Master of Science by Coursework in Learning and Teaching

• 1.  Candidates for the M.Sc. in Learning and Teaching may only be admitted to the course if they are graduates who have been awarded Qualified Teacher Status in the United Kingdom, or an equivalent UK or overseas award recognised by the Departmental Board. They must also be employed in a teaching post within a school or other educational setting.. All candidatesThey will benormally admittedhave initiallyevidence forof theprior Postgraduatelearning Diplomaat inMaster’s Learninglevel, andor Teachingother relevant academic or professional qualifications or experience.  

• 2.  Every candidate must follow for at least three and at most ninesix terms a part-time course of instruction in Learning and Teaching. 

• 3.  The course will consist of one programme of study, covering four main topics as set out in the Schedule, and a research and development project. The examination shall beconsist inof three parts as follows:

  • Part 1 will be examined by twoone coursework assignmentsassignment, relating to the programme of study, as described in clause 4 below.

  • Part; IIand willa beresearch examinedand bydevelopment one coursework assignmentproject, as described in clause 5 below.

  • Part4. IIIThe coursework assignment will berelate examinedto bytopics aone researchto and development project report as described in clause 6 below.

• Those candidates who meet the criteria set out in clause 7 below will be exempt from Part Ifour of the programmecourse content.

• 4. PartCandidates Imay choose, in consultation with their supervisors, whether the written assignment should be presented as a single piece of work, focused on the M.Sc.same inissue, Learningexplored andfrom Teaching shall be examined by means ofthe two assignmentsdifferent relatingperspectives torequired, theor contentas oftwo thesmaller Partscale Ipieces, elementseach offocused theon topicsa ofdifferent topic within the programme of study takenbut linked by a reflective introduction that brings the two studies together within the candidate’s own practice of professional learning. EachThe assignment must be between 48,000 and 510,000 words in length, or their equivalent. Two printed copies of each assignment and one One electronic copy of the assignment (in a software format available in the department) must be deliveredsubmitted via the online Examinations portal to the Chair of Examiners, M.Sc. in Learning and Teaching, c/o Department of Education, 15 Norham Gardens, Oxford OX2 6PY. The deadline for submission of assignmentsthe 1 and 2assignment will take placebe before Week 5 of Trinity Term of the candidate’’s second first year of study, and will be no later than noon on a date specified by the examiners and published in the course handbook.

• 5. Candidates Partwho IIfail ofto satisfy the M.Sc.examiners in Learning and Teaching shall be examined by means of onethe coursework assignment relatingmay be permitted to resubmit it on one occasion only, normally by the standard submission deadline the following year. Candidates are required to pass the coursework assignment before being permitted to progress to the content of the Part II elements of the topics of the programme of study taken by the candidate. (Candidates may choose, in consultation with their supervisors, whether the assignment should be presented as a single piece of work, drawing explicitly on the learning from the two options, or as two smaller scale pieces each carried out within different options but linked by a reflective introduction that brings the two studies together within the candidate’s own practice of professional learning.) The assignment must be between 8,000 and 10,000 words in length, or their equivalent. Two printed copies of the assignment and one electronic copy (in a software format available in the department) must be delivered to the Chair of Examiners, M.Sc. in Learning and Teaching, c/o Department of Education, 15 Norham Gardens, Oxford OX2 6PY. The deadline for submission of assignments will take place before Week 5 of Trinity Term of the candidate’s second year of study (or the first year if the candidate is exempted from part I), and will be no later than noon on a date specified by the examiners and published in the course handbook.

• 6. Part III of the M.Sc. in Learning and Teaching shall be examined through a The research and development project report, which presents a systematic account of a substantial practitioner research enquiry, focused on the design and implementation of a specific innovation in teaching and learning with a strong emphasis on the choice of appropriate criteria, and relevant evidence for evaluating its impact. The research and development work must involve a significant degree of collaboration with other adults, either engaging others in research; or enabling others to learn from research findings within the candidate’’s own school or educational setting. The research and development project report must be between 15,000 and 20,000 words in length, or their equivalent. Three printed copies of the project report and oneOne electronic copy (in a software format available in the department) must be deliveredsubmitted via the online Examinations portal to the Chair of Examiners, M.Sc. in Learning and Teaching, c/o Department of Education, 15 Norham Gardens, Oxford OX2 6PY, no later than noon on the third Friday in September of the candidate’’s third second year on the course. One of the printed copies of the report must be hard bound and bear the name of the candidate. The hard bound copy of the research and development project report of each candidate who passes the examination will be retained by the Department of Education for deposit in the departmental library. 

• 7. Those candidates who meet any of the following criteria will be exempt from Part I of the examination and will only be required to undertake Parts II and III. In such cases the assignment for Part II should relate to the content of Part II elements of the topics of the programme of study.

  • (a)  Those candidates who have, since October 2007, successfully completed the course leading to the award of a Postgraduate Certificate in Education at the University of Oxford (i.e. the Oxford Postgraduate Certificate in Education examined at Master’s level).

  • (b) Those candidates who have successfully completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Education at another university, assessed at Master’s level and including an award equivalent to at least one third of a full Master’s degree.

  • (c) Those candidates who have successfully completed the course leading to a Postgraduate Diploma in Educational Studies from the University of Oxford.

• 8. Candidates who fail to satisfy the examiners in aneither the coursework assignment or in the research and development project may beare permitted to resubmit the assignment or project reportit on one occasion only. In each case the deadline for resubmission is, normally by the standard submission deadline for the following year.

• 9. CandidatesHowever, who fail outright an assignment within either Part I or Part II offor the examinationcoursework willassignment, notthe normallycandidate becan permittedalso choose to embark on the next year’s programme of studyresubmit within the M.Sc.deadline in Learning and Teaching until they have successfully resubmitted their assignment. Candidates who are awarded a marginal fail will normally be permitted to embark on the next year’s programme of study within the M.Sc. in Learning and Teaching, but will be required to resubmit the assignment.

• 10. The award of Distinction within the M.Sc. in Learning and Teaching is normally reserved for those candidates who receive distinction marks for both the assignment submitted for Part II of the examination, andset for the final research and development project report. The examiners may also award a distinction on occasion to a candidate who has achieved a high pass for Part II ofwithin the examination,same andacademic anyear appropriately(as high distinctiondescribed in Partclause III6 of the examinationabove).

• 118.  Candidates may also be examined orally on their final research and development project. 

• Schedule 

  12. Candidates who successfully complete Parts I and II of the M.Sc. in Learning and Teaching (or who are exempt from Part I and successfully complete Part II) and who choose not to continue with their programme of study may be awarded a Postgraduate Diploma in Learning and Teaching.

Schedule

Programme of study: 

1. Teachers and Learners

   • Part I: Teacher identity and agency

      

   • Part II: Pupil identity and agency

2. Curriculum, pedagogy and assessment 

   • Part I: Curriculum, pedagogy and assessment - introduction

      

   • Part II: Mediation, alignment and assessment design

3. Responding to pupils

   • Part I: Learners, diversity and inclusion

      

   • Part II: Motivation and task design

4. Schools, equity and achievement

   • Part I: Educational research, professional communities and networks

   • Part II: Policy, schooling and research