This is an archived handbook for a previous year. The current undergraduate and postgraduate handbooks can be viewed using the links above.
Undergraduate Handbook 2025-2026 (archived)
Module EDUC3351: Evidence and Education Policy
Department: Education
EDUC3351: Evidence and Education Policy
| Type | Level | Credits | Availability | Module Cap | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 3 | 20 | Available in 2025/2026 | None. | Durham |
Pre-requisites
- None
Corequisites
- None
Excluded Combinations
- None
Aims
- To develop understanding of the nature and different forms of evidence in education and how these relate to policy
Content
- What is education policy and its role in shaping a society? What is the evidence for policy?
- Analysis of process of education policy-making and critical engagement with the evidence 'What works'.
- Education policy around the world: Comparisons of policy implementation across different countries and their contexts, including policy borrowing and adaption.
- Evaluation of education policy in relation to the organisation of education, from classroom practice to structural systems.
Learning Outcomes
Subject-specific Knowledge
- To develop knowledge, skills and understanding related to the targets of education policy and how it is or can be evaluated.
- To develop critical understanding of the purposes, strengths and limitations of education policies and methods of their evaluation.
- To understand the nature of gaps between evidence and educational policy.
Subject-specific Skills
- In-depth analysis of one education policy
Key Skills
- To develop the understanding of the quality of evidence and be able to distinguish between robust and weak qualities of evidence.
- To develop skills for identifying the gaps in policy and high-quality evidence.
Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module
- Lectures and Seminars
- The summative assessment will be an in-depth analysis of one education policy in any country in the world: outline of policy and analysis of attempts to evaluate it.
- The summative assessment for this module consists of a written essay (3000 words) about the evaluation of a selected education policy (outlined in the formative assessment). Students will be given guidance on the assignments as they progress through the module.
Teaching Methods and Learning Hours
| Activity | Number | Frequency | Duration | Total Hours | Attendance Monitored |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lectures | 10 | 1 hour | 10 | Yes | |
| Seminars | 10 | 2 hours | 20 | Yes | |
| Private study, reading and research | 170 | ||||
| Total | 200 | ||||
Summative Assessment
| Component | Component Weighting | Element | Length/Duration | Element Weighting | Resit Opportunity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assignment | 100% | Assignment | 3000 words | 100% |
Formative Assessment
A one-page outline of a selected policy and its evaluation (500 words) with headings, sub-headings, bullet points, and references, stating the choice of policy (with rationale) and an outline of the evaluations to be critiqued.
Students who do not attend monitored activities shown under Teaching Methods
and Learning Hours, or who fail to complete the summative or formative
assessment(s) specified above, may be subject to the Academic Progress
procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be
required to leave the University.