2014/15 COURSE INFORMATION BROCHURE. MA in Education. (Early Years)

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1 2014/15 COURSE INFORMATION BROCHURE MA in Education (Early Years)

2 Dear Colleagues, Welcome to our MA in Education (Early Years) brochure for 2014/2015. This brochure contains an overview of the Post Graduate modules offered at CREC over the next 12 months. They are designed specifically for Early Years Practitioners and leaders in the Early Years and as such are offered as part time courses which can be fitted around a busy working life. Each course is delivered at our base within a children s centre in central Birmingham, which is easily accessible via road or rail. Our MA modules have a deep impact and long lasting value for both the participant and the setting within which they work. Each course can be taken in isolation but we encourage Early Years Practitioners not to see them as stand alone elements but as complementary components which can provide a pathway to gaining a Master s qualification in Early Years. We hope that you decide to study with us and should you have any queries, please do not hesitate to get in touch. Best wishes, Prof Chris Pascal & Prof Tony Bertram

3 MA in Education (Early Years) CREC & BCU pathway Overview: To be awarded an MA in Education (Early Years) you need to gain a total of 180 Post Graduate credits. Most students do this over three years by completing two 60 credit modules and then a dissertation. Module start date: October 2014 Module length: Between 5 to 8 Face to Face days per academic year Entry requirements: You should normally have an undergraduate degree or relevant experience in the field you wish to study. For more information contact us. Assessment: Each 60 credit module is assessed by assignments of 10,000 words, usually broken into two 5,000 word sections. The dissertation is 15,000 words. Accreditation: 60 PG credits per module, accredited by Birmingham City University How to apply: Please apply via our website MODULES CURRENTLY OFFERED AT CREC Click the images at the side of each module title to go to our website and apply for that course. Click the module name for more information on that module(within this document). Early Years Music Education Mentoring and Coaching Integrated System Leadership Double Research Dissertation For more information please contact the CREC team on or enquiries@crec.co.uk

4 EARLY YEARS MUSIC EDUCATION Who is the course aimed at? The programme, designed by Dr Susan Young of Exeter University, is suitable for anyone who is already working in Early Years music or who plans to in the future in a range of professional capacities: independent workshop leaders, early years educators, music therapists, advisors, community musicians, instrumental teachers. What are the main themes? The course will focus is on the theoretical foundations of early childhood music such as: Children s musical development from babyhood through to the start of school; How children learn in music; the main methods of early childhood music education and their principles; Contemporary music experiences for children, including new technologies and their impact; The principles and methods of research. What will you gain? You will gain an academic qualification which provides a firm foundation for your own practice based on understanding and knowledge. This will provide you with professional credentials for future employment opportunities. There is a growing recognition of the need to raise the professional profile of early childhood music educators and several organisations are proposing to introduce some form of professional licensing in the near future. You will also learn how to carry out research in early childhood music education practice. This enables you to research a topic that is of particular interest and relevance to your own practice.

5 COURSE DATA Type of course: Post Graduate combined (taught and research) Accreditation: 60 PG credits from Birmingham City University Assessment: A 10,000 word assignment ( split into 2 units of 6,000and 4,000 words) Study options: face to face (7 days) + distance learning Duration: 1 year Tutors: Dr. Jessica Pitt & Dr. Alison Street Location: The Centre for Research in Early Childhood, Birmingham. During my three years attending CREC the exceptional teaching, support and guidance from leading experts in the field of Early Childhood Music was unsurpassed. The beauty of the course is that with guidance from the tutors, you have the ability to design research projects to suit your own particular interests. I have gained a great deal from the course and have enjoyed every minute of it. As a result of completing the course my knowledge and career in Early Years has been greatly enhanced. Nicola Burke, MA in Ed (EY) Graduate COURSE DATES Day 1: 10th October 2014 Day 2: 11th October 2014 Day 3: 7th November 2014 Day 4: 5th December 2014 Day 5: 16th January 2015 Day 6: 6th February 2015 Day 7: 6th March 2015 MEET THE TUTORS The music content will be led by Dr Alison Street and Dr Jessica Pitt. Alison Street is Associate Lecturer in Early Childhood Studies at Oxford Brookes University. She has developed her practice in community settings, using a range of approaches over thirty years, supporting parents with their children s learning. She is a member of the review panel for Music Educators and Researchers of Young Children (MERYC) Eunet. Jessica Pitt has over 20 years experience as an early childhood music educator, trainer and mentor. She has been a regular contributor to local authority training programmes for early years practitioners and library staff. Since 2004 she has taken an active interest in research in early childhood music. She is now involved in doctoral research at Roehampton University and is interested in the effects of group musical activities on participants in a Children s Centre. Her research is funded by The Froebel Institute. She has been a trustee of PRESMA (Pre-School Music Association) and is President of MERYC- UK. She believes in the tremendous positive professional development that can take place when practitioners and academics meet together. (Click HERE to apply for this module through the CREC website)

6 MENTORING AND COACHING Who is the course aimed at? This course is aimed at those in leadership roles, or aspiring leaders. It is relevant to those working in care and education, including Children s Centres and multi-professional teams. What are the main themes? There is a growing awareness of the importance and value of mentoring and coaching in early years leadership. This experiential module will include theory and practical activity in facilitated sessions aimed at introducing participants to the main theories and principles of leadership mentoring in practice. Critical reflection will be a key part of the process in the sessions themselves and in participants day to day practice. The module aims to explore the nature and value of mentoring in the context of leadership, the theory of mentoring and to develop practical mentoring skills for developing leaders. Given the current climate of change and uncertainty, mentoring has a key part to play in developing leadership practice to promote greater understanding, awareness and critical insight into the needs of staff and leaders themselves and into meeting the needs of communities, families and children. Key areas to be covered include: Historical background to mentoring; Mentoring theories, including comparisons between mentoring and coaching; Learning theories and their relationship to mentoring; Practical mentoring skills ; Ethical issues and boundaries. COURSE DATA Type of course: Post Graduate combined (taught and research) Accreditation: 60 PG credits from Birmingham City University Assessment: A 10,000 word assignment ( split into 2 units of 5,000) Study options: Face to Face (5 days) + distance learning Duration: 1 year Tutor: Mike Gasper & Paul Watling Location: The Centre for Research in Early Childhood, Birmingham What will you gain? The programme will deepen awareness of the value and importance of providing and receiving mentoring support. While introducing theory this will be grounded in, and directly relevant to, practice. The programme will also promote and utilise dialogue with colleagues from differing backgrounds and contexts providing insights into other points of view and professional perspectives. It will provide opportunities to develop practical skills and encourage their use in improving practice. This in turn will progress towards a research project to explore strengths and needs leading towards a developmental action plan to shift reflection on action towards reflection in action. Excellent. The course has given me a much greater sense of how mentoring can work and be effective. It has given me a much deeper understanding of the potential of mentoring to help leaders and other individuals in an organisation. COURSE DATES Day 1: 8th October 2014 Day 2: 5th November 2014 Day 3: 3rd December 2014 Day 4: 14th January 2015 Day 5: 25th February 2015 Discussions with other students; bouncing ideas, receiving constructive advice and feedback, was really beneficial. (Click HERE to apply for this module through the CREC website)

7 MEET THE TUTORS Michael Gasper is currently an Early Years consultant providing leadership mentoring, facilitation, training, and research. He is a mentor, tutor and assessor on the NPQICL professional development programme for cohorts delivered by several providers. A former Headteacher and an Early Years Researcher for CREC, Michael is the author of Multi-Agency Working in the Early Years: Challenges and Opportunities published in January 2010 by Sage. Paul Watling is a freelance trainer and facilitator in children s services nationally, mainly with Children s Centre teams. He has worked in the field of community development and children s services for over 25 years initially as a Youth and Community Development Worker in local government and also in the voluntary sector. He has managed multi-disciplinary teams in Birmingham and the West Midlands and led a phase 2 Sure Start Local Programme from delivery plan to designation as a Children s Centre. INTEGRATED SYSTEM LEADERSHIP Who is the course aimed at? This new training and development programme has been developed for early years leaders who will benefit from, and can contribute to, a programme addressing the needs of leaders within multi-agency early years services. It will be suitable for : Early years and foundation stage leaders and teachers Nursery heads and day care managers Locality leads and LA officers Family support managers What are the main themes? Unit 1 Developing as a Reflective Leader: The skills and competencies of effective leadership Reflecting on the leadership in a climate of change Unit 2 Developing Integrated Service Leadership: Team development and shared organisational values Leading collaborative working with children, families and multi agency partners COURSE DATES Day 1: 15th October 2014 Day 2:16th October 2014 Day 3:10th November 2014 Day 4: 11th November 2014 Day 5: 9th February 2015 Day 6: 10th February 2015 Day 7: 9th March 2015 Day 8: 10th March 2015

8 What will you gain? The opportunity to : Examine some of the characteristics of leadership within the early years sector and the challenges faced in developing effective multi disciplinary teams; Explore the differences between leadership and management; Collaborate in the development of a learning community with a culture that will support you to become successful, enthusiastic and independent adult learners, capable of shifting your own practice and that of others; Set an agenda of reading, reflection and actions for further development within a learning community of system leaders; Identify and understand the nature of organisational change and explore a range of strategies and tools that can support positive change management within a turbulent and resource limited climate; Discuss the concept and implications of Social Entrepreneurship ; Discuss ethical considerations and an appropriate code of conduct for research COURSE DATA Type of course: Post Graduate combined (taught and research) Accreditation: 60 PG credits from Birmingham City University Assessment: Two 5,000 words assignments Study options: Face to face (8 days) + distance learning Duration: 1 year Tutor: Prof Chris Pascal & Prof Tony Bertram Location: The Centre for Research in Early Childhood, Birmingham Please note that the Integrated System Leadership course is not suitable for those who have already completed NPQICL Who is the course aimed at? DOUBLE RESEARCH This module is designed for Early Years practitioners to become practitioner researchers in their own settings. What are the main themes? This module introduces students to the key elements of a research project including reviewing literature, choosing appropriate methodologies, conducting fieldwork, analysing data and drawing intelligent conclusions, in relation to an identified research interest. What will you gain? COURSE DATES Day 1: 9th October 2014 Day 2: 6th November 2014 Day 3: 5th December 2014 Day 4: 15th January 2015 Day 5: 5th February 2015 The Research module is designed to give you the opportunity to develop the building blocks of rigorous academic research by supporting you through a small research project on a preferred aspect of your own practice. Not only should completing the module provide you with transferable research skills which will be invaluable when you come to begin your dissertation but your piece of practitioner research should offer a critical insight of your chosen focus. COURSE DATA Type of course: Post Graduate combined (taught and research) Accreditation: 60 PG credits from Birmingham City University Assessment: A 10,000 word assignment ( split into 2 units of 5,000) Study options: Face to face (5 days) + distance learning Duration: 1 year Tutor: Prof Chris Pascal & Prof Tony Bertram Location: The Centre for Research in Early Childhood, Birmingham

9 Who is the course aimed at? The dissertation is the culmination a student s work on the MA in Education (Early Years) with CREC. It is designed to give you the opportunity to make use of the research-related knowledge and skill which you have developed during your earlier modules, together with your professional experience, to carry out a substantial advanced study of an issue which you have chosen. In this module all students are required to undertake an in depth study in an area of personal and professional interest. This module builds on previous study during the course by providing an opportunity to explore in detail particular methodologies in relation to an identified research interest. The module requires students to implement a piece of research appropriate to Master s level work and to write up the findings in the form of a dissertation of up to 15,000 words. What are the main themes? DISSERTATION Developing a theoretical framework of research: considering the nature of research, underpinning philosophies and stances taken by researchers. Identifying and formulating research problems; examining the ways in which theoretical issues permeate research investigations and understanding how to use a critical review of literature to inform research findings and practice; Identifying and justifying the choice of research methodologies: designing and planning a piece of research; writing a research proposal COURSE DATES Day 1: 9th October 2014 Day 2: 6th November 2014 Day 3: 5th December 2014 Day 4: 15th January 2015 Day 5: 5th February 2015 Determining and defending the methodological perspective adopted which will necessitate presenting a critique of different methodologies; Examining issues of validity, reliability and triangulation; Considering and accessing information; Identifying an appropriate research strategy: undertaking a critical survey of published research; Conducting experiments, quasi-experiments and single-case research, surveys including longitudinal and cross-sectional, case studies, ethnographic research. Identifying and adopting appropriate research methods: collecting and analysing data from a range of research methods; The use of observation; recording techniques, questioning, interviews, questionnaires, gathering documentary evidence, applying qualitative and/or quantitative data analysis; Formulating proposals and disseminating results: presenting data in a suitable format, structuring and writing a dissertation report, using a bibliography and referencing, discussing results and formulating conclusions, disseminating results. What will you gain? Upon successful completion of your dissertation, you will be awarded an MA in Education (Early Years) by Birmingham City University. COURSE DATA Type of course: Post Graduate combined (taught and research) Accreditation: 60 PG credits from Birmingham City University Assessment: A 10,000 word assignment ( split into 2 units of 5,000) Study options: Face to face (5 days) + distance learning Duration: 1 year Tutor: Prof Chris Pascal & Prof Tony Bertram Location: The Centre for Research in Early Childhood, Birmingham

10 SOME EXAMPLES OF RECENT RESEARCH WITH US: A study of how leadership mentoring and coaching influence practice and positively improve outcomes for children and families. A case study of one child s outdoor experiences informed and analysed by a theoretical perspective An exploration of the reasons why Children s Centres do or do not employ music practitioners. The development and evaluation of an observation tool to assess gender differences in touch interactions in early childhood settings MEET THE TUTORS (Integrated System Leadership, Double Research & Dissertation) Professors Tony Bertram and Chris Pascal, the Directors of CREC, both hold honorary academic posts at 3 major Midlands universities: Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Birmingham City University. They are co-founders of the European Early Childhood Education Research Association (EECERA) and the British Early Childhood Education Research Association (BECERA), a new independent organisation which offers a space for early childhood practitioners and researchers to meet, enquire and discuss issues relevant to their work with young children and families. Both have worked at national government level and have delivered many conference keynotes at a series of local, national and international conferences and meetings. Chris Pascal OBE has done extensive work at government level to support the development of early years policy, sitting on a number of national committees, has served as a ministerial advisor, and as an Early Years Specialist Adviser to the House of Commons Select Committee on Education. She has written extensively on early childhood development and the quality of early education services and sat on the Expert Panel of the Dame Tickell EYFS Review. Chris is patron of the London Early Years Foundation, whom she is supporting in developing their research strategy and continues to be an active Vice President of BAECE/Early Education. Tony Bertram has been a member of the Ministerial Early Education Advisory Group (EEAG), which advised the government on the development of the Foundation Stage curriculum and was a member of the QCA working party on qualifications in the early years. Currently he is a member of the Ofsted national Advisory Committee. He has a particular interest in cross national, European early childhood projects and has worked extensively abroad for the British Council and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD).

11 APPLY ONLINE If you are thinking of applying to any of our modules, you can do so by visiting our website and completing our booking form. If you have any queries about any of the modules, contact the MA in Education (Early Years) Programme Manager Carol Nelson: Phone: OTHER WORK UNDERTAKEN AT CREC PhD Supervision In collaboration with three prestigious West Midlands universities (University of Birmingham, Birmingham City University and Wolverhampton University), CREC undertakes tutorial support for MPhil and PhD students, either full time or part time. Research students will usually have a good first degree and have a focus in the field of early childhood studies. Learning Circle Every month, CREC hosts the Learning Circle, an open, free and supportive learning group for those interested in the early years. This community of practice is the ideal forum for research students to disseminate their work and exchange ideas with colleagues. It runs once a month from 16:30-18:00. Visit learning-circle for more information, to see dates for this year, and to join the Learning Circle Facebook group. Research CREC is an international player in the early years research arena. Some of the current and recent projects include the ECES - a cross national study that examines the range of early education approaches and their relationship to child learning & development; Starting Well - a report which looked at benchmarking early education across the world; and The impact of early education as a strategy for counteracting socio-economic disadvantage for Ofsted (2013). These reports and others can be downloaded on our website ( Consultancy CREC works in an advisory capacity with a number of government bodies and providers of early childhood services, internationally, nationally, regionally and at a local authority level. For more information visit our website Conferences With the organisation of a major international research conference under its belt (EECERA 2010), CREC created and annually organises BECERA, an annual conference for UK based Early Years Practitioners Researchers wanting to present their research and share knowledge with a wider audience. For more information and to get involved visit CREC is also organising, in conjunction with the University of Crete, the Annual EECERA conference.

12 APPLY ONLINE NOW To apply for any of our Masters courses, visit and fill in the online application form. If you have any queries about our courses or anything else that we do, please get in touch via the contact details below. EECERA 24th Conference Creta Maris Conference Centre Crete, Greece 7th-10th September 2014 To book conference tickets visit CREC St Thomas Children s Centre, Bell Barn Road, Birmingham B15 2AF enquiries@crec.co.uk Connect with us on Social Media