Inclusive Education

The module reflects on relevant, current legislation in the UK and their effect on policy and practice in educational settings. You will critically analyse key contexts, significant debates and concepts in the field of inclusive education and sets UK policy and provision into a wider international context.  
 
You will examine the discourses that shape the educational context, and their connection to the practice and framing of inclusive education. Reflect on your personal understandings of special educational needs to consider alternative approaches in the context of recent research on inclusion and diversity in education.  
 
More broadly, you will consider the relationship between educational values and the development of inclusive practice. This will allow you to relate your learning to the development of your own practice and understanding of inclusive education and its wider connection with issues such as social justice. 

In this module you engage with theoretical frameworks which permit further and deeper critical analysis of inclusive education. You will examine issues of exclusion and marginalisation, disability and difference, race and culture. 

The module focuses on critical issues for equity and diversity rather than on particular categories of special educational need. You will challenge your own personal and professional assumptions, in order to re-conceptualise and reframe how inclusive education is practised and understood. The emphasis is on understanding different sociological, psychological, medical, educational and rights-based models, and on implications for policy and practice. 

You will draw from such fields as critical pedagogy, disability studies and critical race theory to think about inclusive education in relation to the challenges of globalisation, power, agency, inequality and diversity, and sustainability. How can education promote greater equity in an increasingly diverse society? How should we understand the complexities of inclusive education in a rapidly changing world?

This module enables you to approach your own research confidently and is a crucial step towards completing your dissertation. You will gain an overview of a variety of approaches (or paradigms) in educational research. You’ll explore in detail the philosophical issues which underpin different approaches, such as what we can know and how we can know it. 

You will develop an understanding of key elements of different methodologies, including clarifying research aims and writing research questions. You will also extend your understanding of research techniques, including those used in empirical and desk-based projects.

You will reflect critically on your own values and consider how these might impact upon your understanding of what research is; ultimately you will gain informed insight about which are most appropriate for your professional or personal context. You will also explore the ethical tensions inherent in research activity. 

This module supports you through the process of selecting, planning, conducting and evaluating a significant individual research project. You can research any area of personal, professional or academic interest relating to your masters award.

You will develop your ideas with close guidance from an experienced academic supervisor who will support you as you finalise your proposal, gain ethical clearance and undertake the project. Throughout the project, we offer expert tutorial support in groups and through individual supervision.

You can also make use of a variety of resources aimed at enriching your experience and improving the quality of your final dissertation. Most students find the dissertation the most rewarding element of the programme, and it is an excellent preparation if you are considering further study such as a PhD.