Course Catalogue

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E&S begins by focusing on conceptualisations of childhood & children's lifeworlds in contemporary societies. As such, it grounds understandings of childhood education in a socio-cultural & environmental context. It explores children's geographies in the broadest sense, thinking about both indoor, outdoor, rural and urban experiences to consider what it means to be a child within the 21st Century. It considers theoretical debates surrounding the child-centred approach, together with the un-intended consequences of what has become known as "the century of the child".

20 face to face hours of contact with a mix of lectures and tutorials.

This course can only be taken by Year 2 students taking the MEduc with the exception of CoSS/CoA students who may take it in any year of study.

International/Erasmus students must have approval from the Education Study Abroad Co-ordinator.

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Assessment

Summative assessment is based on the submission of one essay. 

Reassessment

It is a GTCS requirement that students working towards a teaching qualification pass every assignment.

In accordance with the University's Code of Assessment reassessments are normally set for all courses which do not contribute to the honours classifications. For non honours courses, students are offered reassessment in all or any of the components of assessment if the satisfactory (threshold) grade for the overall course is not achieved at the first attempt. This is normally grade D3 for undergraduate students, and grade C3 for postgraduate students. Exceptionally it may not be possible to offer reassessment of some coursework items, in which case the mark achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade. Any such exceptions are listed below in this box.

The aims of the course are to:

1.) Explore real and imagined images of childhood to explore how adults understand childhood experiences.

2) Consider theoretical debates surrounding the child-centred approach that currently dominates educational discourses in Scotland and elsewhere.

3) Critically explore the child centred approach, through consideration of childhood agency, capacities and capabilities and technologically driven societies.

4) Introduce students to the concept of both critical and post-critical pedagogy, to establish what progressions might be made beyond critique of the "century of the child".

By the end of this course students will be able to:

Demonstrate understanding of the conceptualisation of childhood and how this has influenced educational policy and practice.

Debate the positive and negative impacts of the child-centred approach that currently dominates educational discourses in Scotland and elsewhere.

Appreciation the wider social, cultural, environmental, political, religious and technological contexts within which children within their classrooms are living and how these have an influence upon development of childhood agency, capacities and capabilities.

Consider how they might shape their own practices through novel understandings of contemporary progressions in childhood education, drawing particularly on post-critical pedagogy.

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment. Students must have an 80% attendance at tutorial and lectures.