Introduction to Education Studies outlines the core disciplines of the history, philosophy, psychology and sociology of education. The module will also introduce you to the newer and emerging discipline of the economics of education as well as the key topic of technology in education. It will enable you to conceptualise the breadth of areas and the range of age phases and contexts which you will explore within education studies. You will begin to accrue the conceptual knowledge and skills required in order to further your studies in education.

Conceptions of Education: The UK Education System in Context enables you to learn about the ways in which the formal education system is structured, governed and funded in the four countries of the UK. You will explore the similarities and differences that exist between the different systems, examine the conceptualisations of education that each system appears to reflect, and develop opinions as to the ways in which they function. You will also explore the evolution of those different systems over time. Of particular interest for study will be the ways in which the different policy approaches taken by the separate legislatures within the UK have affected education in practice.

Introduction to the Study of Religion provides an overview of the different methodological approaches to the study of religion. You will study the main attempts to define religion and to engage in the debates surrounding such definitions. You will engage in multi-disciplinary approaches to the idea of religion through the traditional fields of historical, anthropological, philosophical, sociological and textual studies. In addition, you will examine religion in more contemporary fields such as the visual arts, politics, environmentalism, psychology and gender.

Introduction to the Sacred provides you with an opportunity to analyse concepts such as ‘religious experience’, ‘spirituality’, ‘revelation’ and ‘Mysticism’. The module draws on studies in psychology, anthropology, theology, esoteric philosophy and a range of wisdom traditions. It will provide you with a framework in which to investigate non-rational forms of knowing and the epistemology of religious experience.

The Human Religious Experience provides you with a philosophical and theological survey of the significant religious traditions of the world. You will study the Dharmic traditions emanating from India and the Abrahamic Faith Traditions originating in the Middle East. The module will address central aspects of Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism. You will also study the interaction between individuals and communities in diverse and complex religious settings, both within modern Britain and on a global basis.

Learning in a Diverse Society enables you to explore the various ways in which access to education can be helped or hindered as a result of issues such as race, religion, class, ethnicity, learning difficulties, or physical disability. The module encourages you to explore and reflect upon the specific factors that can affect access and consider how obstacles to access can be mitigated against or overcome.

Technology and its Place in Education considers the underlying theoretical perspectives used in conjunction with technology to enhance learning. The term educational technology encompasses technology enhanced and e-learning. It includes the adoption and integration of hardware and software, various electronic devices, pedagogical tools, approaches and delivery methods. Technology has the capacity to significantly re-shape teaching and learning and this module will provide you with the opportunity to critically examine, explore and evaluate the potential benefits of a range of educational technology, to consider the underpinning pedagogical rationale for their use, with the specific intention of enhancing teaching and learning.

Designing and Managing a Research Project gives you the knowledge and skills required to conceptualise, design and communicate a research proposal, understanding the fundamental principles of quality research. You will learn how to plan and manage a project over an extended period, sustain focus, conduct and organise extensive data collection and research materials, and mitigate typical problems that can derail or delay a project.

Ethnography: Living with Religions draws upon the academic heritage of post-war religious studies and interpretative qualitative research. The module requires you to critically engage with religion as it is lived and experienced by practitioners. It presents religion as a plural and complex reality shaping the beliefs, practices and lifestyles of human beings locally and globally. You will explore the theory and practice of the critical study of religion through consideration of methodologies such as ethnography, phenomenology, post positivism and related ethical issues such as ‘representation’ in the field of the empirical study of religion. You will take part in a three day ethnographically oriented field work investigation to explore the practices of a religious community.

The Bible in the Modern World introduces you to the various ways that biblical themes, images and characters have an enduring presence and influence within contemporary popular culture. By learning to analyse religious and biblical references found in music, film, TV, art, advertising and the media, you will discover that, even in today’s increasingly secular world, the Bible continues to both influence and be influenced by our cultural, political, and religious landscapes. You will explore key themes and passages in the Bible as a contemporary literary work and consider how it is used by society at large as a cultural artefact. You will explore how the Bible has been used by entertainers, politicians and others, assessing on the one hand how this has shaped Western society, while at the same time people’s understanding and interpretations of the Bible are shaped by popular culture.

Religion, Belief and Reason provides you with an introduction to some of the key debates in critical thinking that have shaped religious and atheistic thought. Perspectives from philosophy, psychology and critical social sciences will be investigated to provide you with the lens through which to explore the relationship between reason and religious belief. You will develop your critical thinking skills through an exploration of the central premises of theistic belief, reasoned philosophical argument in defence and in critique of religious belief through examination of the classical and modern versions of theistic proofs. You will consider the contributions of thinkers such as Aquinas, Kant, Descartes and Hume. The module also explores the contributions of psychoanalysis and social science to post-Enlightenment thinking about religion in order to consider claims about the irrational or ideological nature of religion.

Education, Meaning and Understanding: Debates in the Philosophy of Education enables you to develop your knowledge and understanding of the philosophy strand of education and to enhance your academic skills in critical analysis. You will learn how to synthesise ideas and analyse competing philosophical positions. A key focus will be on understanding how arguments are philosophically underpinned and value-driven.

UK Education In its Global Contexts will enable you to compare and contextualise the UK education systems with respect to those in other parts of the world. International contexts are becoming increasingly important in the field of education, with educationalists, researchers, politicians, and the media frequently comparing the performance of UK education with the performance of countries such as Taiwan, Finland, and South Korea. This module will consider the UK education system in light of international performance indicators and tables, with a focus on key education systems from Asia and Scandinavia as aspirational comparators.  The aim is to help you to scope the field of international education, understand the international performance measures, and to critique where it is that UK education, as a whole, aspires to be, and why it holds such aspirations.

Work Based Learning in Education provides you with the opportunity to gain work experience within the education sector. The module enables you to apply your skills and knowledge in real-life situations. You will gain knowledge and understanding of the processes, policies and organisational structure of your placement host, build in-depth knowledge of the business and the marketplace in which it operates, and successfully integrate yourself into a workplace environment.

Work Related Learning in Education enables you to undertake an extended, work-related project focusing upon a strand of the education sector. You will choose the focus of the project, in conjunction with your assigned tutor, with the intention being that it is an area of education into which you might wish to progress after graduation. The module enables you to apply your skills and knowledge in real-world scenarios and experience how the multi-faceted nature of real businesses are often much more complex than they appear when studied in the abstract. You will also gain experience in investigating the systemic and marketplace contexts in which businesses in your chosen sector exist and function.

Understanding Education through Sociological Perspectives enables you to engage in the in-depth study of one of the key disciplines of education studies. You will examine the genealogy of a number of key aspects of the current education sector, such as the National Curriculum, Early Years Provision, Lifelong Learning, the Exam System, and Higher Education. You will explore what current researchers are investigating, where the discipline appears to be heading and how it can continue to make a contribution to the future of education and education studies.

Knowledge, Learning and Understanding enables you to study the thinkers and ideas currently existing at the forefront of the philosophy of education, exploring how philosophy contributes to education policy-making, curriculum design, teaching and learning. The module encourages independent thinking through the use of philosophical approaches, building upon your skills in critical analysis in order to develop an awareness of your own values and beliefs. You will need to communicate and defend your personal position in relation to challenging issues, exploration of which will structure many sessions.

British Buddhism investigates Buddhism as both ancient and modern, global and local. The three jewels of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha provide the lens through which Buddhism will be explored, enabling you to develop critical knowledge and understanding of Buddhist history, doctrine and practice. A variety of traditional and modern sources will be explored including sutras, biographies of the Buddha and iconography. Investigation of contemporary forms of Buddhism provide a special focus linked to a small scale fieldwork study exploring pluralism within modern western Buddhism.

Contemporary British Islamic Identities enables you to explore and critique the competing constructs of Islam dominating the domestic and international news agenda, giving you a thorough critical understanding of the complex plural identities of British Muslims that is essential for all citizens. A range of popular, stereotypical images come to mind when considering Islam in its contemporary setting. These essentialist presentations of a monolithic and homogeneous British Islam will be deconstructed by careful analysis of sociological and ethnographic sources. The module will enable you to develop an in-depth and critically reflective awareness of the challenging issues that have impacted upon Muslims in Britain from the 1960s until the present. Drawing from empirical research and a wide range of critical literature this module aims to present modern British Islam as plural, complex and dynamic.

Current Debates in the Psychology of Education immerses you in the advanced study of psychological theories in order to develop in-depth knowledge of what constitutes effective teaching and learning. Psychology makes a vital contribution to the field of education, offering theories which can explain learning, behaviour and the mind. It allows examination of the motivations and perceptions of individuals, enabling educators to better understand the most effective ways to promote learning and how potential barriers to progress might be overcome. The module will support you in developing the skills required to examine and critique psychological enquiry and then apply this knowledge to considering key educational issues from a psychological angle.

Exploring Issues and Affecting Change in Education enables you to explore shifts in educational policy and consider the most pressing contemporary issues in the sociology of education. You will reflect on how education across the age spectrum, and in its formal and informal paradigms, is affected by the design and implementation of government policy, as well as by factors relating to class, gender, race, religion and wealth, amongst other things. Additionally, you will explore the origins of the history of the sociology of education and how researchers apply the core concepts, collect and analyse data, and report on the results of their research.

Sexuality and the Sacred examines how human sexuality and gender is represented within new religious movements and traditional forms of faith expression, for example from female centric goddess worship in various paganisms to male focused hierarchies within Christianity. You will analyse how gender roles, sexuality and sexual relationships are represented within religious art, story, doctrine and practices so that you can evaluate the (mis)representation of the woman’s role in religion. The module will explore the relationship between sexuality and spirituality, from various faith-based and humanistic perspectives, and critique the position of lesbian and gay sexualities within scripture.

Religion in the 21st Century enables you to reflect upon your knowledge about religion in the key challenges and evolutions of religion in the 21st century and, on completion, you will be able to reflect critically on some of the major characteristics of religion in an informed way. You will explore a number of theoretical and methodological problems in the study of religion, and reflect on these in relation to a range of faith traditions such as Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Scientology and various paganisms.

104-112 UCAS Tariff points are required to join this programme with effect from September 2020 entry.

Please note, Sandwich Year and Study Abroad options are not available on this degree.