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

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

This elective is available jointly in the fourth year of the BEd (primary) programme and the BA (community education) programme. It examines the policy and professional context within which teachers and community educators work. It explores the purposes of education, the influence of society on education and vice versa, the relationship between professionalism and educational goals, questions about the collaboration between different professions in education, and the role of educators in preparing people for democratic participation.

Students are asked to reflect upon the implications for educators of changes in the context in which education operates. Developments in governance, in accountability and self regulation and in expectations of work and career form the backdrop for an analysis of educators’ experience of and satisfaction with work.

The elective draws on international, national and local examples and on professions other than teaching. It has been designed to extend understandings of education derived both from Education courses and from students' professional practice. The opportunity to compare practice in two very different branches of education (primary and community) broadens the scope of the discussions which take place in class.

Entry Requirements

? This course is not available to visting students.

? Pre-requisites : Education 3 or third year in BA Community Education

? 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 : 3 hour(s) per week for 10 weeks

All of the following classes

Type	Day	Start	End	Area
Tutorial	Thursday	11:10	13:00	Other
Lecture	Thursday	14:00	14:50	Other

? Additional Class Information : First meeting: 11.10, 25th September, seminar room (rm 1.05), Simon Laurie House (Holyrood).

All morning sessions: seminar room (rm 1.05), Simon Laurie House (Holyrood)

All afternoon sessions: rm G37, Paterson’s Land

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 and experience of their work.

Assessment Information

The assessment of this elective comprises two elements:
1. Students will work together on oral presentations to the whole group; this will be assessed on a duly performed basis.
2. Each student will write an individual essay (4000 words) on the group project (or on some other topic to be agreed with the lecturers), dealing with at least one of
(a) a critical analysis of the policy process
or
(b) theories of governance and regulation
or
(c) theories of professionalism.
The essays will be assessed according to the learning outcomes noted above.