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 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 as a preparation for democracy and citizenship, and the role of education more broadly as underpinning democracy. Students will be asked to reflect upon the implications of changes in the context in which education operates for teachers and for other educational professionals. Developments in governance, in accountability and self regulation and in expectations of work and career form the backdrop for an analysis of teachers’ 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 both from Education courses and from students’ professional practice. The opportunity to compare practice in two 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

? 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

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 : The sessions at 11-12.30 are held in Paterson’s Land G37.
The sessions at 2-3 are held in St John's Land 4.22.

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 or (b) theories of governance and regulation or (c) theories of professionalism. The essays will be assessed according to the learning outcomes noted above.