| CODE | EDU5900 | |||||||||
| TITLE | Internal and External Review | |||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | |||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 7 | |||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 5 | |||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Faculty of Education | |||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | School evaluation plays a major role in the education system and there is current debate over what forms of evaluation is most likely to improve schools and raise standards of achievement. This unit aims to present the rationale behind external audits as another opportunity for schools to review their practices. The central philosophy and focus proposed in this unit is that we need to create strong internal mechanisms so that schools learn to tell their own stories. There is a lot of data currently available and others that can be tapped by educators within schools so that they can bring about desired change. It is within such a context that external audits and the role they can play in the reform process are presented. Various strategies will be explored and discussed that build on the proposed philosophy. Study-unit Aims: Help course participants: 1. Make meaning personally and professionally from knowledge in the field of school development, school self-evaluation and external review; 2. Seek out practical applications of an area of knowledge for classrooms and schools; 3. Gain practical skills and the tools necessary to conduct school-based self-evaluation; 4. Develop a reflective and critical stance to school development. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - describe the importance behind a reflective, monitoring and review perspective to school development; - evaluate different aspects of school life; namely teaching and learning, ethos and culture, professional development and student support; - analyse a particular aspect of school life; - describe the role that internal and external evaluation have to play in school improvement. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - reflect personally on specific aspects related to one's role and that of a school member; - engage in critical discourse with others on specific topics/ tasks; - prepare an evaluation report on a specific school improvement issue; - evaluate a self-evaluation on a particular school topic; - use review procedures that help the participants to review the implementation of a specific action plan. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: - Harris, A. (2002) School Improvement: what's in it for schools? London: Routledge Falmer. - Learmonth, J. (2000) Inspection: what's in it for schools? London: Routledge Falmer. - MacBeath, J. and McGlynn, A. (2002) Self-evaluation: what's in it for schools? London: Routledge Falmer. Reading pack containing articles from leading journals (made available on VLE) |
|||||||||
| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Fieldwork, Grp Learn, Ind Study, Lect, Semi & Tut | |||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
|
|||||||||
| LECTURER/S | Christopher G. Bezzina (Co-ord.) Patrick Decelis Denise Gatt Maria Montebello Mario Testa |
|||||||||
|
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
||||||||||