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Contemporary Themes in
Education Policy
Course Handbook
2026
Summer
2
Contemporary Themes in Education Policy
Course code:EDUC51001
Credits:20 (SCQF level 11)
Course Leader:Dr Robert Doherty
Robert.Doherty@glasgow.ac.uk
Course Description
Education professionals and scholars of education require a foundational knowledge and
understanding of education policy and its pervasive role in shaping,governing,and directing
education systems .This course will help you towards a general understanding of education as a
broad academic field while at the same time introducing you to policy studies .Significant issues and
areas of practice in education are governed by policy;today education policy is pervasive .By
considering a selection of key policy areas or themes students will engage with areas of significance
and activity within contemporary education systems .Policy scholars are aware that contemporary
debates,disputes and competing ideologies and understandings of education across sectors and
contexts take place in and around education policy making .
Education policy represents forms of authoritative statement about the purposes of education,what
education is or should be,how it should be organised and resourced along with significant questions
such as access,social justice,and social change .By the end of this course,you will have developed
an understanding of education policy and a range of key issues and areas that characterise
contemporary education systems and reflect global trends .Policy exemplars studied within the
course are typically drawn from across sectors (for example,compulsory education,higher
education,vocational education)and in relation to issues such as the purposes of education,social
justice,vocational education,access to education and the organisation and resourcing of education .
This is a taught course,normally based on two lectures each week that draws on expertise from
across the School of Education .The course is supported by a programme of online resources,
selected reading,and self-assessment exercises .
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Course Administrator
Email:education-studies-admin@glasgow.ac.uk
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Course Aims
This course provides students with a more general induction into the study of education through the
critical exploration of policy related to a range of significant issues and sectors across the education
field .Making use of contemporary themes and issues,and their related policy,students will gain an
understanding of foundational sectors,concepts,and questions in education .The course aims to
provide participants with an introduction to the study of education policy as a subfield of policy
studies .Participants will learn about policy,the contested nature of policy making and the
embeddedness of policy and policy systems within the politics of education and multi-scale
governance .Students will gain an awareness of the importance of ideas,ideological commitments,
and forms of knowledge in understanding education as established,directed,and changed by policy
and policy making .
Intended Learning Outcomes of Course
By the end of this course students will be able to:
1. Demonstrate understanding of a range of significant issues and ideas in contemporary
education .
2. Demonstrate awareness of the goals,assumptions and values underlying education policies
and their relation to wider ambitions and governmental concerns .Locate the study of
education policy as a subfield of policy studies .
3. Understand and locate selected policies and policy problems within the context of a
globalised policy space .
4. Recognise conceptions of social justice as a concern in driving policy reform and in the
critical evaluation of policy .
5. Distinguish policy concepts and narratives displaying an appreciation of contestation and
politics within and around education policy .
Learning Hours
A 20-credit course has 200 notional learning hours attached to it,in this course 20 of those hours are
contact time (2 hours of lectures each week). The remaining hours are for weekly preparation,
reading,more reading,independent study,and assignment preparation .
Reading
Essential:Each week electronic copies or links to required reading (specific chapters or articles)will
be posted on the Moodle site .Where appropriate,these will include both primary and secondary
texts .
Useful Background Reading
Hill,M .(2014)The public policy process London Routledge .
Lauder,H .(2006).Education,globalization and social change .Oxford:Oxford University Press .
Moran,M .,Martin,R .and Goodin,R .(2009)Oxford Handbook of Public Policy
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Course Overview
(Note:there may be some change to the order of topics or weeks)
Week
Date
Lecture Topic
Lecturer
Location/Time:Check
Education and Policy
1
Tuesday
5-May
Education and Policy
Robert
1
Friday
8-May
Modernity,Education,and
the State
Robert
Politics,Education and Policy Making
2
Tuesday
12-May
Politics and Education
Robert
2
Friday
15-May
Politics and Education Policy
Making
Robert
Intellectuals and Liberal Education
3
Tuesday
19-May
Globalisation and Policy
Robert
3
Friday
22-May
Globalisation and Education
Robert
Progressive Education and Social Efficiency
4
Tuesday
26-May
OECD and Global Trends in
Schooling
Robert
4
Friday
29-May
Standards and Quality in
Education
Robert
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Human Capital and Social Reconstruction
5
Tuesday
2-June
Schools (Compulsory
Education)
Robert
5
Friday
5-June
Higher Education
Robert
Standards,Quality and Social Justice
6
Tuesday
9-June
Education and Social Justice
Equity,and Social Mobility
Robert
6
Friday
12-June
Intellectuals
Robert
Social Justice,Equality and Equity in Education
7
Tuesday
16-June
Artificial Intelligence and
Education
Robert
7
Friday
19-June
Class EXAM Day
Week 7 Exam
Details to follow .
Globalisation,Policy and Higher Education
8
Tuesday
23-June
The Liberal Academic
Education
Robert
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8
Friday
26-June
Progressive or Child Centred
Education
Robert
Globalisation and the Supranational Space
9
Tuesday
30 June
Social Efficiency
9
Friday
3-July
Human Capital
Global Trends in Schooling and Policy Analysis
10
Tuesday
7-July
GERM
Social Reconstruction and
Critical Pedagogy
Tore
Bernt
Sorensen
10
Friday
10-July
Education and Policy Analysis
Tore
Bernt
Sorensen
Workshops on the Main Assignment
11
Tuesday
14-July
Workshop on the Summative
assessment
Robert
11
Friday
17-July
Workshop on the Summative
assessment
Robert
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Scheme of assessment
Mid semester class exam (25%)and end of course written assignment (75%).
Element 1 Mid Semester Class Exam
All students will take a computer-based examination centred on the work of the course covered in
week 1-7.This examination comprises 25%of the grade for this course .This is a compulsory element .
Element 2 Written Assignment
A 3000-word written assignment set in relation to the course .
The Assignment will comprise 75%of the grade for this course .
Minimum Requirements for the Award of Credits
The successful submission of the assignment equates to the minimum requirements for the award of
credits for this course .
The Assignment
The written assignment will require students to undertake a research informed critical analysis
of a policy that includes a critical exposition or discussion .
The policy document for the Critical Analysis of Policy will be issued after week 7 of the course .
Papers must include a reference list of primary or secondary sources .Note:the reference list is
not contained within the word limit .Please note further,that your reference list should also
only contain references that are actually used within your assignment .Please ensure that you
follow the citation and end reference conventions outlined in the course guidance .
Criteria for Assessment of the Assignment
In responding to the assessment task,the paper should provide clear evidence of:
Identifying a productive theoretical approach and or theoretical resources to
inform the policy analysis,engagement with relevant perspectives,ideas,or
theoretical positions .
A critical/analytical approach to the policy .
Identifying appropriate literature to inform and support the paper in the scope of
the time available for the assignment:familiarity with the literature/research in
the policy area .
The ability to development an argument/position in relation to a particular
aspect or area of policy .
Appropriate presentation and referencing following the Harvard system and the
conventions of academic writing .
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Submissions for the summative assessment paper should be uploaded,in the form of a word
document,in the section Course Evaluation and Submit your Assignment,which will be opened
towards the end of the course .
Assessment deadline:Due by Wednesday 16th September 2026,13:00 UK time .
Formative Assessment:Students will be able to ask questions and discuss their approach to the
assessment tasks during the workshops .There will be an opportunity to meet with tutors
individually to discuss outlines and questions .
Assessment Schedule:A
Extensions for late Submission and Good Cause
In accordance with University regulations set out in the University Calendar,for a significant reason,
a request for an extension of up to three working days can be made to the course leader before or
on the deadline due to unexpected issues .
If an extension beyond five working days is required then an application for Good Cause along with
supporting evidence must be made via a student’s My Campus record . This application must be
submitted within 7 days of the assessment deadline . The School aims to respond to Good Cause
applications within 5 working days of submission .
Please note that technical issues cannot be considered under Good Cause and in these circumstances
only a maximum of a three working day extension can be applied.
If an extension is required due to circumstances that have taken place during the course and not
within the period of the submission deadline,then the student should submit a Good Cause
application with relevant supporting evidence and this will be considered by the School under
‘affected learning .’ It is important that if these circumstances affected the student’s ability to attend
classes that the student has reported their absence via My Campus .
Late penalties
In accordance with University regulations (see 2 .2)a penalty of minus two subgrades,e .g .B1 to B3,
will be applied for each working day that the assessment is late . Where an assignment is submitted
more than five working days late a grade of‘H’ (0) will be applied .
See the Code of Assessment regulations for information on Minimum Requirement for the Award of
Credits and information on the Schedule A marking scheme as well as the information outlined
above on extensions and Good Cause .
Artificial Intelligence
The University of Glasgow believes artificial intelligence (AI)tools are potentially transformative as
well as disruptive .They increasingly feature in academic and professional workplaces .
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You will graduate into an AI-augmented world .The university therefore has a responsibility to
prepare you for this world,providing space to experiment with,and understand the potential of,AI
in an ethical way .
Consequently,rather than seek to prohibit your use of these tools,we want to support you in
learning how to use them effectively,ethically,critically,and transparently .
At the same time,it is important that all students are aware that using AI in coursework,exams,
research or study without acknowledgment is considered serious academic misconduct .
For information on the appropriate use of AI please read the guidance posted by the Student
Learning Development team and the Student Representative Council (SRC).
Plagiarism
All students at the University of Glasgow are subject to a Code of Student Conduct which sets out
what is,and what is not,acceptable for students to do .
Plagiarism of any kind is not acceptable and is contrary to the Code of Student Conduct .
The Code of Student Conduct also sets out what action can be taken against those who have
breached the Code – this is normally a penalty grade H (effectively a ‘zero’). Grade H for any course
or a core piece of work can mean you are unable to complete your degree .
It is important you understand what plagiarism is,and how to avoid it,because the University
doesn’t distinguish between intentional and unintentional plagiarism, so a mistake, poor academic
practice or submitting an early draft that you were intending to work on further will all be
investigated in the same way and would all be considered plagiarism .Therefore,we would strongly
advise ALL students to have a complete understanding of good academic practice and plagiarism .
Please attend a class or study the online material on understanding plagiarism .
As noted in the University plagiarism statement,plagiarism is considered to be an act of fraudulence .
Alleged plagiarism,at whatever stage of a student’s studies,whether before or after graduation,will
be investigated and dealt with appropriately by the University .
The number of companies offering essay-writing or proofreading services has increased .These
external organisations can trick you into accidentally plagiarising by crossing the boundary from
proofreading into rewriting and leading to you submitting work written by someone else .
The University strongly discourages the use of proofreading and essay-writing companies by
students .
You are encouraged to report commercial essay-writing services publicity on University premises to
the Senate Office .You should be extra vigilant when asking for assistance from anyone other than a
member of University staff .
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It is essential that all students avoid plagiarism .
Please note that the SRC also have detailed plagiarism information on the SRC website .
Handbook:Contemporary Themes in Education Policy
EDUC51001 Contemporary Themes in Education Policy最先出现在KJESSAY历史案例。