Professional Enquiry: Creativity - Postgraduate Certificate (part-time)

www.ioe.stir.ac.uk

This programme aims to enable you to contribute to the improvement of practice in your own professional setting and the wider professional community, through engaging in professional enquiry in your own work setting. The taught and distance learning elements are intended to support the development of knowledge and skills in professional enquiry and to allow you to develop your expertise in an area of your choosing.

Programme Objectives

The Postgraduate Certificate in Professional Enquiry: Creativity supports the professional development of practitioners with an interest in creativity and learning and enables them to contribute effectively to the improvement of practice in their own professional setting and the wider professional community.

This programme will enable you to gain a sound understanding of the central themes of creativity and learning, especially those of long-term and contemporary significance. It will enable you to develop and broaden your practice through action, analysis, reflection and debate, and become a more competent and reflective practitioner who contributes effectively to your community of practice.

Entrance Requirements

You should have a first degree from a university or institution recognised by the University of Stirling and either an appropriate professional qualification or at least two years of relevant experience. Non-graduates with appropriate professional qualifications and experience may exceptionally be admitted. Applicants must also have access to an appropriate work environment.

English Language Requirements

If English is not your first language, you must provide evidence of your proficiency such as a minimum IELTS score of 6.5 (minimum 6 in each skill) or TOEFL 577/233/90 (Paper/Computer/Internet).

Funding

For information on possible sources of funding, visit: www.stir.ac.uk/postgrad/finance

Modes of Study

The Postgraduate Certificate: Creativity programme is offered on a part-time basis only. The period of study is normally one year.

Programme Start Date

Normally September and February

Programme Director

Ms Morag Redford

The Stirling Institute of Education

Structure and Content

The Postgraduate Certificate consists of two modules. You will take Constructing Professional Knowledge in your first semester, followed by Improving Professional Practice in your second semester:

• Constructing Professional Knowledge: Creativity: This module offers you the opportunity to explore creativity and learning using practice-led and theoretical means. The theoretical element will involve the analysis of contemporary creative practice of groups and individuals who have diverse backgrounds and skills bases.
• Improving Professional Practice: Creativity: Once the proposal from the first module has been assessed as satisfactory, you will then move into the work-based element of the programme where you are seeking to actively change and extend your practice in order to achieve enhanced outcomes for all clients. The first phase will consist of data collection and analysis in order to clarify an improvement strategy for the second phase, which consists of an action-learning project.

Delivery and Assessment

Assessment is through the presentation of a report of approximately 6,000 words on an evaluation of your action-learning project, together with a portfolio of evidence demonstrating professional competence and illustrating key points raised in project evaluation.

Timetable

Contact the Institute for information on your timetable and reading lists.

Career Opportunities

The Postgraduate Certificate provides continuing professional education for arts and cultural educators from all art forms, teachers, community learning and development staff who, through practice-led methods, wish to nurture their own creative skills and transfer these into an educational environment.

Applicants who successfully complete the Postgraduate Certificate in Professional Enquiry: Creativity can undertake further modules towards the Postgraduate Diploma/MSc in Professional Enquiry. If you are a teacher, and are eligible for chartered teacher status, you can submit a claim for Accredited Prior Learning (APL) towards part of the MEd in Professional Enquiry in Education (Chartered Teacher) programme. If seeking APL you must consult with the MEd in Professional Enquiry Programme Director in the first instance.

Research Opportunities

PhdD/MPhil by Research
The programme will develop specific and generic skills to allow you to develop a career in a broad range of public sector, private and voluntary organisations, including Higher Education.
Doctor of Education (EdD)
The EdD is aimed at professionals working in educational training and public sector settings who wish to pursue high-level research in some aspect of their professional practice.

The EdD has a more professional and vocational orientation than the PhD and is designed for staff in education and health authorities, schools, colleges, universities and related areas, who wish to develop their understanding of what research can offer practitioners and policy-makers in their decision making, the policy implications of research, and how to conduct research in their own professional domain.

Research is organised into three clusters, led by professors, and draws together staff from across the Institute.

The three clusters are:

• Contexts of Learning (Professor Biesta)
• Inclusion and Social Capital (Professors Allan and Field)
• Communication, Learning and Interaction (Professors Plowman and Edwards)

For information on our current research projects and activity, visit: www.ioe.stir.ac.uk/research

Research Proposal

Research proposals should be around 2,000 words and include the following: executive summary, importance of the proposed research, prior relevant research and literature review, research questions and methodology, any limitations or particular requirements for the research.

• PhD/MPhil by Research: Guidelines fFor guidelines on writing a proposal, visit: www.ioe.stir.ac.uk/research/students.php
• EdD: A 2,000-word statement is required, indicating previous professional experience and general focus of the research.

RAE Rating

The UK-wide Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) confirmed the quality of the work being done by our researchers. 85% of the University of Stirling’s research has been judged to be internationally excellent and internationally recognised, with the top 10% of that judged to be world class.

View the full outcomes of Stirling’s RAE performance

Use the online enquiry service to find out more or to request a prospectus.

If you are ready to apply you can fill out an online application form now.