Education BA(Hons)

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Top reasons to choose this course

• 2nd in the UK for education courses – Guardian University Guide 2025
• Two placement opportunities to gain hands-on professional experience and improve your sector knowledge
• Opportunities to specialise within modules and focus on the areas of education that meet your career aspirations and interests
• Excellent links with local and regional educational employers and their settings
• Annual course conference where you’ll learn from your peers, inspirational guest speakers and receive advice
• Curriculum centre with over 30,000 specialist resources
• Guaranteed interview to our postgraduate teaching courses if you wish to pursue a career in teaching. 

Course structure

We have a balanced approach to teaching and learning, employing a combination of theory and practical skills which you will experience through seminars, workshops, placements, research and independent study.

Learning and teaching approaches

The course will provide you with a challenging, inclusive and creative environment including:

• personal and group tutorial support
• group work, discussion and debate
• independent and enquiry based learning
• seminars, workshops and lectures.

The school organises an annual conference which celebrates all students as researchers.

Making sure that what you learn with us is relevant, up to date and what employers are looking for is our priority, so courses are reviewed and enhanced on an ongoing basis. When you have applied to us, you’ll be told about any new developments through Student View.

Areas of study 

Topics will include:

• learning and development
• education policy
• equality and inclusion
• research
• comparative and international education.

Key questions addressed:

• What is an educated person?
• How does learning occur?
• Can education lead to a fairer society?
• How are education systems structured?
• What can we learn from education systems in other countries?
• What constitutes good research?

Year 1

In year 1 you will explore psychological and sociological theories of human development and examine the role of the family and wider institutions in education and development.

You will have an opportunity to see how your knowledge can be applied to understand real-world situations on your first placement of the course, which we will help to arrange for you.

Modules

• Knowing and Learning in Higher Education

  This module will help you to make the most of your studies in higher education. You'll improve your self-confidence as a learner and develop your capacity to meet the academic requirements and expectations of the programme.

• How Children and Young People Learn

  In this modules you will look at key ideas about learning and development, from classic theories to more modern perspectives. You will also consider how different backgrounds – like cultural and social experiences – shape the way children and young people develop. You’ll learn to connect theory with real-world practice by analysing different learning approaches, engaging with academic discussions and applying these ideas to examples of educational practice in different settings, such as early childhood, primary school, secondary school, and youth and community.

• Educational Thinkers and Activists

  This module explores education policy formation and implementation focusing on how it is experienced by different social and cultural groups. You'll develop an understanding of how education systems develop and change. You'll explore how education policy is driven by ideological and pragmatic matters, how it shapes the structure of schooling and how that enables and restricts the practice of early years specialists, teachers and educators. 

• Understanding Social and Educational Inequalities

  Drawing on sociological frameworks and perspectives, this module explores the complex interactions between education and context with a particular focus on power, inequality and social justice. You will consider the intersections between class, race/ethnicity, gender, sexuality and religion in understanding learner and teacher identity and differential outcomes.

• Placement Learning: Towards Enquiry-Based Learning

  This module is an opportunity to engage in a small-scale enquiry during a two-week, off-campus placement in an education setting. You will choose the focus of the enquiry, based on your emerging educational and academic interests. Enquiry-based learning is a key theoretical framework for adult independent learning. The module will also introduce concepts of employability and enterprise.

• Policy, Legislation and Change in Education

  On this module you will explore policy and legislation as it applies to education and childcare. You will develop an understanding of the role that policy and legislation has on learning, curriculum development and safeguarding practices. 

Year 2

In year 2 you will look at theories of how culture, aid and globalisation shape today’s education in our society and those of others around the world. You will develop your understanding of issues relating to inclusion by critiquing social, cultural and political contexts related to education.

You will be equipped with the tools to make your own research discoveries and critically evaluate key theories, literature and debate.

A key feature of this year is the eight-week placement module in a relevant area of interest.

Modules

• Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice

  This module explores the concepts of equality, inclusion, diversity and social justice and provides models with which to explore these issues. You will use your reflective skills to understand and identify possible barriers to inclusion that children and learners of all ages may face and explore strategies to address and overcome these.

• Comparative Education

  This module is designed to develop your understanding of comparative education and provide a broad understanding of education in a wide variety of contexts. You will explore the potential of comparative studies of education, the complexities of education and the need to study education in order to recognise the significance of culture, context and difference.

• Research Methods

  In this module you will be introduced to research methodology to help you design a small-scale research study in a relevant educational or early childhood education and care setting. It will promote a critical and ethical approach to research, expand your subject knowledge and teach you research skills which can be transferred into other contexts.

• Professional Ethics, Wellbeing and Reflective Practice

  This module links with Research Methods in Education and Placement Learning: Reflecting and Researching and explores the role of reflection, wellbeing and professional ethics in practice. You will explore the ways of knowing and thinking that underpin caring professional practice and the significance of mental health and wellbeing in preparation for the personal and professional demands of your second-year placement. 

• Placement Learning: Reflecting and Researching

  In this module you will build on your learning by undertaking a small-scale research project during an eight-week, off-campus placement. The placement experience will also provide you with an understanding of an organisation and the complexities of the contribution that research can make to an organisation’s work.

Final year

In your final year you will continue to learn the key knowledge, initiatives, policies and ideas around education; you will reflect on your own educational philosophy, including life-history and self-study research, and start planning for your career or further study.

You will also undertake a period of individual research and complete a dissertation, specific to your own interests and career aspirations.

Modules

• Inequality and Education: Critical Approaches

  You will deepen your understanding of education and inequality in this module by studying a range of perspectives including critical theory, structuralism, poststructuralism, critical race theory and feminism. You will also examine the role of policy as both challenging and perpetuating existing inequalities in education.

• Reframing Identity

  You will critically reflect on your own experiences of learning in this module and identify areas for further development by using different research methods. You will consider past experience and current initiatives in education and explore and develop your own educational philosophy and its implications for your future career.

• International Education for Global Challenges

  This module is designed to develop your understanding of comparative and international education and apply this to contemporary global challenges such as climate change and sustainability. The module examines current international research and policy agendas related to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. You will also develop skills in researching and writing a critical article for an informed audience.

• Learning in Practice

  In this independent study module, you will apply your knowledge and understanding of theories of learning in sociocultural contexts gained from previous years of study to present a framework to analyse and evaluate selected educational tools and practices. Content will include socio-cultural theories of learning, case studies of tools for learning in context and identification of learning environments.

• Dissertation

  This module will support you to initiate, plan, undertake and evaluate a dissertation that makes a significant contribution to the development of your understanding in the field of education. It includes workshops on planning and presentation, ethical and practical considerations, methodological issues and evaluating a research dissertation.

Placement learning

You will undertake two placements during your studies:

• two weeks in year 1
• eight weeks in year 2.

The course team will help you to identify a suitable placement, make the arrangements and support you during your experience. We encourage you to take a placement in the field of education you are passionate about. Previous placement destinations include:

• schools
• local authorities
• community groups
• museums
• businesses.

If you show strong academic performance you may also be considered for an international placement in your second year.

Meet the team

Dr Lesleann Whiteman

My goals for the Education BA course focus on student engagement and academic rigour, supported by diverse teaching/learning experiences. The intention is for students to embrace the ethos of ‘life-long learning’ and to use their interests in education to explore varied research initiatives aimed at enhancing the learning experiences for all students.”

For over 30 years, I have worked in teacher education within diverse global educational settings with a focus on creating a competent workforce eager and willing to embrace the challenges and opportunities encountered by educators.

Other members of the team

• Declan Dowkes
• Jodi Roffey-Barentsen
• Helena Widdowson
• Dr Nosheen Rachel
• Dr Jools Page
• Sarah Yelling
• Nicola Tuson

Facilities

Curriculum Centre
Our specialist Curriculum Centre on the Falmer campus houses more than 30,000 specialist resources, spanning all the subjects in the national curriculum. The collection includes games, DVDs, CD-ROMs, pictures, charts, education packs and an extensive collection of children’s books.

Falmer library
The Falmer library houses an extensive array of literature and resources related to early childhood education and care.

Course fees

The fees listed here are for the first year of full-time study if you start your course in the academic year 2025–26.

You will pay fees for each year of your course. Some fees may increase each year.

UK undergraduate and some postgraduate fees are regulated by the UK government and increases will not be more than the maximum amount allowed. Course fees that are not regulated may increase each year by up to 5% or RPI (whichever is higher).

If you are studying part-time your fee will usually be calculated based on the number of modules that you take.

Find out more

• Brighton Boost – cost of living help for our new undergrad students. Find out about how we can help with your study, accommodation or travel costs and more...
• Fees, bursaries, scholarships and government funding info for UK and international undergraduate students
• Student finance and budgeting while studying
• Read our student contract and tuition fee policy (pdf) for more on University of Brighton tuition fees.

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