CYP4012 - Introduction to the Sociology of Education

Objectives:

On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:

1 Show an understanding of basic sociological perspectives on education;
2 Show an understanding of how social differences, e.g. class, ethnicity and gender, affect educational life chances;
3 Apply sociological concepts to the analysis of education.

Content:

The module introduces pupils to basic sociological approaches to education. This will include introducing students to:
• Basic sociological concepts used in the analysis of education;
• Conflict, consensus and action theories;
• Debates around the impact of social differences on educational attainment.

A key feature of the course is that students will be provided with opportunities to reflect on their own educational experiences and relate these to the sociological concepts explored. Students will be encouraged to keep learning logs of their own ideas which allow for reflection on their own development and allow tutors to view the progress of student thinking.

Learning and Teaching Information:

This module will be taught using a mixture of lectures, seminars, workshops and tutorials, some of which will be student-led. Students could be expected to prepare for the sessions by reading set texts and completion of tasks set in class or via the VLE and will be expected to take part in a wide range of learning activities.
Students may be required to prepare and present brief presentations as the basis for discussion in seminar or workshops.

Lectures, seminars and tutorials
Contact hours: 40

Additional assessment information
The assignment provides an opportunity for students to undertake an analysis of education statistics and concepts such as meritocracy. The reflective biography provides an opportunity for students to reflect on their own educational biographies and connect their own experiences to the key concepts explored on the course. The learning logs provide a resource for students to draw on.

Students must pass all assessment components to pass the module.

Assessment:

001 Assignment 1 x 1500 words (mid module) 40%
002 Reflective Biography 1 x 2000 words (end of module) 60%


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