Principles and Policies of STEM Education

This module aims to lay the foundations of the MA in STEM Education programme by inviting students to understand the key political and ideological drivers and explore the historical and societal perspectives of the emergent field of STEM education with a view to using these ideas to investigate their own educational organisation or experience. The module will enable students to analyse the process of policy formation from a national and international perspective and compare the operationalisation of STEM education policy agendas through a range of case studies. The module will be informed by a social justice agenda and will foreground the opportunities, barriers and enablers for traditionally marginalised groups.  In doing so, students will be encouraged to critique and, where appropriate, challenge current policy discourse through the consideration of alternative approaches. 

Specially, this module will enable students to:

• Develop an understanding of the political and ideological drivers of the current STEM agenda;
• Develop an awareness of the crucial role international and national directives have in shaping education organisation and classroom practice;
• Develop greater critical awareness of how contemporary educational policy and practice impacts traditionally marginalised groups and conceptualise an inclusive STEM education;
• Critically reflect on STEM education policy and practice in their own educational settings;
• Harness attributes necessary for becoming a change agent or leader of STEM education and influencing future study and career pathways; and
• Collaboratively explore STEM education issues in the context of 21st Century skills such as creativity and innovation, critical thinking and communication.