EDUCATION STUDIESEDUCATION STUDIES

HIGHER EDUCATION ADVISERS’HIGHER EDUCATION ADVISERS’CONFERENCE 2015CONFERENCE 2015

Dr. Martin RichardsonDr. Martin Richardson

Director Education StudiesDirector Education Studies

OVERVIEWOVERVIEW

•The School of Education•The Course Structure•The Partner Departments + One•The University•The College System•The Importance of Place•Fees and Grants•Careers•How to get onto the Course

THE SCHOOL OF EDUCATIONTHE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

BACKGROUND TO THE COURSEBACKGROUND TO THE COURSE

• End of four year B.A. (Ed) degree – 2+2.

• New three year course 60% school based – so less opportunity to consider education in depth at a time when the importance of education was increasing.

• Inherent difficulties of employment for those who didn’t want to teach.

• Increased focus on research in the School of Education.

THE COURSE THE COURSE

• Not a teacher training course, i.e. does not carry QTS.

• Sees education as a subject in its own right.

• Gives time to focus on the history, psychology, sociology, philosophy, politics and culture of education.

• Deepens links with eight (nine) other departments.

• The eclectic mix of students makes seminar discussions broader and more interesting.

• Broadens students’ career opportunities..

EDUCATIONEDUCATIONPARTNER PARTNER SUBJECTSUBJECT

THE COURSE STRUCTURETHE COURSE STRUCTURE

PARTNER PARTNER SUBJECTSUBJECT

HISTORYHISTORY

ENGLISH STUDIESENGLISH STUDIES

GEOGRAPHYGEOGRAPHY

MUSICMUSIC

PHILOSOPHYPHILOSOPHY

PSYCHOLOGYPSYCHOLOGY

SOCIOLOGYSOCIOLOGY

THEOLOGYTHEOLOGY

ART HISTORY (?)ART HISTORY (?)

• Students spend half their time studying in the School of Education and half in their other department.

THE PARTNER DEPARTMENTSTHE PARTNER DEPARTMENTS

• English, History, Philosophy, Theology

• Music

• Geography

• Sociology

• Psychology – Graduate Basis for Registration with the British Psychological Society.

• Education (!) - the isms of Art; Art and Design in Belle Epoch France; Objects of Desire; Beauty and the Beast; Cow on the Roof; etc.

EDUCATION MODULESEDUCATION MODULES

YEAR ONE – LEVEL ONEYEAR ONE – LEVEL ONE

• History of Education

• Learning and Teaching

• The Context of Education

YEAR TWO – LEVEL TWOYEAR TWO – LEVEL TWO

Students choose three of the following:

• Educational Research Methods

• Identity, Culture and Education

• Learning in the Early Years

• The Philosophy of Social Science

• Constructions of Childhood

• Harry Potter and the Age of Illusion

YEAR THREE – LEVEL THREEYEAR THREE – LEVEL THREE

Students choose three of the following (or two if they choose a module from Year Two):

• Dissertation

• Citizenship Education

• Responding to Special Educational Needs

• The Political Sociology of Education

• The Limits of Educational Assessment

• New Directions in Social Science

HISTORY OF EDUCATIONHISTORY OF EDUCATION

IDENTITY, CULTURE AND IDENTITY, CULTURE AND EDUCATIONEDUCATION

CITIZENSHIP CITIZENSHIP EDUCATIONEDUCATION

THE CONTEXT OF THE CONTEXT OF EDUCATIONEDUCATION

THE PHILOSOPHY OF SOCIAL SCIENCETHE PHILOSOPHY OF SOCIAL SCIENCE

NEW DIRECTIONS IN SOCIAL SCIENCENEW DIRECTIONS IN SOCIAL SCIENCE

TEACHING ON THE COURSETEACHING ON THE COURSE

• Lectures

• Seminars

• Tutorials

• Case studies and visits

• A year abroad?

THE UNIVERSITYTHE UNIVERSITY

• The Oxford of the North or The Durham Difference?

THE COLLEGE SYSTEMTHE COLLEGE SYSTEM

• The Bailey Colleges, the Hill Colleges, Hild Bede and Queen’s

• Social, Sporting and Cultural ‘Excellence’ – with a bit of work thrown in

THE IMPORTANCE OF PLACETHE IMPORTANCE OF PLACE

• A World Heritage Site

• And…

FEES AND GRANTSFEES AND GRANTS

• Check for support and bursaries.

CAREERSCAREERS

• Not just teaching!!

• Approximately 50% go on to other careers:

Youth work Education welfare work Careers education Educational psychology Further study; and all those other careers normally open to

Durham graduates – e.g. financial services, public relations, advertising, human resources, law, etc.

HOW TO GET ONTO THE COURSEHOW TO GET ONTO THE COURSE

• Applications – c200 - 250 for 40+ places

• Interviews – not usually

• Offers – AAA or equivalent. In most cases need an A in partner department subject – though do not have to have studied Geography, Philosophy, Psychology, Sociology, Theology at Advanced Level. Can make a Merit and Potential offer of AAB.

• Results day.

WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT USWHAT THEY SAY ABOUT US

Our External Examiner, Dr. Christine Doddington:

• The respect shown and quality of support for student learning through this course is outstanding. As well as a broad and relevant range of content covered within the course, there is evidence of a depth of understanding in the widest interpretation of education and therefore a strong commitment by those who teach on it to the development of critical thought, mindfulness and self-knowledge which are clear markers of quality learning in the Higher Education sector.

MAIN SELLING POINTSMAIN SELLING POINTS

• The Durham difference

• The School of Education

• The partner departments

• The number of students on the course

• Course completion

• Employment record (96.6% in work or further study last year)

• And …

• Safest university in England.

• Student satisfaction 100% in 2013 and 2014 – the third 100% in 5 years.

• The Times Good University Guide 2014 places Durham education courses in 2nd place overall.

• Though, without doubt the biggest selling point continues to be

the students (27% of whom graduated with first class honours in July 2014) ……