Education Studies - Sociology - BA (Hons)

Durham University

Education Studies is a broad multidisciplinary degree, designed for the intellectually and practically curious. If you are particularly fascinated by the social and sociological aspects of education, this is the course for you.,Are you interested in why people learn in different ways? Do you want to find out more about barriers to learning and how learning supports childhood development? Maybe you’d like to know more about the impact of society and social policy on the education experience. The BA Education Studies – Sociology is an ideal qualification if you are fascinated by the learning process from a sociological perspective and want to keep your career options open. From the philosophical foundations of schooling to the political implications of policy, education is a vast field that has multiple avenues to approach a seemingly straightforward subject. Our degree goes far beyond any classroom and considers education, people and their relationship to the ever-changing world. This BA will prepare you for a career in many different areas, both in the education sector and further afield. It can provide the first step towards a career as a teacher or researcher, and supports roles in publishing, policy making, the voluntary and public sectors, as well as many more. The curriculum draws on research carried out in the Department to keep the course content relevant and up to date. The breadth of modules allows you to create your own pathway through the course. As well as the sociology pathway, we offer pathways in psychology and geography, or you can choose to focus purely on education studies.Course structureYear 1 modulesCore modules:Historical and Philosophical Ideas of Education will introduce you to some of the major educational theorists and the foundational ideas informing education practice today. This will help you to develop a personal perspective on the longstanding debate about the purpose and value of education.Contemporary Issues and Evidence in Education examines a range of contemporary issues in education and the nature and scope of the supporting evidence. With a range of guest speakers from across the Department you will gain a grounding in a variety of issues at stake.Societies in Transition is the study of contemporary societies and aspects of social life and change, focusing on local communities, families and relationships, economies and consumerism, and patterns relating to health, social class, gender race/ethnicity and religion.Classical Sociological Theory introduces sociological concepts and theorising, using individual thinkers and particular topics to illustrate changing understandings of the relationship between structure and agency in sociological thinking, both across time and in relation to current debates.Optional modules:In recent years, optional modules have included: Disability and Educational Needs: What’s so ‘Special’ about SEND?International and Comparative EducationFoundations of Psychology in EducationYear 2 modulesCore modules:Educational Research Methods helps you to understand the purposes and implications of educational research. You will develop a critical appreciation of the different ways in which research can be carried out in education, and how to assess the quality of educational research.Modern and Contemporary Sociological Theory explores the key theoretical perspectives within sociological inquiry. You will develop the skills to assess and compare different theoretical perspectives in terms of consistency, logic and explanatory power.