Education
The Education major and Educational Studies minor is offered by the Sydney School of Education and Social Work.
Education units can be taken as part of a major in the field, or as unit choices for students taking other majors. If you are interested in taking individual Education units, check the necessary prerequisites listed in the unit of study table.
About the major and minor
Education is the means by which we learn about the world and our place within it. More than this, educational practices shape how we think and play an active role in determining the forms of knowledge, cultural practices and identities that come to matter in society. Education is a meaning making practice.
Education is not only intended for students enrolled in initial teacher education programs. It offers a means by which others may reflect upon their own experiences of learning, and develop a deeper understanding of how schooling, and other types of formal and informal learning, function in society in ways that produce difference, inequality and opportunity.
A major in Education supports you to apply knowledge from diverse fields of study such as Cultural Studies, Gender Studies, Psychology, Sociology, and History to problems in education. It will challenge you to become a more informed, critical and active citizen in a world in which knowledge is exploding, and contests over the authenticity of knowledge demand active life-long critical thinkers. The development of these kinds of thinkers is a primary goal of education in democratic societies.
Pathway through the major and minor
A major in Education requires 48 credit points including:
(i) 12 credit points of 1000 level units
(ii) 12 credit points of 2000 level units
(iii) 18 credit points of 3000 level units
(iii) 6 credit points of 3000 level Interdisciplinary Project unit
A minor in Educational Studies requires 36 credit points including:
(i) 12 credit points of 1000 level units
(ii) 12 credit points of 2000 level units
(iii) 12 credit points of 3000 level units
The Education major and minor requirements and units of study are listed in the Education unit of study table.
Learning outcomes
| No. | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|
| 1 | Critically appraise the potential of teachers’ work to make creative, positive contributions to enhancing learning outcomes for students from diverse backgrounds. |
| 2 | Select and apply appropriate knowledge from a range of disciplines to inform professional practice. |
| 3 | Develop and apply pedagogical practice informed by theory, policy and research to achieve positive outcomes for students, families and communities. |
| 4 | Actively and collaboratively seek opportunities to enhance professional practice through feedback, mentoring, research, and professional learning. |
| 5 | Can identify and purposefully engage in culturally responsive pedagogies that are inclusive of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and knowledges. |
| 6 | Critically appraise dominant constructions and sources of knowledge about peoples, societies, and institutions and challenge those that undermine equitable approaches to practice. |
| 7 | Present a clear and coherent exposition of knowledge and ideas to a variety of audiences using flexible modes of communication. Construct and engage with research-informed arguments about the role and function of education in society. |
| 8 | Work ethically, inclusively and collaboratively in partnership with professional colleagues, students, families and communities in ways that recognize and promote diversity. |
Honours
Suitably qualified Arts and Social Sciences candidates are invited to undertake honours in Education. The honours thesis involves an investigation of a topic of students' choice relevant to their own interests, and will be supervised directly by a member of the faculty. Although the length of the thesis will vary with the nature of the investigation, and length does not indicate quality, the thesis will normally comprise 20,000-25,000 words.
Prerequisites
Students intending to take honours in Education must have achieved a credit average result or higher in an Arts and Social Sciences Table A subject area.
Enrolment
Students enrol in the following Education units of study:
Second Year
Pass units
EDUF2006 Educational Psychology (6 credit points)
EDUF2007 Social Perspectives on Education (6 credit points)
BA Hons units
6 credit points from those Education units offered at 3000 level
Total for Second Year: 18 credit points
Third Year
Pass units
Three units of study from Education 3000 level, including EDUF4020 Education Honours Preliminary
Total for Third Year: 18 credit points.
Fourth Year
Honours units of study (EDUF4215/EDUF4216).
Total for Fourth Year: 48 credit points
Education general units
The Sydney School of Education and Social Work has developed a series of general elective units designed specifically to meet the demands of students from all faculties and professions. The electives are intended to provide relevant topics, delivered in an engaging way, and taught by experts.
Available to students across faculties, professions and countries the units focus on the general needs of current students and include a range of topics, including those that can provide the practical knowledge required to apply for employment in a range of contexts.
All units are 6 credit points.
EDGU1001 Creativity, Youth Culture and the Arts
EDGU1002 Youth and Digital Culture
EDGU1003 Diet and Nutrition for Health and Sport
EDGU1004 Young People, Sex and Sexual Health
EDGU1005 Sports Coaching: Theory and Practice
EDGU1006 Texts and Expectations
EDGU2000 Teaching English Internationally 1
EDGU3000 Teaching English Internationally 2
EDGU4000 Teaching English for Academic Purposes
Contacts and further information
Educational Studies core units Program Director: Professor Valerie Harwood
Phone: +61 2 8627 6576
Email:
Bachelor of Arts (Honours in Education) Program Director: Dr Victoria Rawlings
Phone: +61 2 9351 6246
Email:
Education Studies general units: Education Program Support Team
Phone: +61 2 9351 2634
Email: