Master of Education MEd, PGDip, PGCert, by flexible learning

This is for you if... you are a qualified teacher or educational professional looking to develop your teaching practice and the skills to support career progression.

The MEd is designed for qualified teachers and other educational professionals working in a range of contexts and age phases. This degree will enable you to:

• Enhance your opportunities for career progression and make a difference with a deeper understanding of effective pedagogy
• Critically examine your pedagogic practice and expertise in teaching
• Choose an optional module of interest or to advance a specialism
• Develop your ability to design and carry out small-scale research projects.

The modules on offer will enable practitioners working in educational contexts to engage in pedagogically-focused study and research on a range of key cross-curricular topics that reflect and explore the issues and challenges that they face in their work across the 5-19 age range. These topics are inclusive practices; mentoring, coaching and the development of effective leadership skills; mental health and well-being. The course has been developed following consultation with University of Leicester Partnership schools and PGCE alumni.

Alongside these modules, this course will provide an introduction to reflective practice (for those experienced teachers without Master's credits) and a solid grounding in practitioner research methods for all those who enrol. The Practitioner Research Methods module will prepare you for researching and writing a dissertation on a topic of your choice which is relevant to the educational context in which you work.

Teaching and learning

Teaching and learning will be through face-to-face seminars, small study groups and tutorials with materials and additional structured support provided via Blackboard and email. All students will be expected to participate fully in course sessions and to develop their skills as critical friends during specific module activities.

The taught modules will be assessed by 5,000-word assignments, some of which will be in two parts (for example a research journal and a research paper; a reflective practice report and a supporting portfolio of evidence; an oral presentation and a research dissertation). Your dissertation will consist of a research diary and a small-scale professional enquiry.

Core modules

• Reflective Practice
• Practitioner Research Methods
• Dissertation

Option modules

Choose two optional modules from:

• Developing Effective and Inclusive Pedagogy
• Mental Health and Well-Being
• Mentoring, Coaching and Leadership

If you already have 30 credits of relevant learning, you will not need to study the 'Reflective Practice' module.

The modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.

The MEd should provide qualified teachers and other education professionals with further opportunities for career enhancement either in their existing workplace or beyond.

Many of our former Master's students in the School of Education have also progressed to doctoral work upon completion of their degree. Opportunities for PhD research will be discussed with you during the final year of your course.