EDU4220 – Policies and Practice of Educational Reform

Schedule, syllabus and examination date

Course content

This course introduces you to policies and practices in education reform in a global context. Particular emphasis is on understanding the interactions between processes of formulating and planning policies at the global and national levels and their implementation in specific country contexts in different parts of the world.

Learning outcome

The aim of this unit is to provide you with an understanding of the policies and practices of educational reform in the global context. This covers contributing to your knowledge of key issues in the governance, management, provision and delivery of education from a reform perspective, understood in a multi-level and multi-actor perspective.

Knowledge and understanding:

By the end of the study unit, you will be able to:

  • Understand the processes of formulating, planning and implementing education policies for development and change in national contexts under the impact of globalisation.
  • Understand the modes of governance, management, provision and delivery of education from an education reform perspective.

Skills including transferable skills:

By the end of the study unit, you will be able to:

  • Demonstrate capacity to identify and analyse research issues related to policy and practice of education reform at global and national levels.
  • Demonstrate capacity to present and discuss in oral and written form issues related to policy and practice of education reform at global and national levels.

Competencies:

By the end of the study unit, you will be able to:

  • Document understanding and oral, written and analytical competencies of relevance to discussions and research on policies and practices of education reform at multiple levels.

Admission

The course is a part of the Master Programme in Education Policies for Global Development (GLOBED) wich is a joint degree coordinated by The Autonomous University of Barcelona. 

Only students formally accepted to the programme may attend this course.

All students in the GLOBED master programme must apply according to the procedures laid out by the The Autonomous University of Barcelona and The University of Oslo.

Prerequisites

Formal prerequisite knowledge

The course requires that you have completed the first semester courses of the programme at the The Autonomous University of Barcelona: Study programme.

Teaching

The course combines lectures and student participation, with active student input and group work. 

You will have to study the core literature for the course (ca.300 pages in total).

There is a mandatory 80 per cent attendance requirement the course. If you do not fulfill the mandatory attendance requirement, you must complete an additional assignment prior to passing the course. The requirement for the additional assignment is at the discretion of the teacher. If you do not fulfill the requirements you may not take the exam.

Examination

The final assessment will be based on a home assignment. You are required to write an individual paper based on the course concepts and literature. The paper ought not to exceed 7 pages in length. Requirements and deadlines will be announced at the beginning of the course.

The home assignment will count as the entire portion of the final grade. The paper will be evaluated by the involved teaching staff. 

Use of sources and citation

You should familiarize yourself with the rules that apply to the use of sources and citations. If you violate the rules, you may be suspected of cheating/attempted cheating.

Language of examination

The examination text is given in English, and you submit your response in English.

Grading scale

Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.

Explanations and appeals

Resit an examination

Withdrawal from an examination

It is possible to take the exam up to 3 times. If you withdraw from the exam after the deadline or during the exam, this will be counted as an examination attempt.

Special examination arrangements

Application form, deadline and requirements for special examination arrangements.

Evaluation

The course is subject to continuous evaluation. At regular intervals we also ask students to participate in a more comprehensive evaluation.

Facts about this course

Credits
5
Level
Master
Teaching
Spring 2018
Examination
Spring 2018

Spring 2018 is the final time this course runs. Students who wish to re-take the exam for this course can do so this semester. Deadline to register is March 12th. Contact the student coordinator for registration.

Teaching language
English