Education MA

Theresa Nimoh

"I have been a qualified teacher for six years I wanted to deepen my knowledge of teaching and learning with academic rigour and to feel part of a community. 

"The tutors were amazing in helping us develop our collective study skills, particularly through taught sessions, discussions and readings. I was able to develop my skills as a researcher and explore my positionality in relation to my research. My critical reading and writing skills developed and they were and are symbiotic in that they sharpened one another!

"The research and reading I undertook was in a topic area that I was and am passionate about as a practitioner researcher. It also shared similarities and differences to other projects undertaken by colleagues on my course, which I found illuminating.  I learned so much from others- whether it be methodology discussion or a critical question about a shared reading or my own writing.  For me, the MA was very much about looking inwardly as well as making a small and important contribution to the educational landscape.

"The impact of my dissertation is that it allowed me to examine my own classroom practice through the lens of the children, with implications for other classes and primary schools and policy. I have also had the chance to share my findings with other practitioners.

"Brighton is a great university – it is very inclusive and has high levels of academic quality through its staff. This helped me to challenge my own thinking, as well as learn from different perspectives."

Emma Le Prevost

“I initially decided to complete a masters in Education because I enjoyed the masters-level writing during my PGCE year. I believe the best teachers remain students and I’ve always loved learning, researching and academic reading.  

“The masters degree fed into my daily work which really helped me to not see it as something surplus to my career, but something which was supporting my development as a teacher. It also helped me understand the importance of research in schools.

“My knowledge surrounding education has broadened vastly through the research and reading I undertook, and I have gained an ability to confidently implement new strategies at a high level within my school. My analytical skills have improved so much since completing the Masters degree and means I now question a lot of policies, being inquisitive about the impact and the ‘why’ behind them. My time management skills were already good, however they have certainly improved from completing the masters and working full-time.

“Collaboration was a key part of each lecture, and this stimulated discussion between teachers and students from different settings. Resources were always organised and available for us before, during and after each lecture. Lecture information was communicated to us in good time, and we had a variety of different lecturers which made the learning much more interesting.

“The course team were absolutely brilliant; they have a wealth of knowledge they are keen to impart and encourage you to work at your absolute best.

“I felt hugely supported during my time completing the masters in Education at the University of Brighton, my dissertation supervisor in particular knew the correct balance of pushing me and supporting me to ensure I kept developing as both a researcher and teacher.”

Emma is Head of Dance at a secondary school and sixth form. Read more about Emma on our blog.

Adam Muirhead

“I chose to do an MA as felt that my lack of postgraduate study might hold me back in my career progression. I had a wonderful experience of working and studying at the same time as my employer gave me a paid day per week to study. I know not everyone has the same opportunity, so I felt very grateful. 

“The course team were great. Excellent communication, regularly making themselves available and feedback on work was useful, with opportunities to discuss 1-2-1.   

“This course isn’t like the ones where you’re just a number amongst hundreds of other students, you get really close attention and personalised support through a professional, academic relationship. If you value the relational aspects of your work, then you’ll get a lot from being part of a tight and super-supportive cohort, as I was. 

“The focus of my study was youth participation. I’m now an expert in this field and have been able to export and devolve this knowledge through my work team and in other professional spaces.  

“Beyond this, the research skills I gained (including methods, ethics, analysis) have already had such profound implications for approaching work in my setting. I’ve been able to guide professional research with young people and present it professionally and compellingly in front of senior decision-makers to influence resourcing and improve outcomes for young people. 

“In a word, the learning experience was lovely. Welcoming, spacious, modern buildings. Smiley, approachable staff. And a set of incredible libraries/librarians.”

Jessica Swain

"I have a newfound interest in educational leadership, and I wanted to explore this avenue through research. I have always loved to learn, and felt like an MA would be the ultimate personal challenge.  

"I knew I wanted to complete my MA at the University of Brighton – their inclusivity and high levels of academic quality was what drew me to the university. 

"Due to the part-time nature of the course, I was able to balance working full-time as a year 6 teacher and the demands of the course. Although there were more challenging times throughout the course, I was well supported by both my peers and tutors. 

"The learning environment was great – especially for our small, close-knit group. We felt supported by not only the tutors and each other, but also the individuals in the year ahead of us. 

"I learnt a great deal through the MA, from research skills to writing academic pieces. However, the biggest learning curve for me was my self-confidence – I learnt that I am more capable than I give myself credit for, I certainly have a whole new sense of pride. 

"The MA has given me a whole new outlook on what I hope to achieve as an educator. I hope to continue my studies and intend on returning to the University of Brighton for Doctoral study. It has taught me to ask more questions, listen with purpose and have more confidence in my own ability."

Nikki Smith

"I choose to study an Education MA because I wanted to challenge myself. I have always had a love-hate relationship with my own education and wanted to prove to myself that I could do it. My children were growing up and becoming more independent and I had more free time to do something for myself. 

"Brighton offered the possibility of researching anything education related that was of interest to me. I liked the autonomy of this and was different to the other MA courses I had looked into because there was no standard pathway through the MA course,  as long as you met the criteria for each module. This meant that everyone came to the course with a different educational experience and interest which led to some really stimulating conversations.

"The course team were excellent. There was unconditional support both during good times and bad. When things went wrong, the team were there for you and when things went right, they were there to celebrate with you. There is an astounding range of experience and knowledge within the MA team at Brighton. 

"I particularly enjoyed  the confidence the MA gave me both academically and personally, I felt so out of my comfort zone to start with. Professionally, I became an expert in my research subject and now have the confidence to talk about different topics based upon the academic research that I have read and conducted myself. Personally, I felt a little bit taller, I am still so proud of the self-determination, motivation and resilience that I needed to complete this course. 

"For my research project I chose to explore the experiences of autistic girls in mainstream school, this is a topic close to my heart and I wanted to provide a platform for the voice of this underrepresented group of young people. 

"The data from my research was used to improve the daily experiences of all the autistic children in the school that I worked in because I had input into whole school CPD on how to make our classrooms inclusive for all. 

"After graduating from the Education MA, I was asked to write an article for a journal, I have been approached to support schools in becoming ‘autistic friendly’ and I got promoted at the school where I worked in at the time. My success during the MA gave me the confidence, and a strong foundation of research skills. This enabled me to successfully apply to Brighton and the SCDTP  for a fully funded PhD.  

"I am now a very happy full time PhD student at Brighton, where my research focus is exploring the experiences of autistic young people of all genders." 

Nick Huxley

"The knowledge and fresh perspectives I gained from completing the MA have not only made me more knowledgeable but have also rejuvenated my enthusiasm for teaching. It has steered me to evaluate my career priorities and how best my skills could be used to influence education. 

"The MA has been a transformative experience for me, both professionally and personally. It significantly expanded my understanding of how research influences education, showcasing its potential for great impact and, at times, its misuse. 

"The course guided me through new avenues of research I wouldn’t have explored otherwise. Before the MA, my grasp of quantitative and qualitative data, as well as the nuances between methodology and methods, was quite limited. The course provided a wealth of opportunities to not only understand but also apply these concepts, significantly boosting my competence in these critical areas of educational research. 

"Every single course tutor was incredibly knowledgeable, with very high levels of experience in their fields, spread across many facets of research and backgrounds. They all have had a multitude of research papers published, which enabled them to be able to speak from extensive experience in the research field. On many occasions, they were able to demonstrate the research skills being discussed with examples from their own research, providing very real examples. 

"The MA provided essential professional 'me time' allowing me to engage with research and refresh my passion for teaching, which is often side-lined by the hectic daily school routine. There is no denying that working and studying is a real challenge, and you do need to be self-disciplined. However, the MA develops at a pace where the assignments and essays build the skills and competence required for the final dissertation research piece very well.

"Engaging with academic work ignited a love of learning in me and an understanding of the foundations of my teaching practices."

Louise Tomlinson

"I chose to study an Education MA at Brighton because I wanted to engage with different stakeholders and gain different perspectives on various topics in education. I was also keen to develop my research skills, learn to develop a more critical approach to educational research and take on a challenge. I thought it would be fun too! 

"I had previously completed my PGCE at the University of Brighton and had a wonderful experience, so it seemed the best place to continue with my educational journey.  

"Studying for the Education MA allowed me to develop my skills and knowledge, including how to research with young people ethically and look at the research I read with a critical eye. I also improved my academic writing. 

"The lecturers make you feel confident - they really are experts and have a wealth of knowledge. It is also a place to feel comfortable when discussing various topics free from judgement or worry about getting things wrong! 

"The whole team are supportive and have the best interests of the students at heart. They want you to do well and to be successful! The teaching styles are varied, and everyone brings interest to the topics that they cover. 

"My experience of studying alongside other commitments was one of the more challenging aspects of the MA. Working full-time with a young family and various in school responsibilities on top of teaching was tough and at times I wondered whether I could do it, but I had fantastic support from my lecturers and supervisor so managed to organise my time to do both! 

"My research project was entitled 'Sense of belonging among secondary school minority ethnic students on the South Coast of England'.

"I chose it because it is something I was/am passionate about. There has been copious amounts of research into belonging because it is so important. I wanted to cast a lens on topic in a specific area, in the first instance to see whether students felt that the belonged, and then use the results to implement  and support change.

"Since graduating, I have shifted my focus from classroom to community. I now work as an education coordinator working with PGCE, ECTs and ITT. Part of my role involves research too, so the MA has certainly supported this!"

Phil Marsh

"I had a positive experience at the University of Brighton for my PGCE. The blending of practical and theoretical expertise in the education department meant I started teaching with an interest in studying further later in my career. A group of colleagues at my school had expressed an interest in undertaking the MA programme as a cohort, enabling peer support in a shared context, so I felt it was perfect opportunity to enter the programme. 

"Studying the Education MA gave me a really rich understanding of research methodology and practice, as well as an in-depth opportunity to learn about areas of theory, policy and practice in my specific areas of interest within teaching. I feel like it has made me a more reflective and evidence-based practitioner, much more able to critically assess what I do and am asked to do as a teacher. 

"The course team are experts in their field and can relate to students as ex-teachers as well as academics. There was a huge amount of support available when we needed it and a genuine focus on student well-being. The blending of online and in person components of the course were matched to purpose and I enjoyed the variety.  

"It was a challenge to work full-time while studying part-time, but I would definitely recommend it. The course team are very aware of and supportive of working around your duties as a teacher; I felt able to plan my study around my school commitments, so didn’t feel overwhelmed. 

"For my research project, my title ended up being ‘The Digitalisation of Teacher Work and Professional Identity during Covid-19 School Dismissal: A UK Secondary School Case Study.’

"I was about to start a project on KS4 students’ perceptions of the effectiveness of teacher and peer modelling of writing on their confidence to analyse language when we entered lockdown at the start of the pandemic. This led to a shift in my focus due to the practicality of working with students during school closures.

"I have had the opportunity to change roles once while studying and once after graduation; the MA has been a big focus in interviews. Employers not only appreciate the increased knowledge of pedagogy and methodology that come from postgraduate study, but also the ability to time manage and prioritise that you evidence when gaining a qualification alongside your employment."