Postgraduate - Course2500 - Master of Education

This course is designed to meet the needs of educators, educational administrators, managers, policy makers and others interested or involved in learning and education or working in the wider educational community, who wish to pursue studies at postgraduate level. Students choose from a broad range of units and have the option of completing a designated specialisation pathway. Students may also undertake a research thesis or professional project as part of the course.

Upon successful completion of this course it is expected that students will have:

• extended their knowledge, understandings and skills in educational research and practice
• explored both the theoretical and practical aspects of teaching and learning, whether in early childhood settings, schools, workplaces or other settings
• investigated and examined the nature of professional learning and develop deeper understandings of evidence based practice
• explored the relationship between research and practice
• developed critical and analytical skills in discussing relevant and substantive research
• acquired knowledge about a range of research methodologies.

This course comprises one of the following three options:

• Option 1: six units
• Option 2: five units plus a professional project (8000 words)
• Option 3: four units plus a minor research thesis (16,000 words).

Students who are interested in pursuing doctoral studies must select option 3, ie the minor thesis.

An appropriate research core unit must be selected from the faculty suite of research methodology units. Elective units may be chosen to form a designated specialisation.

Option 1

• 12-point research core unit
• five elective units (60 points)

Option 2

• 12-point research core unit
• four elective units (totalling 48 points)
• EDF6010 Professional project (A) or EDF6020 Professional project (B) (8000 words) (12 points)

Option 3

• 12-point research core unit
• three elective units (36 points)
• EDF6031 Masters thesis part 1, and EDF6032 Masters thesis part 2 (16,000 words) (24 points)

Elective units

Students can choose any 12-point units from the entire range of units offered within the education postgraduate coursework studies programs.

Note that electives usually do not need the course adviser's approval, unless there are exceptional circumstances (ie if the student wishes to enrol in a unit from another faculty). Students wishing to graduate with a specialisation noted on their testamur should enrol in the units listed for each specialisation below.

Research methodology units

• EDF6005 Reading, interpreting and communicating research (12 points)
• EDF6006 Introduction to quantitative research methods (12 points)
• EDF6007 Qualitative approaches to research (12 points)
• EDF6008 Working with theory in research (12 points)
• EDF6009 Special topic in research (12 points)
• EDF6012 Specific focus in research A (6 points) and
• EDF6013 Specific focus in research B (6 points)

Research thesis

The research core unit ('research methodology unit') is a corequisite for the research thesis. It may be taken concurrently with the research thesis or completed prior to its commencement.

Specialisation pathways

Students may choose to enrol in a series of units which make up a designated specialisation.* The units making up each specialisation are shown below. Some additional elective units may also be required, depending on the pathway chosen. Where students undertake a series of units that meet the requirements of an approved specialisation pathway, this specialisation will be shown on their testamur. Students may only complete one specialisation pathway.

* Note: Students undertaking this course via Singapore can only do the 'Early childhood' or 'Leadership, policy and change' specialisations as set out below.

Specialisation units

Adult and work-based learning

• EDF6802 Adult education and training: Theories and pedagogies
• EDF6863 Fostering learning in practice

Bilingual/immersion education

(Available only on a cohort basis)

• EDF6201 Theory and principles of bilingual/immersion education
• EDF6202 Establishing, maintaining and evaluating an immersion program
• EDF6203 The classroom and the bilingual/ immersion teacher* + EDF6228 Content-based teaching in languages

* Only required for students completing option 1

Early childhood (Clayton)

Select at least two of:

• EDF6641 The social and political contexts of early childhood
• EDF6642 Contexts for childhood
• EDF6643 Values in early childhood education

Early childhood (Singapore)

Students must complete the following six core units:

• EDF6009 Special topic in research
• EDF6010 Professional project (A), or EDF6020 Professional project (B)
• EDF6641 Social and political contexts of early childhood
• EDF6642 Contexts for childhood
• EDF6643 Values in early childhood
• EDF6822 Leadership and organisation, or EDF6601 Studies in special education - inclusion

Educational technologies

• EDF6442 Digital agency: The impact of digital technologies on education and society
• EDF6444 Emerging educational technologies
• EDF6447 Instructional design: Harnessing educational technologies for learning

Gifted education

Select at least two of:

• EDF6607 Gifted education: Identification and programming
• EDF6610 The psychology of the gifted child
• EDF6613 Advanced studies in gifted education

International education

• EDF6701 Globalisation and education
• EDF6702 Internationalising the curriculum
• EDF6703 International education markets

Leadership, policy and change (Clayton)

• EDF6821 Power, authority and decision-making
• EDF6822 Leadership and organisation
• EDF6823 Management and change
• EDF6828 Resource management

Students undertaking option 3 select only three of the above.

Leadership, policy and change (Singapore)

Students must complete the following six core units:

• EDF6009 Special topic in research
• EDF6010 Professional project (A), or EDF6020 Professional project (B)
• EDF6821 Power, authority and decision-making
• EDF6822 Leadership and organisation
• EDF6823 Management and change
• EDF6828 Resource management

Literacy studies

• EDF6301 New literacy studies

Select one of

• EDF6115 Communication practices and the use of new media
• EDF6308 School and community literacy practices

In addition EDF6236 (Language, society and cultural difference) is recommended but not compulsory.

Mathematics and science education

• EDF6401 Research on teaching and learning science and mathematics
• EDF6402 Research on science and mathematics curriculum

Music education

Select at least two of:

• EDF6322 Teaching music: Policy and practice
• EDF6323 Learning music: Current research issues
• EDF6324 European perspectives on music education

Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages - International/TESOL - International

• EDF6233 Theory and practice of TESOL
• EDF6236 Language, society and cultural difference

plus one of:

• EDF6201 Theory and principles of bilingual/immersion education
• EDF6210 Language testing and assessment
• EDF6228 Content-based teaching in languages
• EDF6234 Curriculum design and evaluation in languages education

plus:

• EDF6232 Professional practice for teachers of English as a foreign language*, or any 12-point unit selected from the units offered within the education postgraduate coursework studies programs.

* Students with less than three years of approved relevant teaching experience must complete this unit.

Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages/TESOL

• EDF6233 Theory and practice of TESOL
• EDF6236 Language, society and cultural difference
• EDF6238 Advanced practicum in language teaching: TESOL

Students undertaking options 1 or 2 should also select one of:

• EDF6201 Theory and principles of bilingual/immersion education
• EDF6210 Language testing and assessment
• EDF6228 Content-based teaching in languages
• EDF6234 Curriculum design and evaluation in languages education

Teaching Languages other than English/LOTE

(Available only on a cohort basis)

• EDF6223 LOTE methodology
• EDF6224 Advanced practicum in language teaching: LOTE *
• EDF6234 Curriculum design and evaluation in languages education

*This unit is mandatory for those teachers wishing to be fully qualified for employment with the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD), Victoria, who have not already qualified to teach LOTE. Qualified LOTE teachers only may choose another masters unit relevant to their course as approved by the course adviser.

Master of Education
Master of Education specialising in Bilingual / Immersion Education
Master of Education specialising in Early Childhood Education
Master of Education specialising in Gifted Education
Master of Education specialising in Inclusive and Special Education
Master of Education specialising in Information and Communication Technology in Education
Master of Education specialising in International Education
Master of Education specialising in Leadership, Policy and Change
Master of Education specialising in Literacy Studies
Master of Education specialising in Mathematics and Science Education
Master of Education specialising in Music Education
Master of Education specialising in TESOL
Master of Education specialising in TESOL - International
Master of Education specialising in Teaching Languages other than English (LOTE)
Master of Education specialising in Work and Learning Studies
Master of Education specialising in Educational Technologies
Master of Education specialising in Adult and Work-based Learning

Where more than one award is listed the actual award conferred may depend on units/majors/streams/specialisations studied, the level of academic merit achieved, or other factors relevant to the individual student's program of study.