Critically explore an education issue in the context of public policy

Education and Public Policy:

Assignment 2

 3500 word assignment

‘Critically explore an education issue in the context of public policy’.

 This will comprise 70 per cent of the final grade.

 Deadline for Assignment 2: January 8th, 2021

Assignment 2

 Which education issue do I wish to explore?

 How do I explore it within the context of public policy more generally?

 Which of these issues is relevant to my discussion? public sector reform, regulation, accountability, political economy

 How do I engage with key issues in inter-sectoral working and/or inter-professional learning? (if applicable)

Types of educational issue

 Marketisation, privatisation, consumerism

 Equity issues – race, class, gender, sexuality, disability

 Governance challenges – resources, funding, school organisation

 Autonomy and control –

centralisation/regionalisation, regulation

 Professional level concerns – working conditions, discretion, identity, relational issues

 policy change – via social movements, political pressures

 Role of ideology in educational provision

Examples of assignment titles

 Dilemmas of Accountability in Street-Level Bureaucracies:

The Case of [country] Teachers

 How have global university rankings impacted higher education?

 What are the challenges faced in providing an inclusive education for asylum-seeking and refugee children in [country]?

 The [name of education Act] and its impact on [] groups in [country]

 A critical analysis of teacher performance-related pay applied in [country]

Key issues to remember

 Ensure that you clearly define what the education issue is

 Make use of literature to support claims – is there sufficient data to explore the topic?

 Be measured in your argument- you don’t need to prove anything

 Contextualise the education issue in the context of debates in the field of research

 Don’t be too parochial – explore the local issue from a global perspective

 Most important – adopt a critical stance. Use your own judgement based on evidence and theory to examine the topic

Task for assignment 2

 Title

 Aim of the assignment

 How you will achieve this aim

 Content – what sections/are will you cover and in what sequence? (some detail for each)