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Westminster Institute of Education

MA in Education

Study Education at Oxford Brookes University’s European Centre at the British School of Amsterdam

With a Curriculum or Management Track
* Subject to validation processes

Sharing Experience…….Improving Practice

Enhance your professional knowledge, understanding and practice while studying for an internationally recognised postgraduate degree at a leading Oxford university.

Study part-time a total of 9 days per year (in 3 sessions) in Amsterdam, supported by on-line learning
Follow a programme of study designed to meet the needs of professionals working in education in an international context in Europe
Enjoy flexibility of study enabling you to complete the part-time course within two and five years of enrolment
Accredit prior learning which has taken place within the last five years
Get up to date with recent research, develop your research skills and carry out research in your own school context
Follow core modules in education research and reflective professional development
Select modules which focus on either curriculum or management
Undertake a dissertation in your chosen area of specialisation

You will normally need to be a graduate with a recognised teaching qualification, and two years’ experience of working in a school. If your first language is not English, competence in English equivalent to TOEFL 600 or IELTS 6.5 is required.

For more details and an information pack contact the MA programme Administrator Susie Wigham on +44 (0) 1865 488593 or wiecpd@brookes.ac.uk.

What will I study?

Date/Duration	Module	Delivery Mode
November 8-11th 2006 (3.5 days)	*1a) Managing People in Schools Or 1b) Teaching & Learning (+Introduction to Reflective Professional Development [RPD])	Face to face taught modules - seminars, individual & group work
Spring 2007 (2 days) date TBC	Action Research Project (double) (+ RPD review)	Face to face - Seminar, Group & Individual Tutorials
May 2007 (3.5 days) date TBC	2a) Strategic Management Or 2b) Principles & Practice in Curricula (+ RPD final session)	Face to face taught modules- seminars, individual & group work
November 2007 (3.5 days) date TBC	Educational Research	Face to face taught modules - seminars, individual & group work
Spring 2008 (2 days) date TBC	Dissertation (triple module)	Group & Individual Tutorials
May 2008 (3.5 days) date TBC	Dissertation (triple module)	Group & Individual Tutorials

* Students choose either 1a) and 2 a) or 1b) and 2b)

What are the modules?

Managing People in Schools analyses the management of people in a mixed-culture environment. It combines theoretical perspectives with practical concerns about staff management and development in schools.

Teaching and Learning in International Schools examines some of the perspectives on and research issues in a number of the key areas in the study of curriculum, teaching, learning and assessment. It explores research into learning and teaching and encourages students to relate these to their own learning and their own concepts of an educational curriculum.

Action Research Project (2 module credits) allows you, in consultation with tutors, to focus on an aspect of your current practice or that of your school and devise an intervention or an evaluation. It is a practice-led module but you will be expected to consider your approach in the light of the literature in your chosen area.

Reflective Professional Development will introduce you to methods of critical enquiry, develop your reflective practice and provide an opportunity for systematic review of progress during the first year of the course. This module will provide an introduction to skills of critical enquiry and will be the means by which the coherence and progression of your experience of the course will be explored and documented. The creative use of journals, blogs, visual evidence and other recording approaches will be considered from the outset.

Strategic Management in Education builds on the experience of course members as observer of, and participants in the processes of management in international schools. It considers organisational behaviour, governance, strategic planning and accountability.

Principles & Practice in Curricula in International Schools explores the ways in which curriculum, teaching and learning theories are translated into effective international school education. It enables students to consider ways to develop the curriculum and enhance and monitor learning and teaching experiences in school. Staff development and the management of continuing professional development are also discussed.

Educational Research will develop knowledge of a range of research approaches, methods and techniques and consider ethics in education research. You will have an opportunity to develop your own research skills through preparatory work for the dissertation study.

Dissertation (3 module credits) will involve students in investigative or literature-based research and will comprise one third of the work for the degree (20,000 words). Students will be expected to demonstrate the ability to define a clearly focused research issue, as well as a wide appreciation of the context of the chosen topic. Research methods may vary considerably and the participant will work with individual supervision to evolve a methodology appropriate to the chosen topic. The subsequent inquiry should be based on systematic reading and data collection (as appropriate) and be accompanied by an awareness of the implications of the research to other research in the area.

how much are the fees?

For students entering the programme in 2006/7 the tuition cost is Ł310 per module for EU students. Four modules will be covered in year 1 and five in year 2. This is the basic cost the University will charge per EU student. Individual schools may have their own arrangements with staff regarding the fee structure.

July 2006