Education, Culture and Childhood BA

Core modules:

Education, Power and Society: Introduction to the Sociology of Education

This module explores the relationship between educational institutions/cultures/systems and social inequalities. We focus on class, gender, ethnicity and disability and look at the ways in which education systems serve to tackle or reproduce patterns of inequality and relations of power. The module also evaluates different policy frameworks and goals. For example, whether the focus of education policy should be placed on nurturing active citizenship (and what this would look like) or whether the main priority should be to serve the needs of the economy (and how this might be achieved).

20 credits

Making Sense of Education: Facts, Fiction and Data

Politics, practices and media discourses related to Education, frequently invoke 'evidence' or statistical reasoning in an attempt to persuade. These approaches can be deliberately misused or accidentally misleading. This module will equip you with the knowledge you need to become a discerning data user and critic through a mix of active learning, seminars and computer workshops. You will develop practical skills to support your engagement with 'evidence' throughout your studies, explore a range of issues in qualitative and quantitative research design, and create a foundation for your future development as a critical researcher.

20 credits

Child Psychology

This module explores the relationship between psychological theory and educational policy and practice, considering some of the ways in which Education and Local Authority services have been influenced by ideas about children developed in psychological research. Some of the core concepts of Psychology are introduced such as cognitive psychology (intelligence, language and learning), behaviourism (including modification techniques), social and emotional development (including family and attachment, trauma) as well as the study of individual differences (with reference to psychopathologies such as autism, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder).

20 credits

Optional modules - two from:

Exploring Makerspaces: Foundations for Creative Learning

This module provides a comprehensive study of makerspaces, focusing on their role in modern collaborative learning and innovation. A growing movement internationally, maker education provides children and communities with the skills, knowledge and habits of mind to make projects in relation to real world problems using both high- and low-tech tools, traditional crafts and modern digital materials and technologies. 

This module begins by defining makerspaces and examining their significance in formal and non-formal educational contexts. It emphasises the importance of makerspaces not just as physical entities, but also as an innovative pedagogical approach.

Practical application is central to this module. Students will actively engage in areas such as electronics, materials, digital literacies, and digital design and fabrication. In addition to skill acquisition, the module emphasises aligning these skills with wider academic and professional attributes. A local field-trip allows students to observe real-world makerspaces and design processes, reinforcing classroom learning. 

At the end of the module the students will exhibit an artefact or artefacts that they have made over the course of the module accompanied by a curation note for audiences which will explain the concepts and process underpinning the creation. This will form the first part of the assessment. The second part will be a written commentary which explains and elucidates the artefact, locating its conception, design and creation within the field of makerspace practice and discourse.

This module is informed by the cutting edge research and practice project, Maker{Futures}. It blends theoretical understanding with hands-on experience, preparing students to create and innovate in makerspace environments, and to introduce makerspace pedagogies and approaches into broader professional settings.

20 credits

Critical Curriculum Study

The curriculum is often taken for granted by those who experience it, such as parents, students and teachers. This module poses questions about curriculum - what is it and who is it for? Different perspectives on curriculum are explored to establish a framework for critical curriculum study. After examining school curriculum reform both in England and in international contexts, the module will focus in depth on a single case study curriculum in England. This focused study will be carried out from the perspective of curriculum history, policy reform, analysis and implementation through research involving classroom-based curriculum development.

20 credits

Social and Historical Constructions of Childhood

In this module students will explore how childhood has been portrayed across different societies and at different times, and will examine how childhoods are shaped and influenced by the societies in which children live, learn and are cared for. Through a series of lectures, group work and individual study tasks, students will think about the ways in which childhood has changed over time and how different views and perspectives on childhood create different expectations of children. Through the study of historical and social constructions of childhood, students will develop a fuller understanding of how ways of working with children can be shaped by external influences.

20 credits

Histories of Education

This unit introduces students to a range of historical perspectives on education. It takes a critical historical approach to understanding the development of educational ideas, systems and practices by drawing attention to different cultural and historical contexts. In helping students question and challenge dominant ideas about education and its purposes, it will engage with and critique the philosophy of history to explore possible links between historical investigation and present day understandings of education. Topics include: the nature of history, early conceptions of education, education in pre-modern and modern contexts, development of mass schooling, histories of education, social justice and meritocracy.

20 credits

Plus one or two other optional modules.

Core modules:

Employability Skills Development

The module will focus directly on developing students' practical employability skills. This module provides students with the opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills as well as to apply these to a placement or work-based project. Students will be supported to select an appropriate placement or work-based project, and produce a learning journal offering a reflective account of the experiences gained on this module. The module will enhance students' employability skills and competencies and their knowledge of workplace settings. The critical, reflective, and analytical skills developed over the duration of the module are transferable and will inform their thinking about future career paths.Students will be supported by a tutor/placement officer to identify and select an appropriate placement or a work-based project for completion, which can be undertaken between February and May of the Spring semester. During this period, students will engage with their selected activity and produce a detailed learning journal offering a reflective account of the experiences gained on this module. Engagement with all elements of the module including the coursework will enhance students' employability skills and competencies and their knowledge of workplace settings. The critical, reflective, and analytical skills developed over the duration of the module are transferable and that will inform their thinking about future career paths.

20 credits

Understanding Education: Research and Researching

This module explores a range of methodologies, methods and styles of re-presentation and reporting that are used in educational research. It also examines a number of important philosophical, practical and ethical issues, including: the inherently social nature of research; the moral responsibility researchers bear; approaches to qualitative and quantitative data analysis; and the influence of researchers' beliefs and values on the research that they do. The aim of this module is to equip students with the skills, knowledge and awareness needed to critically engage with a range of research publications and to conduct research of their own.

20 credits

Research Project in Education, Culture and Childhood

The aim of the module is to allow students to design and manage their own small scale research project. The objective is to give students the opportunity to engage with all the stages necessary in the planning and implementation of successful research, from the crafting of an appropriate set of research questions, through ethical review, literature search, data collection, analysis of findings and dissemination of results. Tutorial support will be provided by a supervisor, whose role will be to provide guidance and constructive formative feedback.

20 credits

Optional modules - two from:

Children and Digital Cultures

Digital technology has transformed the lives of many, impacting on culture and society. Many young people have quickly seen ways of extending and deepening social networks through their uses of technology, and immersed themselves in Virtual Worlds, Facebook etc and enjoyed browsing on shopping sites. This module examines new technologies and associated social practices impacting on children's lives, considering the nature of new digital practices and how these affect identity, society and culture. Educational implications of new technologies is a developing field of research and students will engage critically with debates within the field alongside examining websites and new practices.

20 credits

Psychology and Learning Communities

This module explores learning as conceptualised by different approaches within the broad umbrella of psychology. It examines how and why these different approaches emerged, how they compare to one another, and how they have come to inform different understandings of what learning is, how it happens and how it might be facilitated. It also explores how these different conceptualisations have come to impact individual learners, and particular learning communities. Critical attention is drawn to the way in which language facilitates social practices including those involved in the construction of different kinds of knowledge. In this sense, knowledge relates to formal conceptualisations of learning provided by developments in scientific disciplines (e.g. psychology) and the social sciences (e.g. education and sociology). It is also concerned with informal understandings such as the continual constitution of learner's identities through social engagement. The module aims to challenge notions of learning as an individual enterprise and to support students in critical reflection upon their own learning experiences in connection to the approaches discussed.

20 credits

Dimensions of Education Policy

This module looks at key issues in education policy. We will explore the origins and evaluate the success of the comprehensive system; look in detail at the debates surrounding grammar schools, faith schools, Academies and free schools; assess a range of policies designed to tackle education disadvantage; critically explore the politics of teaching and assessment; and reflect more generally on the discourse of choice and diversity that frames current education policy as a whole.

20 credits

Critical Issues in Teaching

This module introduces you to key issues and roles involved in being a teacher. It is suitable for those who definitely want to teach and those who have not yet considered teaching as a career. The focus of the module is teaching in England. It covers teaching across the age range, with sessions devoted to early years, primary, secondary and further and higher education. The module also deals with issues such as assessing students' learning, managing challenging behaviour, working with parents and other professionals. By the end of the module you should have a clear idea of what's involved in 'being a teacher'.

20 credits

Plus one or two other optional modules.

Core modules:

Philosophies of Education

This module will explore the importance of philosophy to the study of education. It covers key moments in the history of Western philosophy, focusing on the question of modernity (What is modernity? What are its ramifications for education?). The module will investigate the consequences of late modernity for present day education, a period in which the aims and purposes of education have become increasingly unclear, leaving education open to the rise of instrumentalism and the forces of capital. Overall the module offers a critique of common assumptions in education, provoking questioning about its nature and purposes.

20 credits

Dissertation

The aim of the dissertation is to enable students to advance their knowledge of education and childhood studies by pursuing an independent research project on a relevant chosen topic. Students completing the dissertation will have examined a subject in substantial depth, shown evidence of an ability to undertake sustained critical analysis, developed and improved their research skills, and produced a long piece of written work that demonstrates a detailed and sophisticated understanding of a particular area of relevance to the BA (Hons) Education, Culture and Childhood. Students will study a disseration of their choice that relates to their programme and staff expertise.

40 credits

Optional modules:

Educational Psychology in Practice

This module provides an overview of Educational Psychology in practice, broadly based on the core professional competencies of Educational Psychologists. Students will consolidate their knowledge of childhood educational and learning theory, and learn how psychology is applied in practice by Educational Psychologists. The module encompasses topic-specific material (e.g. attachment theory, ADHD, Dyslexia) as well as addressing wide-ranging issues in practice such as mental health and (neuro)diversity. Throughout the module, students will explore the professional skills practised in the field of Educational Psychology, including assessment and formulation, intervention and evaluation, and ethical and reflective practice. Students will adopt critical skills in their learning. The content of the module reflects the complexity of delivering services in ever-changing organisations and equips students with skills and knowledge of the application of theory to practice.

20 credits

Education@Sheffield

In Education@Sheffield students are invited to explore and evaluate the rich and diverse research taking place within the School of Education. Through a series of seminars presented by active researchers, students are encouraged to critically engage with research - and the researchers themselves - in the fields of educational and childhood studies. The Education@Sheffield module enables students to acquire a critical understanding of various themes, settings and methodologies which shape contemporary educational research.

20 credits

What is Learning?

The module explores understandings about how people learn, and implications that these understandings have for how we conduct key social practices, including teaching, caring for children, assessing learning, and on educating generally. We will also look 'beneath' understandings of learning to the worldviews on which they stand, particularly 'realist' and 'constructivist' positions. This matters because 'realism' and 'constructivism' carry implications for how we conceptualise things we take for granted: the nature of truth, the process and products of science, the basis for ethics, the outcomes of research, and assumptions about what is. The module will explore these challenging issues.

20 credits

Globalising Education

This module considers the extent to which education might be viewed as a global context with a shared meaning. Moving outwards from the dominant concepts, principles and practices which frame 'our own' national, or regional responses to education, the module explores other possible ways of understanding difference. By examining 'other ways of seeing difference', in unfamiliar contexts, students are able to examine the implications of globalisation for education and explore the opportunities and obstacles for the social justice agendas within a range of cultural settings.

20 credits

Participatory Research with Children and Young People

This module explores the methodological and ethical issues involved in engaging children and young people as active participants in the research process. Students will analyse critically a number of case study research projects that have attempted to ensure the active participation of children and young people and will design a group research project that engages children and young people as active participants in the research process.

20 credits

Plus one or two other optional modules.