Module SOCI3551: Sociology of Education

Department: Sociology

SOCI3551: Sociology of Education

Prerequisites

• None.

Corequisites

• None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• To facilitate an understanding of key theoretical perspectives within the sociology of education.
• To support critical assessment and synthesis of existing empirical research in the field.
• To enable students to weigh up the relative strengths of alternative theoretical perspectives and competing research findings.
• To provide a forum in which students can actively apply theories and evidence to develop their understanding of contemporary education systems.

Content

• The first half of the module will focus on sociological conceptions of education broadly conceived, including sections on the history of schooling, philosophies of education, inequalities in educational experiences and outcomes, and internationally comparative approaches to the sociology of education. The second half of the module will focus specifically on the sociology of higher education, exploring the relationship between higher education and social inequalities at the macro, meso and micro levels. It will focus on a number of key sociological debates including how the higher education system should be funded, organised and run; the basis and implications of institutional claims to quality and prestige; and the rationale for, and effectiveness of, efforts to increase student diversity via widening participation initiatives.

Learning Outcomes

• Upon successful completion of this module, students will have demonstrated:
• a deep understanding of key theories in the sociology of education, and their relationship to one another;
• a critical appreciation of quantitative and qualitative research evidence in the field of education;
• an awareness of key debates in the sociology of education and their relevance to the changing position of education in relation to equality, efficiency and social justice.

• By the end of the module students should have demonstrated ability to:
• evaluate sociological arguments and evidence;
• use abstract sociological concepts with confidence;
• analyse and evaluate the philosophical stance of specific theoretical approaches;
• deploy critical reasoning in relation to the strengths and weaknesses of specific theoretical and empirical approaches;
• develop their own sociologically informed arguments about contemporary issues in education.

• By the end of the module students should have demonstrated ability to:
• think abstractly;
• engage in reasoned argument;
• gather information from a variety of sources both bibliographic and electronic;
• use of appropriate techniques for analysing a variety of forms of empirical data.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• The module will entail weekly lectures and weekly seminars.
• Lectures indicate the main issues to be considered and introduce the main themes, interpretations and arguments of the substantive material.
• Lectures encourage students to develop skills of listening, selective note-taking and an appreciation of how information may be structured and presented to others.
• Weekly seminars are organised around themes for discussion and guided reading available via the Virtual Learning Environment (DUO). A structured programme relates the material on DUO to the lecture and seminar.
• Seminars provide the opportunity for students to present and develop their own understanding of relevant materials, encourages them to develop transferable skills (e.g. oral communication, group work skills), subject specific skills (e.g. competence in using theoretical perspectives in sociology, the ability to formulate sociologically informed questions) and generic intellectual skills (e.g. judging and evaluating evidence, assessing the merits of competing arguments and explanations, making reasoned arguments). The seminars have a core function integrating the learning taking place through attendance at lectures and the use of DUO.
• In planning, preparing and contributing to seminars students should develop organisational skills, together with other transferable skills (e.g. developing confidence in public speaking and presentation, managing group work, and using the material provided on DUO).
• Students should also spend time in self-directed individual study as they prepare for seminar and essay assignments.
• The first formative assignment involves a multiple-choice test (unseen) which requires students to demonstrate knowledge of a full range of core topics and provides the opportunity for immediate feedback posted on-line.
• The first summative assignment (book review) requires students to demonstrate a critical understanding of a key text in the sociology of education.
• The second 2 formative assignment functions as preparation for the second summative assignment.
• The second summative assignment (extended essay) requires students to demonstrate their subject knowledge and capacity to develop a clear argument supported by evidence.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

1. Multiple-choice test (unseen) 2. Preparation for summative assignment

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University