar/regs.html.
21. Student development over the course of study
The Dip/MEd Educational Studies programme is based on a firm commitment to the progressive development of
education in the Caribbean Region through the critical and informed engagement with educational theory, policy
and practice. To this end, the programme embodies the democratic values of tolerance, respect for others and
open discussion and debate and is informed by the academic values of critical inquiry, intellectual independence
and respect for evidence. The work will assist the students in developing their current practice, to locate
relevant research studies in the literature, to critically evaluate these and to conduct their own small-scale
research projects. Through their dissertation research, they will acquire the knowledge to contribute to the
growth of understanding in an aspect of education that particularly interests them. The programme seeks to
provide a detailed analysis of teaching and learning in order to advance the students’ understanding of their
profession and to extend their thinking and positively influence their behaviour so that they could become more
effective within the field of education.
The programme is all at Masters level and so progression is related to the width and breadth of subject
knowledge developed through the programme. The students are supported in the development of skills,
knowledge and understanding through carefully staged tasks which promote independent learning. The
progression built into the programme with regard to the development of critical awareness, ability to synthesise
research and write research reports is reflected in the range and level of tasks set at study schools, local
tutorials and reflected in the written programme materials. The development of key skills is targeted in the first
year and students are taught critical reading and writing skills, research skills and how to structure and write
assignments. In the final year, these skills are extended to include a focus on conducting a research study.
22. Criteria for admission to the programme
General requirements for the MEd normally require candidates to possess a first degree. Applicants without a
first degree may register for a Diploma in the first instance, provided they have qualifications and experience
deemed acceptable by the Board, with transfer to the Master’s programme on completion of satisfactory
coursework.
Detailed information regarding admission to the programme is available at http://www.shef.ac.uk/prospective/
23. Additional information
This specification represents a concise statement about the main features of the programme and should be
considered alongside other sources of information provided by the teaching department(s) and the University. In
addition to programme specific information, further information about studying at The University of Sheffield can
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be accessed via our Student Services web site at http://www.shef.ac.uk/ssid.
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