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 in three parts as follows:

  • Part 1 will be examined byof one coursework assignment, relating to the programme of study, as described in clause 4 below.

    Part; II will be examined by one coursework assignment as described in clause 4 below.

  • Part III will be examined byand a research and development project report, as described in clause 65 below.

• Those4. candidatesThe whocoursework meet the criteria set out in clause 7 belowassignment will berelate exemptto fromtopics Partone Ito four of the programme.

• 4.course Parts I and II of the M.Sccontent. in Learning and Teaching shall each be examined by means of one coursework assignment relating to the content of the Part. (Candidates may choose, in consultation with their supervisors, whether the written assignment should be presented as a single piece of work, focused on the same issue, explored from the two different perspectives required, or as two smaller scale pieces, each focused on a different topic within the programme of study 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.   One electronic copy of the assignment (in a software format available in the department) must be submitted via the online Examinations portal to the Chair of Examiners, Postgraduate Diploma/M.Sc. in Learning and Teaching. The deadline for submission of assignmentsthe assignment will take placebe before Week 5 of Trinity Term of the candidate’’s second first 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..

• 5. Candidates Partwho IIIfail ofto satisfy the M.Sc.examiners in Learningthe andcoursework Teachingassignment shallmay be examinedpermitted throughto aresubmit 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 second year.

  6. 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. One electronic copy (in a software format available in the department) must be submitted via the online Examinations portal to the Chair of Examiners, M.Sc. in Learning and Teaching no later than noon on the third Friday in September of the candidate’’s third second year on the course. 

• 6. 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.

  • (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.

• 7.  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. For both an assignment and a research development project the deadline for resubmission is, normally by the standard submission deadline for the following year.  For PartHowever, Ifor andthe Partcoursework II assignmentsassignment, the candidate can also choose to resubmit within the deadline set for the next Part III research and development project within the same academic year (as described in clause 6 above).

• 8. Candidates who fail outright an assignment within either Part I or Part II of the examination will not normally be permitted to embark on the next year’s programme of study within the M.Sc. 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.

• 9. 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, and 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 of the examination, and an appropriately high distinction in Part III of the examination.

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

• Schedule 

  11. 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. 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 receive a fail mark for Part III, either at the time of the original submission (and do not wish to re-sit) or after re-submission, may apply to exit the programme with 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