Overview
Do you want to develop and deepen your understanding of educational issues to inform your professional development as an educator? Would you like to discover more about the educational theory and research behind teaching and learning practice? Are you a reflexive practitioner who wants to explore critical pedagogy and how this might be applied to your own practice and that of others to create a more inclusive educational experience for learners?
This exciting new MA is for you if you work in education or are planning to do so, and you have an interest in developing your understanding of educational issues and theory. It is aimed at educators working in all branches of education, from Early Years through to FE and higher education, and those in alternative educational settings, in the UK or abroad. It is also suitable for student seeking to deepen their understanding of education and the role it plays in society.
Join our research community and get hands-on
Come and be part of our dynamic Education division here at LSBU, where our own teaching and research is grounded in a belief in inclusion and education for social justice. You will develop research skills and an understanding of research approaches, which will enable you to successfully undertake your own educational research project, linked to your own educational setting or practice. You will be joining LSBU’s active postgraduate research community, including the Re-imagining Learning Communities research group.
Build your own MA
Our MA offers a highly flexible, modular programme which students can tailor to meet their professional learning needs and commitments. Study full-time for one year, or part-time over two, and build your own course with a range of core and optional standalone modules, which you can take in the order that suits you. Teaching and learning will be delivered through a mixture of on-campus and online sessions, and evenings and weekends, to accommodate students’ professional and other commitments.
Get credit
Masters level credits previously gained from other programmes (at LSBU or elsewhere) and those with Level 7 credits from PGCE courses will be recognised and used towards completing the full MA.
What’s in it for me?
Our MA has a strong professional focus, with clear links between research, theory and practice. It is designed to offer CPD opportunities to enable educators to focus on areas of practice of interest to them, such as leadership and SEND. The MA is also the gateway to further postgraduate study. Students who have successfully completed the MA can progress on to a Professional Doctorate in education (EdD), or a PhD programme.
Why study Education at LSBU?
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- You will gain the necessary knowledge, skills and values to meet the Occupational Standards.
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- You will engage with effective evidence-informed pedagogies and will have the opportunity to apply those into your own teaching practice.
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- You will gain experience of face-to-face and remote synchronous teaching and of shadowing more experienced teachers.
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- You will develop your digital skills and your understanding of sustainable development.
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- The course will be offered on a blended learning basis to create a flexible physical and digital environment.
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- You'll be allocated a Professional Adviser and university-based mentor to support you during your course.
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- LSBU is part of a wider group which includes South Bank colleges and Academies.
This course is in development and is subject to validation.
Location
London South Bank University student union is located at 103 Borough Rd, London SE1 0AA.
If you are visiting our Southwark Campus, you may wish to use our downloadable campus map (PNG File 466 KB). For information on accessibility, see our DisabledGo access guides. See our location page for more details.
Entry Level Requirements
- Undergraduate degree for MA, PgCert and PgDip pathways
- Flexible entry requirements for taking modules as individual CPD
Choose your country
Select country here:
Missing English and Maths qualifications?
If you do not have the required English and Maths qualifications needed to satisfy the entry requirements for this programme, we have courses available at our partner College that you can take to upskill in these areas. Find out more at South Bank College.
For more information, including how and when to pay, see our fees and funding section for postgraduate students.
See our Tuition Fees Regulations (PDF File 391 KB) and Refund Policy (PDF File 775 KB).
Possible fee changes
The University reserves the right to increase its fees in line with changes to legislation, regulation and any government guidance or decisions.
The fees for international students are reviewed annually and the University reserves the right to increase the tuition fees in line with the RPIX measure of inflation up to 4 per cent.
Postgraduate loan (PGL) for Masters study
If you are starting a Masters course, studying either full- or part-time, you may be entitled to apply for a postgraduate study loan. Find out more at our postgraduate fees and funding section.
Scholarships
We offer several types of fee reduction through our scholarships and bursaries. Find the full list and other useful information on funding your studies on the scholarships and fee discounts page.
Fee status
Please check your fee status and whether you are considered a Home, EU or International student for fee-paying purposes and for our regulatory returns, by reading the UKCISA regulations.
How to apply
Full-time postgraduate students should apply through GOV UK scheme.
Prepare to start
We help our students prepare for university even before the semester starts. To find out when you should apply for your LSBU accommodation or student finance read the How to apply tab for this course.
Reading List
- Midgley, W., Davies, A., Oliver, M. E. and Danaher, P. A. (eds.) (2014) Echoes : ethics and issues of voice in education research . Rotterdam, The Netherlands : Sense Publishers.
- Wearmouth, J. (2019) Special educational needs and disability : the basics . Third edition. London ; New York :; London ; New York : Routledge Taylor & Francis Group.
- Nind, M. (2014) Inclusive research and inclusive education: why connecting them makes sense for teachers’ and learners’ democratic development of education, Cambridge Journal of Education, 44 (4), pp. 525–540.
- Ewing, S. (2022) Decolonizing Research Methods: Practices, Challenges, and Opportunities, in: Dave S.P. Thomas, James Spickard, Abby Day, and Lois Lee (eds.) Diversity, Inclusion, and Decolonization. 1st ed. Bristol University Press
Enrolment
Before you start your course we’ll send you information on what you’ll need to do before you arrive and during your first few days on campus. You can read about the process on our Enrolment pages.
All modules stand alone and be accredited individually. They can be taken in any order, except the Dissertation module which is last.
Exit points for PG cert and PG Dip
- PG Cert – is comprised of three 20 credit modules
- PG Dip – is comprised of any six 20 credit modules
Modules available as short courses:
- Anti-Racist Education
- Inclusive curriculum and assessment
- Introduction to Mentoring
Short courses can be booked via the LSBU Short Course hub.
Year 1
- Re-imagining Learning Communities (20 credits)
This module explores education in its broadest sense; it opens up the notion of education taking into consideration its interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary nature. Mapping sociology, social philosophy and psychology, the module investigates the different ‘turns’ that have constituted how we imagine learning ‘subjects’ in education. The critical turn, the cultural turn and the affective turn are amongst those explored to understand how educational inquiry and educational theory re-imagine education. Participants will be introduced to educational scholarship which will help students examine the genealogy of education. - Critical pedagogy and social change (20 credits)
In the context of climate breakdown, mass extinction and global injustice, this module analyses education as a vehicle for social change. Building on the previous module, it examines how critical theory is applied in practice to address injustice in local and global communities. Students will engage with global citizenship education, multicultural and anti-racist education, and education for sustainability, to explore alternative, critical educational approaches, with a focus on the collective production of knowledge to challenge injustice and transform society. - Introduction to Mentoring (20 credits – Optional module)
This module addresses the specific development needs of mentors who work with teachers or practitioners. This module enables students to gain deep knowledge and understanding of theory underpinning key mentoring and coaching techniques and models. Students will be encouraged to put theory into practice and make a reflective examination of their current experience in their work setting. This will enhance their own professional mentoring and coaching skills and support them to make informed decisions that will benefit them and their mentees. - Neurodivergence in education (20 credits - Optional module)
In this module participants will gain an evidence-based understanding of ways in which people who are neurodivergent learn at all ages. Typically, neurodivergence covers dyslexia, dyscalculia, attention deficit and hyperactivity, attention deficit, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, Tourette’s, epilepsy, autism, acquired brain injury and similar. Learners may have combined characteristics and their neurodivergence may be recently identified or they may have no formal identification/label). This module includes a focus on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) which is about planning for a diverse group of learners. - Anti-Racist Education (20 credits)
In this module, participants will develop an understanding of racism through an intersectional lens, considering its manifestations and impact at both interpersonal and institutional levels. Participants will reflect on and question how educators and education institutions can address various forms of systemic and structural racism. The module will explore anti-racist policies and how these are put into practice through anti-racist and decolonising pedagogies and curriculum. - Inclusive curriculum and assessment (20 credits)
This module will explore how curriculum and assessment can be designed to meet the needs of diverse learning communities. Students will focus on an area of inclusive practice in relation to their own professional context. This will provide an opportunity for reflexive engagement with and development of practice. - Independent Study (Optional module 20 credit modules)
This module provides an opportunity for students to develop their own independent research into how educational practice might be re-considered in a specific educational phase or setting. The focus for your research could be informed by priorities for development in your setting or an area of personal interest. Teaching and learning on this module are through tutorial guidance and supervision.
Required modules for full Masters degree (180 credits):
- Understanding Educational Research (20 credits)
This module enables students to understand, critically analyse and apply approaches to educational research. This module will further develop students’ understanding of research methodologies and skills in reading research. This will equipe students to design and carry out their own small scale educational research. - Dissertation (60 credits)
The dissertation provides students with an opportunity to probe deeply into educational issues that are of concern or interest them. Students will design their own small-scale study, applying methods of data collection, analysis and reporting.
Careers
The MA will offer a flexible programme that students can tailor to meet their professional learning needs. This could be within a school or other educational setting; or could be to further develop their academic skills and experience before beginning doctoral study in education.
Anyone wishing to develop a career in senior positions in education will benefit from having an MA in education. These roles could include curriculum development, educational consultancy, inclusion roles, local and national government. Additionally, it is often the expectation that senior leadership positions in schools – particularly headship – now require a post-graduate qualification like our MA.
Progression from the Masters’ course:
- Career development and enhancement within educational settings at all levels from Early Years to FE colleges and beyond.
- Further academic study on doctoral courses at LSBU and elsewhere
The flexibility of our MA – combining both professional practice and academic study – will allow you to tailor it to meet your career aspirations in both the short and long-term.
Alignment with research
There is a strong alignment with research as the course is directly linked to the research of the Re-imagining Learning Communities research group. Students on the MA (and its comprising modules) will be members of these groups which offer opportunities to showcase and develop their research in collaboration with a broad, interdisciplinary group of established and early career researchers. Membership of the group provides students with support and mentorship in their progression towards doctorate level research, with opportunities to progress to the EdD or PhD. Students have access to the meetings of all the research groups that operate in the school of Education Law and Social Sciences throughout their course.
The modules offered on this course align with the research foci of research groups within the Division of Education. Research in the Division covers lived experiences of exclusion in and from education, student experience and inclusive pedagogies, Supporting the Autism Strategy and research informed teaching and curricula. The Participatory Autism Research Collective (PARC) has international reach and provides opportunities for autistic researchers to collaborate, develop and contribute to autism research.
Teaching and Assessment
Modules on this course will be taught by Division of Education staff who are research active in the areas of inclusive pedagogy, equity in education and who are also involved with wider professional networks around inclusion. Content of the modules is informed by contemporary research and debates. The MA course is based on the principle of ‘nothing about us without us’ and there will be neurodiverse staff and guest speakers contributing to some modules. Students will have the opportunity to attend the annual Re-imagining Learning Communities research group conference and the LSBU Group Teaching and Learning conference.
The modules on this course are linked to the practice of its participants. In each module students are required to be central participants in activity within their workplace or wider learning community.
Intellectual skills are modelled within taught sessions. Participation in structured group tasks and presentations support the critical acquisition of knowledge and theories relating to educational practice. Workshops are used as opportunities for staff to provide formative assessment to participants.
By engaging in educational debates, students will develop their ability to theorise key issues relating to educational practice. Students will be able to examine in greater detail the tensions that exist between theory and practice.
Transferable skills are supported through discussions in taught sessions and lectures; seminars and tutorials; guided reading; self-study tasks; structured group tasks; independent inquiry and personal research.
Coursework
All assessment is through coursework, there are no exams on this course. Assessment will be through a range of forms including oral presentations, portfolios, videos, blogs, journals, essays and on relevant modules - the development of a learning resource.
For the MA dissertation – we also offer an alternative ‘capstone’ assessment which allows students to develop a piece of work that is practice focused. The alternative assessment is a portfolio consisting of a central artefact, a rationale for the artefact, and evidence of impact and/or evaluation (equivalent to 10-15,000 words).
Feeback on participants’ work will be both formative and summative.
Personal tutoring
Students on the course will be assigned a personal tutor who will be from the MA teaching team.