Advanced Topics
After finishing the core, review the two subsections and pick based on what appeals to you most:
- Choose Design, Leadership, and Ethics if you are drawn to planning learning experiences, reflecting on teaching practice, or thinking about moral questions in schools.
- Choose Technology and Systems if you are interested in digital tools, online teaching, or seeing education as interconnected systems.
Research, Evidence, and Evaluation
| Subject | Why study? | Book / Text | Online Resource |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research Methods | It teaches how to investigate education questions systematically. You learn to collect and analyze data reliably. This builds skills to make evidence-based decisions in teaching. | Creswell – Educational Research (Publisher previews) | MIT OCW – Qualitative Methodology |
| Measurement & Evaluation | It shows how to create and use tests that measure learning accurately. You gain tools to evaluate programs and student progress. This supports fair assessment and continuous improvement. | Brennan – Educational Measurement (Association previews) | MIT OCW – Research Design |
| Program Evaluation | It provides ways to judge whether educational programs work well. You learn to assess effectiveness and suggest improvements. This helps you contribute to better school initiatives. | Patton – Evaluation (Publisher previews) | BetterEvaluation.org |
Design, Leadership, and Ethics
| Subject | Why study? | Book / Text | Online Resource |
|---|---|---|---|
| Curriculum Design | It teaches how to plan backward from goals to create meaningful units. You gain a framework to design lessons and courses that promote deep understanding. This makes your teaching more intentional and effective. | Wiggins & McTighe – Understanding by Design (ASCD previews) | ASCD Webinars |
| Teacher Professional Practice | It encourages ongoing reflection on your own teaching. You develop habits to learn from experience and grow professionally. This supports lifelong improvement as an educator. | Schön – Reflective Practitioner | Harvard Teaching Commons |
| Ethics in Education | It explores moral questions in teaching and school decisions. You learn to handle dilemmas with fairness and care. This helps you act responsibly toward students and colleagues. | Strike – Ethics and Education (Publisher previews) | Open Yale – Philosophy |
Technology and Systems
| Subject | Why study? | Book / Text | Online Resource |
|---|---|---|---|
| Educational Technology | It examines how digital tools can enhance or change learning. You gain knowledge to choose and use technology thoughtfully. This prepares you for modern classrooms. | Selwyn – Learning Technologies (Publisher previews) | UCL IOE Lectures |
| Online & Blended Learning | It explains how to design effective digital and mixed courses. You learn principles of good online instruction. This helps you reach learners in flexible ways. | Clark & Mayer – E-Learning and the Science of Instruction (Publisher previews) | Open University |
| Systems Thinking in Education | It teaches how to see education as connected parts (people, policies, resources). You develop ways to understand and improve whole systems. This supports solving complex school challenges. | Meadows – Thinking in Systems | Donella Meadows Institute |