Open University

Postgraduate Certificate in Professional Studies in Education

The qualification provides opportunities for you to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, qualities, skills and other attributes in the following areas:

Knowledge and understanding

On completion of this qualification, you will have knowledge and understanding of:

• Key concepts and themes in education and their application to practice in a range of contexts
• Concepts, current debates and issues in a particular area of education studies and their relationship to wider political, economic and social developments
• The different disciplines and discussions that contribute to writing and practice in the chosen specialism
• Links between theory and practice, such as will enable you to undertake practice-based enquiry in an area that is of interest to you.

Cognitive skills

On completion of this qualification, you will be able to:

• Define and appropriately utilise key terms, concepts and theories in applied research
• Identify and articulate a personal perspective on learning in response to understanding new ideas and encounters with relevant studies
• Critically analyse and evaluate current themes and issues in education, using appropriate concepts and research evidence
• To engage critically and creatively with debates relevant to the development of own professional thinking.

Practical and/or professional skills

On completion of this qualification, you will be able to:

• Work independently and collaboratively in a range of modes to address cognitive problems and design solutions
• Reflect critically and constructively, in the light of ideas and frameworks presented in the course, on your own thinking, practice and organisational impact and how these might be developed
• Produce original texts to communicate ideas concisely and effectively in written work which shows clear expression and coherent structure
• Take personal responsibility to complete an extended and varied programme of learning which requires sustained and independent application
• Use information and communication technology appropriately for information retrieval and communication purposes.

Key skills

On completion of this qualification, you will be able to demonstrate the following skills:

• Independently source and read academic publications with confidence
• Appraise, review critically and reflexively formulate arguments relevant to the area of study
• Critically reflect on the area of your own practice
• Produce and present written text employing a suitable writing style appropriate to a specific academic genre that uses and cites source materials correctly and appropriately.

To gain this qualification, you need 60 credits from the following:

Optional modules

• Educational leadership: concepts, change and challenges (EE841) NEW
• Equity, inclusion and social justice in educational practice (EE844) NEW
• Learning and teaching: educating the next generation (EE830)

Or, subject to the rules about excluded combinations, the discontinued modules EE811, EE814 and EE817.

You should note that the University’s unique study rule applies to this qualification. This means that you must include at least 20 credits from OU modules that have not been counted in any other OU qualification that has previously been awarded to you.

Teaching, Learning and Assessment Methods

A range of online study techniques are used to help you engage with the academic literature and to reflect on your own practical and professional knowledge. If you have a learning difficulty or disability that could impact studying online please speak with us and your tutor so that where possible reasonable adjustments can be made to facilitate your participation.

There are a variety of tutor-led or tutor-supported activities to support students in developing skills, knowledge and understanding of discourses specific to their pathway alongside skills more generally applicable to masters level study, such as workload management and leadership in online collaboration.

Academic practices - such as academic writing, critical reading and critical argumentation; relating theory and practice; identifying, evaluating and using evidence appropriately - are taught and developed across modules within each pathway covering specific and appropriate forms of those practices.

A variety of informal and formal assessment tasks are incorporated into the coursework. The coursework is designed to prepare you for independent study within a particular educational discipline. We do encourage the sharing of ideas and experiences with your peers through asynchronous forums and there may be some activities that recommend working with other students as this is an important way in which you can broaden your knowledge and understanding of education across different contexts. However, alternative ways of working can be facilitated.