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ED60273: Educational policy: theory and practice

Follow this link for further information on academic years Academic Year: 2019/0
Further information on owning departmentsOwning Department/School: Department of Education
Further information on credits Credits: 18      [equivalent to 36 CATS credits]
Further information on notional study hours Notional Study Hours: 360
Further information on unit levels Level: Doctoral (FHEQ level 8)
Further information on teaching periods Period:
Academic Year
Modular (no specific semester)
Further information on unit assessment Assessment Summary: CW 100%
Further information on unit assessment Assessment Detail:
  • Assignment (CW 100%)
Further information on supplementary assessment Supplementary Assessment:
Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
Further information on requisites Requisites:
Further information on descriptions Description: Aims:
The unit's aims are to provide students with an understanding of:
(i) the relationship between, and recent changes in education, economy, culture and society;
(ii) the ideological, cultural, economic and comparative sources of educational policy;
(iii) theories which seek to explain the educational policy making process;
(iv) the institutional factors e.g. the organisation, culture and politics of relevant state departments and agencies, which shape educational policy;
(v) the factors leading to convergence and divergences in different national contexts; in particular, those relating to economic competitiveness;
(vi) the role and place of policy importation;
(vii) theories concerning the impact of policy at various levels of the educational system.

Learning Outcomes:
As a result of the development of the above understandings students will be able to:
(i) critically examine policy initiatives from a range of theoretical perspectives;
(ii) appreciate the cultural and institutional constraints upon policy-making;
(iii) evaluate the evidence for, and against, the effectiveness of specific policies;
(iv) provide an alternative, feasible policy proposal to one currently in use.

Skills:
(i) Apply a systematic and coherent approach to critical analysis, evaluation and synthesis of ideas, information and issues that is well-grounded in existing educational research and literature (intellectual skill)
(ii) Identify, conceptualise and communicate original and well-grounded insights and responses to important issues of educational policy and practice that demonstrate advanced scholarship (practical skill)
(iii) Identify, conceptualise and communicate original and well-grounded insights and responses to important issues of educational policy and practice that demonstrate advanced scholarship (professional, practical skill)
(iv) Use networked learning technologies as a means of developing one's own professional practice and scholarship (transferable skill)

Content:
Section 1: Changes in Education, Economy, Culture and Society
(i) The Post-war settlement in western societies.
(ii) Post-industrialism and the global economy.
Section 2: The Sources of Educational Policy
(i) The influence of social change and ideology on educational policy.
(ii) A comparative analysis of divergence and convergence in educational policy.
(iii) Policy importation: an analysis of the issues.
Section 3: Institutions and Policy Development
(i) An overview of theories seeking to explain the policy formation process.
(ii) The organisational agendas and constraints on the policy formation and delivery process.
Section 4: Evaluating Policy Outcomes
(i) Theories of policy implementation.
(ii) Case studies of the policy implementation process.
(iii) Assessing the outcomes.
Further information on programme availabilityProgramme availability:

ED60273 is Compulsory on the following programmes:

Department of Education

ED60273 is Optional on the following programmes:

Department of Social & Policy Sciences
  • RHSP-APD04 : Professional Doctorate in Policy Research and Practice

Notes: