THE UNIVERSITY of EDINBURGH

DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2022/2023

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : Moray House School of Education and Sport : Education

Postgraduate Course: Making and Conceptualising Curriculum (EDUA11442)

Course Outline
SchoolMoray House School of Education and Sport CollegeCollege of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) AvailabilityNot available to visiting students
SCQF Credits20 ECTS Credits10
SummaryThis course is underpinned by the commitment to understanding curriculum as a complex and creative educational issue.
Course description This course is about developing understanding of how and why curriculum is made; with an emphasis on students learning to create appropriate, engaging learning environments that recognize the importance of disciplinary knowledge and expertise alongside and the importance of interdisciplinary understanding, through process of critical enquiry and problematising thinking. Students consider the notion of problem identification as well as problem solving and ethical decision making through real-world problems and examples of curricula.



Through the course students explore the development of subject specific knowledge required to enable them to understand progression and conceptual development; appropriate enquiry and assessment practices that inform curriculum design, planning for teaching that will progress learning. Students will analyse and critique research-informed theory in each disciplinary area, drawing on subject-based and wider educational perspectives.

Students will explore key theories and concepts underpinning various curricular designs; considering the intent and values-base of different models; eg. curriculum as prescription, as experience, learner-centred, society-centred, knowledge-centred. This will include critically analysing conceptual knowledge in disciplines such as expressive arts, social studies, and religious and moral education. This approach recognises that children's capacity to communicate their thoughts, values and beliefs critically and creatively and using different modes of expression is foundational for learning and teaching.

The course will facilitate development of the pedagogical content knowledge (Shulman, 1986) necessary for effective teaching and progression of student learning. This includes understanding of languages and literacies learning and teaching in primary schools, to ensure children become language users in a diverse world. Students will explore core STEAM concepts in the primary years. This will include in-depth exploration of learners' paths of progression, common misconceptions and powerful ways of representing core concepts to support learning. There will also be support for student teachers in auditing their own numeracy knowledge in order to identify and address any gaps in the knowledge they will need to underpin effective teaching of STEAM topics.

Focussing on approaches to development of children's foundational understanding in each discipline will be complemented by an interdisciplinary focus that will facilitate critical reflection on common concerns. This will include research-informed consideration of methods for primary STEAM, literacies, social subjects, expressive arts and physical education, such as teaching through various interdisciplinary approaches, problem solving and enquiry, expressive arts pedagogies, outdoor learning and use of digital technologies and digital pedagogies.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2022/23, Not available to visiting students (SS1) Quota:  0
Course Start Full Year
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 200 ( Lecture Hours 33, Seminar/Tutorial Hours 66, Online Activities 3, Formative Assessment Hours 10, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 84 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment) 4000 word essay analysis of Scottish educational policy and the interrelatedness of assessment, learning and teaching (100%)
Feedback Students will be given the opportunity to present and discuss their developing understandings of Scottish educational policy and the interrelatedness of assessment, learning and teaching as it relates to the role of a teacher. This will provide an opportunity for feedforward and will enable students to build on their early explorations of the course and allow time for further exploration and development prior to submitting their course assignment.
No Exam Information
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Demonstrate extensive, detailed and critical knowledge and understanding of primary curriculum planning, teaching, assessment and evaluation of learning.
  2. Demonstrate a critical understanding of the purpose of curriculum and a range of theories of curricular design.
  3. Apply critical analysis and synthesize the relationships between primary curriculum, teaching and assessment.
  4. Consolidate and extend skills in educational academic writing and thinking.
  5. Exercise autonomy and initiative for professional learning within a community of enquiry.
Reading List
Beane, J.A. (1997). Curriculum Integration: Designing the Core of a Democratic Education. New York: Teachers College Press.

Babaci-Wilhite, Z. (Ed) (2019) Promoting Language and STEAM as Human Rights in Education, Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics. Springer Books.

Bryce T.G.K, Humes W, Gillies, D. & Kennedy, A. (Eds.) (2018) (5th Ed); Scottish Education.. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Ellis, A.K. (2004) Exemplars of Curriculum Theory. Eye on Education. New York.

Khine, M.S. & Areepattamannil, S. (Eds). (2019) STEAM Education, Theory and Practice. Springer Books

Ineson, G., & Povey, H. (2020). Debates in mathematics education (Second ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.

Martinez, Jaime, E. (2017). The search for method in STEAM Education. New York: Palgrave MacMillan

Priestley, M. & Biesta, G. (2014) Reinventing the Curriculum: New Trends in Curriculum Policy and practice. London: Bloomsbury

Scottish Deans of Education (SCDE) (2018) The National Framework for Languages (ITE) https://www.nffl.education.ed.ac.uk

Stone, K. (2017) Reconsidering Primary Literacy: Enabling children to become critically literate. London: Routledge.
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills Not entered
Keywordsprimary education
Contacts
Course organiserMs Anne Kent
Tel: (0131 6)51 6418
Email: Anne.Kent@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMrs Melania Chaverri Coto
Tel: (0131 6)51 6210
Email: mchaverr@ed.ac.uk
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