Why study this course?
This Education MA degree is designed to provide you with a broad range of knowledge and skills within the field of education. Our programme will provide you with opportunities to develop and enhance your professional skills and understanding, so that you can progress within or embark on a career within the sector.
Our diverse course covers a range of disciplines, drawing from areas such as curriculum theory, psychology of learning and human potential, sociology of gender, social class, race, philosophy and the history of education.
More about this course
This course aims to introduce you to key academic and professional debates within the field, helping you to develop a professional voice and standpoint. Upon successful completion of this course, we hope that you will feel enthused about returning to the field and feel intellectually empowered to initiate change.
A key theme embedded in this master’s degree is social justice. This course is aligned with our Education for Social Justice (ESJ) strategy to ensure equity in our curriculum practice.
Our modules have been developed to broaden the knowledge and meaning of the term ‘education’, as well as its purpose from being a ‘product’ to understanding how the curriculum is managed and led. You’ll also explore its influence on children’s learning, assessment and life chances. This degree has five core 20 credit modules:
- Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment
- Curriculum Leadership
- Critical Theory and Education
- Research Methods in Education
- Education Dissertation
Specialist option modules allow you to explore subjects that are of particular interest to you in more detail, such as:
- Applying Learning Technologies
- Issues in Language Learning: An Intercultural Approach
- Reflective Practice
- Social Justice Education
- Web-based Learning and Teaching
- Understanding the Language Classroom
If you have a particular interest in studying women abuse, you are also able to choose from the following option modules:
- Sexual Violence: Causes, Consequences and Interventions
- Violence against Women: Issues, Research and Policy
If there’s a specific topic you’d like to study in more detail that does not appear here, you can choose an alternative education-focused topic in agreement with a subject supervisor.
This course can be completed as a postgraduate diploma by taking four core modules and two optional modules. You could also choose to study for a postgraduate certificate in education by choosing to study the following three core modules: Critical Theory and Education; Curriculum Leadership; Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment.
If you already hold a relevant PGCE qualification, you may be able to apply for credit and study fewer modules to complete this MA.
Assessment
All assessment is carried out through coursework. In most cases this takes the form of either one essay of between 5,000 and 6,000 words, or two essays of 3,000 words for each module.
In some modules, the coursework can include a presentation. The Research Methods in Education module requires the students to submit a research proposal of around 5,000 words.
To complete this master’s degree, you’ll be required to carry out a small-scale research project focusing on an area of interest and relevance to yourself. This research project will have to be written up in the form of an academic dissertation of between 15,000 and 20,000 words.
Fees and key information
Apply nowEntry requirements
You will be required to have:
- a minimum of a lower second-class (2.2) honours degree in education or social sciences
- GCSE English at grade C (grade 4 from 2017) or higher (or equivalent)
If you need (or wish) to improve your English before starting your degree, we may be able to help with a pre-sessional course. Please contact courseenquiries@londonmet.ac.uk to see if we have something suitable.
Accreditation of Prior Learning
Any university-level qualifications or relevant experience you gain prior to starting university could count towards your course at London Met. Find out more about applying for Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL).
English language requirements
To study a degree at London Met, you must be able to demonstrate proficiency in the English language. If you require a Student visa you may need to provide the results of a Secure English Language Test (SELT) such as Academic IELTS. This course requires you to meet our higher requirements.
If you need (or wish) to improve your English before starting your degree, the University offers a Pre-sessional Academic English course to help you build your confidence and reach the level of English you require.
Modular structure
The modules listed below are for the academic year 2023/24 and represent the course modules at this time. Modules and module details (including, but not limited to, location and time) are subject to change over time.
Year 1 modules include:
- This module currently runs:
- autumn semester - Wednesday evening
The module aims to:
• familiarise students with a wide range of previous academic experience and backgrounds with key moments in the Western intellectual history;
• analyse the European Enlightenment and its impact on our understanding of the world, the emergence of social sciences and the modern school;
• encourage students to develop a holistic understanding of the Scientific Revolution, the European Enlightenment, and the rise of capitalism and how these intersected with one another in creating the modern world and how these continue to shape and influence the contemporary world;
• introduce students to multiple perspectives on the social world and their implications for understanding the processes of schooling and education;
• introduce the students to the so called ‘linguistic turn’ in the social sciences and its implications for understanding the social reality, including school curricula and educational processes; - This module currently runs:
- spring semester - Thursday evening
- spring semester - Wednesday evening
The module aims to:
critically analyse how decisions on the content, organisation, delivery and assessment of the curriculum are located within historical, social, cultural, economic, political and ideological contexts.
develop a critical understanding of what characterises and enables effective learning and teaching in a school setting.
develop a critical understanding of the way different approaches to leadership influence curriculum planning, delivery, development and pupil learning.
To reflect on the strengths and limitations of the research methodology used in the context of designing and conducting a dissertation.
To further develop academic study and enquiry skills. - This module currently runs:
- spring semester - Thursday afternoon
- spring semester - Monday evening
The module aims to:
• familiarise students with different dimensions of a curriculum;
• encourage students to appreciate the interrelatedness of learning, pedagogy, assessment, curricular statements and educational policies;
• introduce students to the historical, spatial, political, cultural and ideological locatedness of educational policies and how these influence and shape educational provision;
• equip students with the understanding to critically analyse curricular provisions and educational processes;
• enable students to contribute to the review and development of educational provision within their own professional context. - This module currently runs:
- autumn semester
- summer studies
- spring semester
This module aims to support students carrying out and writing up a small-scale independent investigation focused on an aspect of education of their choice. Through the course of their work for the dissertation students should:
• develop a critical understanding of research methodology and methods in education
• deploy and critically evaluate theoretical perspectives in relation to their chosen topic
• gain skills in identifying and selecting appropriate source material including data from primary sources
• evaluate the strengths and limitations of research carried out by themselves and by other people
• produce an extended piece of writing with a clear structure and conceptual organisation which shows stylistic competence, and uses a conventional system of full and accurate referencing
• develop an in-depth understanding of their chosen aspect of education such that they can make an original contribution to existing knowledge in that area. - This module currently runs:
- autumn semester - Monday evening
The module aims to:
• enable students to understand what is meant social and educational research and its function in creating and interpreting new knowledge;
• encourage students to engage with the philosophical bases of educational research;
• help students understand the difference between the two main traditions of social research – the positivist and interpretivist paradigms;
• enable students to develop familiarity with a range of methods used in educational research like case study, action research etc.;
• introduce students to some key instruments of data collection like interviews, observations etc.;
• sensitise students to ethical issues relevant to educational research;
• enable students to write a qualitative educational research proposal which will form a basis of their MA dissertations. - This module currently runs:
- autumn semester - Wednesday morning
- spring semester - Monday morning
This module is designed for Master’s students to advance their academic English language. The module focuses on improving students’ English language skills in academic writing and reading, as well as oral presentation. There is also a focus on enhancing their English language accuracy.
Students will:
• develop an advanced knowledge of academic English
• develop advanced presentation skills
• demonstrate the correct use of a wide range of grammar
• write clear, well-structured texts about complex subjects
• present information effectively
• identify and use appropriate register in written and oral texts
• understand the issue of plagiarism and how to avoid it
- This module currently runs:
- all year (September start)
Applying Learning Technologies (ALT) focuses on the wider issues of educational technology, with specific reference to the use of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) for teaching learning and assessment, including the use of social media and other open educational resources.
ALT is a supervised independent study module, which offers an opportunity to further develop expertise with online eLearning tools in the participant’s own academic discipline. ALT is provided as a self-study, small-scale, action research module, investigating the pedagogical application of digital tools. It is offered as a project- based module with supervisor support and access to online learning resources and spaces.
The aim of this module is to allow learners to investigate, through active learning, the role of ICT in learning and teaching. Participants will review the current educational technologies that are available, together with evaluating their use in teaching, learning and assessment. Learners are then required to complete the process of investigating, analysing, designing, developing, implementing and evaluating the use of digital technology in their own work and use this experience to review their own professional development needs.
- This module currently runs:
- autumn semester - Tuesday morning
This module focuses on key issues in language learning and teaching that are relevant to contemporary classroom practice. You will explore how pedagogical thinking has developed in different cultural contexts and how this influences language teaching and learning in particular.
This module aims to extend your knowledge of cultural differences in the creation of methodologies and approaches in language teaching and learning; the different cultural status of teachers; the role of the learner and their languages in their learning process; and more specific considerations of curriculum, syllabus and teaching materials in the teaching of global languages in local classrooms.
The module also promotes the problematisation of key concepts in language teaching and learning, such as ‘culture’, ‘language’, and ‘identity’ and you will be encouraged to reflect on your own experiences as a learner and/or teacher in order to evaluate your own knowledge and expertise and develop an analytical, critical and global perspective to the teaching of languages that is essential for your professional development.
In this module, you will:
- explore the relationship between language and culture in the teaching of global languages
- examine how language teaching methodologies are influenced by different understandings of language, culture, and learning
- reflect on the role that culture plays in communication, particularly in multicultural contexts
- study how language teaching curricula, methodologies, and materials can impact the identity construction of language learners
The module provides opportunity for students to reflect on their professional practice, to take a critical stance with the aim to:
• Relate theoretical knowledge and policy understanding to particular practice;
• Recognise practice as being framed by context;
• Analyse and evaluate conflicted situations of practice;
• Consider how reflective processes might enhance their personal learning and professional development.
• Support teachers in developing an aspect of practice.- This module currently runs:
- spring semester
Through this module, you will be introduced to feminist approaches to gender, sexuality and crime, and you will learn to critically examine theoretical, conceptual and explanatory frameworks. From an intersectional framework, you will learn about forms of sexual violence in childhood and adulthood; incidence, prevalence and reporting; impacts and meaning for victims/survivors; and sexual violence within different contexts such as the workplace, universities and conflict zones. You will learn about research on perpetrators and approaches to prevention. You will be taught about the criminal justice system, legal reform and the development of policies and support services. Specific lectures will reflect on the cultures and norms or conducive contexts – such as media representation and the sexualisation of popular culture - that support and legitimise sexual violence within the contemporary globalised world. Throughout the module you will also learn about the specific dimensions for minoritised women in the UK – in terms of their intersecting experiences of racism and sexism in the criminal justice system or cultural norms and barriers that suppress or penalise disclosure – as well as the way that sexual violence is implicated in histories of colonisation and slavery.
- This module currently runs:
- spring semester - Wednesday afternoon
- spring semester - Tuesday evening
The module aims to:
• introduce students to multiple perspectives on theories of social justice;
• encourage students to develop and articulate a standpoint with respect to theories and models of social justice education;
• provide knowledge with which students can consider socio-political and professional contexts for social justice;
• explore conflicts within curricula, pedagogy and practice with respect to concerns for social justice in education The module aims:
• to offer an expanded range of possible topics for study;
• to support early-career teachers desiring to expand and develop their knowledge base in a particular area.- This module currently runs:
- spring semester - Tuesday afternoon
This module is an investigation into the language classroom and into learner and teacher roles and interactions. It develops themes relating to how languages are learned, what motivates people to learn other languages, and how best to support and develop learning in the classroom. The module draws on students' own experiences of language learning or teaching and encourages them to reflect on theoretical and practical aspects of language learning while the implications in developing their own practice as language teachers.
Through language classroom observations, students will become familiar with common practices in language teaching and learning and have the opportunity to develop a teacher-researcher perspective. The module introduces a range of theoretical considerations and practical implications of recent developments regarding the language classroom, including theoretical debates that widen students’ understanding of language learning and teaching processes. The practical implications of these debates on classroom teaching and learning will be considered. In doing so, the students are provided with an opportunity to evaluate and analyse learners and learning through exploring classroom solutions and incorporating lived experiences with academic literature.
Importantly, students are required to find an institution where they can observe at least 4 hours of English language tuition at any level.
Module Aims:
- You will become familiar with common practices in language teaching and learning and investigate how different cultural, social, and psychological factors influence learning
- You will undertake research on teaching and learning
- You will critically analyse recent theoretical developments in language teaching
- You will consider the practical classroom implications of these theories
- You will analyse learners' needs and identify classroom solutions while observing students in a classroom setting
- You will identify a range of techniques for promoting learning in the classroom
- This module currently runs:
- autumn semester
Within an intersectional framework, you will be introduced to the range of forms of violence against women, their prevalence and consequences, as well as the structures, contexts and cultural norms that enable and reproduce violence, and the impacts / consequences of violence/abuse. You will learn about key concepts and frameworks for understanding violence against women and children. You will be taught specific sessions on intimate partner violence including coercive control, its impact on children, street harassment, trafficking for sexual exploitation, female genital mutilation, honour-based violence, and various barriers to support including immigration controls. The classes will draw your attention to the current evidence base and the conceptual frameworks used in addressing and responding to violence and abuse. We will critically assess explanatory frameworks and current policy approaches.
Web-based Learning & Teaching focuses specifically on the design and implementation of teaching, learning and assessment within managed learning environments (MLE). It is intended for education professionals who wish to investigate and critically examine the professional context for implementing and applying learning technologies for 21st Century learners. The module focuses specifically on the design and implementation of teaching, learning and assessment within managed learning environments (MLE).
At the end of the module, successful participants will have:
- Participated in an online event as an e-learner
- Designed, developed and implemented an online teaching module
- Managed and administered learners online
- Designed, delivered and evaluated online assessment
- Integrated open educational resources within a formal learning management system
- Interacted with other online practitioners in a community of practice
Staff participants who successfully complete WBLT will also qualify as Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA), the professional body for practitioners involved in the teaching and support of learning in higher education (more details in the module handbook).
What our students say
“I was stunned by the friendly atmosphere of the classes and the lecturers’ generous support and undivided attention. My lecturers were outstanding role models for me.
"The next time I teach in a class I know I will be a more attentive and dedicated teacher to my students."
Parisa Javani, Education MA graduate
Where this course can take you
The course benefits you whatever your interest in education, be it as a parent, teacher, researcher, community worker or education administrator.
Our recent graduates have gone on to find careers in the education sector as deputy head teachers, special needs teachers and behaviour management coordinators.
Additional costs
Please note, in addition to the tuition fee there may be additional costs for things like equipment, materials, printing, textbooks, trips or professional body fees.
Additionally, there may be other activities that are not formally part of your course and not required to complete your course, but which you may find helpful (for example, optional field trips). The costs of these are additional to your tuition fee and the fees set out above and will be notified when the activity is being arranged.
How to apply
Use the apply button to begin your application.
If you require a Student visa and wish to study a postgraduate course on a part-time basis, please read our how to apply information for international students to ensure you have all the details you need about the application process.
When to apply
You are advised to apply as early as possible as applications will only be considered if there are places available on the course.
To find out when teaching for this degree will begin, as well as welcome week and any induction activities, view our academic term dates.
