Essay (4000 words)
The essay title is as follows:
Explore the effect of government policy on one of the following themes: inclusion, special educational needs, assessment, or curriculum across the five age phases of education in England.
The essay should demonstrate
- Good understanding of the chosen theme
- Understanding of the age phases of education in England (Early years, Primary, Secondary, Further, Higher)
- Knowledge of direct and indirect government policy relating to the chosen theme
- Knowledge and understanding of the impact of policy across the age phases
A good essay will
- Engage with the political contexts surrounding the relevant policy
- Show critical understanding of policy contexts and the effects on educational settings
- Refer directly to policy documents
- Make good use of the literature relevant to the chosen theme
- Make reference to module core texts
- Maintain a clear focus on the chosen theme
- Be well organised and structured
The learning outcomes (LO) for this module are:
- Demonstrate an understanding of the way in which educational policy is developed and implemented through national and local government structures
- Analyse education policies and to evaluate their impact on educational practice
- Synthesise information from a wide range of sources in order to provide an informed perspective on the influence of politics and economy on educational policy
When you are preparing for this assignment think about how you can demonstrate that you have met the learning outcomes.
For example:
- When exploring the effect of government policy consider how the policy was implemented at national and local levels, and what implementation looked like at classroom level. (LO1)
- Consider how or whether there was any consultation before the implementation on the policy and if so with whom? (LO1)
- To what extent are the effects of policy on classroom practice intended or unintended? (LO2)
- To what extent do education policies reflect the political ideologies of the governments which enacted them? (LO2)
- Draw together perspectives from different academic and professional sources to explore your theme (LO3)
- Present an informed response to the chosen theme by supporting the discussion with relevant literature (LO3)
During the module seminars you will be supported in preparing for the assignment. You will undertake work for the seminars which will support your preparation for the final assessment. You will be able to submit a draft assignment for feedback before submission.
