Education Policy Evaluation - EDU00111M

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Module summary

The Education Policy Evaluation module is concerned with an analysis and critical reflection on education policy-making in relation to attempts to evaluate it. 

Module will run

Occurrence	Teaching period
A	Semester 2 2026-27

Module aims

The Education Policy Evaluation module is concerned with an analysis and critical reflection on education policy-making in relation to attempts to evaluate it.  We will look closely at attempts made to evaluate education policy both in general and narrowed to a number of specific policies.  There will be a focus on the range of research designs which are amenable to education policy evaluation, including appropriate designs for both impact and process evaluations.  A number of cases at home and abroad will be explored in depth (for example: evaluation of class size interventions; evaluation of policy for education and social justice; evaluation of higher education (HE) widening participation policy initiatives; evaluation of a specific curriculum policy; evaluation of Head Start and Sure Start etc).  There will be an opportunity to develop skills in critically appraising the ways in which policy innovation has been evaluated in the UK and elsewhere. The relationship between policy, practice and evaluation research will also be critically examined. 

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module students will be able to 

• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of education policy-making at home and abroad in terms of a critical understanding of education policy, drawing upon the policy studies literature
• Critically appraise a range of education policy evaluations, drawing upon the evaluation and research literature
• Develop and demonstrate the ability to research and critically summarise education policy initiatives
• Develop the ability to evaluate educational research in relation to policy
• Critique education policy evaluation in detail in a key area of policy

Module content

Week 2: Introduction to education policy at home and abroad.  Introduction to education policy evaluation.  Critical appraisal skills and practice.

Week 3: How do we evaluate education policy?  Research designs for policy evaluation, including impact and process evaluation designs.

Week 4: Research designs for policy evaluation (continued). Introduction to the oral presentation on a selected education policy.  Exemplar presentation: Sure Start policy.

Week 5: Policy evaluation for education and social justice.

Week 6: Policy evaluation in HE topics (e.g., widening participation initiatives).

Week 7: Policy evaluation: school and classoom interventions (programmes, practices) (e.g., class size; one-to-one tutoring).

Week 8: Policy evaluation in curiculum topics (e.g., reading policy).

Week 9: Policy evaluation in other topic areas depending on the interests of students.

Week 10: Oral presentations and feedback; guidance on summative essay.

 

Indicative assessment

Task	% of module mark
Essay/coursework	100.0

Special assessment rules

None

Additional assessment information

Formative feedback is verbal and written feedback on an oral presentation with accompanying script.  The students present on their chosen educational policy and receive peer and tutor feedback.   

Summative feedback is written feedback on the essay, which is on the same selected policy.  Therefore anonymous marking is not possible for this module and second marking will be necessary.

 

Indicative reassessment

Task	% of module mark
Essay/coursework	100.0

Module feedback

Formative: Verbal and written feedback

Summative: Written feedback

Indicative reading

Garrett, D. and Forrester, G. (2012) Education Policy Unravelled London: Continuum. 

Newcomer, K., Hatry, H., Wholey, J. (Eds.) (2015) Handbook of Practical Program Evaluation New Jersey: Wiley. 

Gorard, S. (Ed.) (2020) Getting Evidence into Education: Evaluating the Routes to Policy and Practice Oxford: Routledge.