The Professional and Policy Context of Teachers' Work (ED1180)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 10 ? Acronym : EDU-4-TPPCTW

This elective examines the policy and professional context within which teachers and community educators work. It explores the global, national and local factors which may affect educational policy and the aims and purposes which underpin policy. The analysis of aims will pay particular attention to the role of schooling and community education as a preparation for democracy and citizenship. Students will be asked to consider whether there is greater policy convergence or divergence than in the past. Students will be asked also to reflect upon the implications of changes in the context in which education operates for the teaching professions. Developments in governance, in accountability and self regulation and expectations of work and career form the backdrop for an analysis of teachers' and community educators' experience of and satisfaction with work. The elective will draw upon international, national and local examples and professions other than teaching. It has been designed to extend understandings of education derived from both Education courses and students' Professional practice and, for students on the BEd (primary education) to articulate with the Education 4B course (which follows term 3).

Entry Requirements

? This course is not available to visting students.

? Pre-requisites : Education 3

? Costs : None

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Education, (The Moray House School of Education, Schedule C)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : 4th year

? Delivery Period : Semester 1 (Blocks 1-2)

? Contact Teaching Time : 4 hour(s) per week for 10 weeks

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

The criteria governing the assessment of this course are that students should be able to understand and analyse critically and on the basis of evidence and research
1. the process of education policy making;
2. conceptions of professionalism and of its relationship to policy;
3. the impact of changes in the teaching context on educators' experience of their work.

Assessment Information

The assessment of the elective comprises two elements: 1) Students will work together on group projects which will culminate in oral presentations to the option group which will be assessed on a duly performed basis (DP). 2) An individual report (4000 words) on the group project, informed by a) a critical analysis of the policy process b) theories of work and career and/or theories of professionalism. The essays will be assessed according to the learning outcomes noted above.