Professional Enquiry: Leadership – Postgraduate Certificate

www.ioe.stir.ac.uk

The Postgraduate Certificate Professional Enquiry: Leadership is delivered by staff in The Stirling Institute of Education. The Institute maintains an extensive programme of educational research, supported by grants from a range of sponsors. Taught students are well supported by staff in their studies.

The Postgraduate Certificate in Professional Enquiry: Leadership supports the leadership development of practitioners and enables you to contribute effectively to the improvement of practice in your own professional setting. It will help you to develop a much broader perspective in terms of your thinking on leadership, management and improvement in educational outcomes.

Programme Objectives

The Postgraduate Certificate in Professional Enquiry: Leadership aims to support the leadership development of practitioners and enable you to contribute effectively to the improvement of practice in your own professional setting. It will help you to develop a much broader perspective in terms of your thinking on leadership, management and improvement in educational outcomes.

The programme will enable you to gain a sound understanding of the central themes of developing professionalism in the public services, especially those of long-term and contemporary significance. It will enable you to develop and broaden your own practice through analysis, reflection and debate, focused on your workplace, in order that you might become a more competent and reflective practitioner who contributes effectively to your community of practice.

The programme will offer participants a structure to:

• Revisit and re-appraise their educational values and professional role.
• Investigate, reflect on and evaluate their practice.
• Gain access to the knowledge and understanding which will enable innovation and improvement in educational leadership.
• Develop and support good practice in their team.
• Contribute to the development of practice within the school and the local education service.

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’ relevant experience. Non-graduates with appropriate professional qualifications and experience may exceptionally be admitted. You 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 of 6 in each skill) or TOEFL at least 577/233/90 (Paper/Computer/Internet).

Funding

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

Modes of Study

Part-time: 2 years

Programme Start Date

Normally September and February, but programme start dates are negotiable, between the Institute and local authorities.

Programme Director

Morag Redford

The Stirling Institute of Education

Structure and Content

The Postgraduate Certificate consists of two modules:

• Professionalism and Reflexive Practice: Leadership: This module sets the foundation for the rest of the programme and enables you to explore the meaning of professionalism within the current public service context in Scotland. It establishes the purpose and techniques of reflective practice and collaborative enquiry, including the examination of personal and professional values and commitments. You will practise and develop the skills pertinent to extending your professionalism through a collaborative action-learning approach. You will consider current developments in your area of practice and the implications this has for leadership and management. You will evaluate your own practice and develop a personal learning programme within the framework of extending your own professionalism.
• Constructing Professional Knowledge: Developing Teams: In the second module, you will focus on issues related to teamwork, motivation and collaborative action. This module will also explore what is known about professional development and the various ways in which this may be supported. Managing change and developing evidence-informed practice will be the other major strands of the module. You will prepare a proposal for professional enquiry that will improve your own and your team’s practice. During the module you will extend and build on the skills established in the first module and deepen your understanding and skills in relation to project management.

 

 

Timetable

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

Career Opportunities

The Postgraduate Certificate provides continuing professional education for those teachers currently in, or aspiring to, Principal Teacher posts in Scottish schools.

 

Participants who successfully complete the Postgraduate Certificate in Professional Enquiry: Leadership can undertake further modules towards the Postgraduate Diploma/MSc in Professional Enquiry. Alternatively, you can, with the sponsorship of your local authority, transfer into the MSc Professional Enquiry: School Leadership & Management (with Scottish Qualification for Headship) programme. A further option available is that 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 in Education 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.