Course Catalogue

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This course sits within the curriculum enquiry strand of the MEduc programme. The curriculum enquiry strand develops students understanding of and ability to critically enquire into both pedagogical content knowledge and their practice in general. In this strand Shulman's pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) represents the blending of content and pedagogy (approaches to teaching, assessment and feedback) into an understanding of how particular topics, problems, or issues are organized, represented and adapted to the diverse interest and abilities of leaners and presented for teaching. It encompasses the 'what' and 'how' of teaching particular curricular subject areas as well as the 'why'. As such the emphasis placed on these different aspects will differ between curricular subject areas. The students enquiry skills are developed in the context of curriculum in years 1 - 4 and develop the foundations for enquiry into their practice throughout their careers. For students continuing to year 5, the enquiry skills developed through years 1 - 4 are both broadened and deepened through an application to other areas of practice and other forms of professional enquiry cumulating in an enquiry into their practice in the form of a major dissertation.

CE2B comprises a rotation of curricular subject area inputs exploring PCK which could conceivably sit within relevant cross-cutting policy contexts and a series of enquiry lectures developing students enquiry skills through enquiring into policy. This exploration will be reflective of SCQF level 8. As such the knowledge and understanding will involve a discerning understanding (rather than just an awareness) of the role curriculum subject areas can play within cross-cutting policy contexts. Applying this to practice will involve enquiring into problems and issues associated with these roles as well as using general cognitive skills to critically analyse and evaluate these roles.

For example: One of the science inputs could focus on science PCK in the context of science as a vehicle for numeracy and another in the context of science as vehicle for literacy. This could involve an exploration of how these contexts align (or otherwise) with the primary science distinctive PCK features of teachers orientations to teaching science (from CE1A), instructional strategies (of inquiry from CE2A) and knowledge of the curriculum (from CE1B).

During the enquiry lectures the concepts and ideas around enquiring into policy will be explored through the context of cross cutting themes - e.g Thinking skills, Numeracy across the curriculum, Literacy across the curriculum, STEM, 1 + 2 languages, etc. These lectures will be prefaced with a discussion of the role values play in educational dilemmas as part of an enquiring stance and in policy contexts.

A blend of tutorials, seminars and lectures. Flexible timetable to cover curricular areas.

D3 in Curriculum Enquiry 1A and 1B.

Completion of Year 1 or appropriate direct entry to Year 2.

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This course will be assessed by means of an 2000-word essay in which students will demonstrate their understand of PCK in a curricular subject area related to a cross-cutting theme and their ability to critique the associated cross-cutting themes policy. 

Students will be offered the opportunity to indicate the areas in which feedback would most benefit them (within the existing framework of marking criteria).

This course aims to develop students understanding of the concepts and ideas of enquiring into policy through the context of cross cutting themes. It also helps students develop their understanding of education policy and how this is enacted (or otherwise) through PCK in curriculum subject areas.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

1. Describe and discuss the role that PCK within a curricular subject area can play within cross-cutting policy contexts.

2. Evaluate and critically analyse cross-cutting policy relevant to curricular subject areas.

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.