Faculty of Social Sciences

Master of Education (One-year Full-time & Two-year Part-time)

This is a taught postgraduate programme leading to the award of the degree of Master of Education (MEd). The programme is designed for educators and professionals who have an interest in the field of education and specialized areas in education.

The aims of the programme are:

1.	To strengthen knowledge of and skills in education;
2.	To enhance analytical and critical understanding of issues in education from different perspectives;
3.	To develop a reflective, multi-disciplinary approach to education;
4.	To facilitate initiatives and promote leadership in education; and
5.	To foster competence in research in education.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the programme, graduates are able to:

Knowledge﹣
1.	Develop in-depth knowledge of education.
2.	Explain and apply theories and concepts in educational issues.
Skills﹣
3.	Acquire specialized, professional skills in education.
4.	Analyse critically and creatively on issues in education from different perspectives.
5.	Demonstrate competence in research in education.
Attitudes﹣
6.	Develop a reflective, multi-disciplinary approach to education.
7.	Propose educational initiatives.
8.	Exhibit leadership in education.

To cater for the changing needs of the professional development among educators and related professionals, the programme includes a variety of concentrations. These concentrations serve to enrich the content of the programme and better meet the demand for lifelong education. Upon entry into the programme, each student must select one specific concentration and take all core courses in that concentration, the common core courses, an elective course, and the dissertation or its equivalent. The specific concentrations offered may vary each year.

1. Child and Adolescent Development Concentration

This concentration is designed for school teachers and related professionals working with children and adolescents.

Aims

a.	To advance an in-depth understanding of social and psychological development of children and adolescents;
b.	To promote creative response to core issues relevant to education that emerge in the developmental process;
c.	To enhance critical analysis of core frameworks from a whole-person developmental perspective; and
d.	To foster competence in research related to education and development of children and adolescents.

Concentration Core Courses
	EDUC	7510	Child & Adolescent Development	3 units
	EDUC	7530	Sociocultural Context of Human Development	3 units
	EDUC	7540	Psychology of Moral Development	3 units
	EDUC	7550	Problem Behaviours in Children & Adolescents	3 units

2. English Language for Teaching Concentration

This concentration is intended for practising/prospective teachers and related professionals who want to acquire the subject knowledge required of a qualified professional English language teacher in primary and secondary schools. English language proficiency requirements must be met to enrol in this concentration.

Aims

a.	To develop an in-depth understanding of the subject knowledge required for English language education;
b.	To promote awareness of how English subject knowledge can inform language education;
c.	To encourage critical reflection on pertinent theories and issues pertaining to English language subject knowledge and their implications for English language education in Hong Kong; and
d.	To foster competence in research related to education and English language teaching.

Concentration Core Courses
	EDUC	7660	Phonetics & Phonology	3 units
	EDUC	7670	Lexis, Morphology & Semantics	3 units
	EDUC	7680	Grammar for Teaching	3 units
	EDUC	7690	Written & Spoken Discourse	3 units

Local students who wish to meet the subject knowledge and/or language proficiency requirements of the Education Bureau have to take all four core courses and two designated elective courses.

3. Liberal Studies Concentration

This concentration is intended for school teachers and professionals who are teaching Liberal Studies or related subjects in secondary or primary schools in Hong Kong. It provides advanced studies and subject knowledge in Liberal Studies from multi-disciplinary perspectives and addresses core issues in the subject.

Aims

a.	To acquire background knowledge and related theories in teaching the subject;
b.	To strengthen teachers’ understanding of themselves, Hong Kong society, China and the world from multiple-perspectives of views;
c.	To enhance critical awareness and creative response on perennial and contemporary issues in different contexts, such as cultural, social, economic and political contexts; and
d.	To develop greater appreciation and respect for different values in a pluralistic society and ability to handle conflicting values.

Concentration Core Courses
	EDUC	7870	Self & Personal Development	3 units
	EDUC	7920	Issues in Hong Kong Society & Culture	3 units
	EDUC	7940	China & Chinese Culture in Global Society	3 units
	EDUC	7950	Public Health	3 units

4. School Leadership and Management Concentration

The School Leadership and Management (SLM) Concentration is intended for serving principals, aspiring principals and professionals in education or in other areas who want to acquire knowledge and skills necessary for leading and managing schools.

Aims

a.	To enrich knowledge and skills in, and to critically and contextually analyse and reflect on issues related to, the six core leadership areas for school leaders, namely:
	– strategic direction and policy environment;
	– learning, teaching and curriculum;
	– teacher professional growth and development;
	– staff and resources management;
	– quality assurance and accountability; and
	– connection to the outside world;
b.	To experience and report action learning that enhances professionalism and leadership in education; and
c.	To demonstrate professional gain through learning of theories in leadership and management.

Concentration Core Courses
	EDUC	7720	Strategic Planning, Qualitative Assurance & Networking of Schools	3 units
	EDUC	7730	Curriculum Development & Resource Management in Schools	3 units
	EDUC	7740	Managing Change in Schools	3 units
	EDUC	7750	Leadership & Team Building in Schools	3 units

5. Early Childhood Education Concentration

This Concentration is intended for early childhood practitioners who want to acquire knowledge and skills essential for shouldering leadership responsibilities in the early childhood setting.

Aims

a.	To develop and enrich course participants’ professional knowledge and skills in four fundamental domains, namely, early literacy development, policy studies relating to early childhood education and care, the diverse learning needs of children, and current and future trends in early childhood curriculum;
b.	To critically analyse and reflect on issues relating to the afore-mentioned domains in both the local and international contexts;
c.	To integrate research findings with teaching practices so as to further strengthen participants’ professionalism and leadership in early childhood education; and
d.	To foster competence in early childhood research.

Concentration Core Courses
	EDUC	7860	Early Literacy Development	3 units
	EDUC	7890	Policy Studies in Early Childhood Education & Care	3 units
	EDUC	7960	Development Diversity in Early Childhood	3 units
	EDUC	7970	Early Childhood Curriculum	3 units

6. Teaching Mathematics at Junior Levels (P1 to S3) Concentration

This Concentration is intended for mathematics teachers and cognate professionals. It caters for the changing needs of the professional community by providing advanced studies of subject knowledge in mathematics. It also advances teachers’ critical awareness and understanding of the major contemporary curriculum issues as well as historical and socio-cultural influences on curriculum development.

Aims

a.	To strengthen knowledge of and skills in mathematics teaching;
b.	To enhance analytical and critical understanding of mathematics curriculum issues from different perspectives;
c.	To develop a reflective approach to mathematics teaching;
d.	To facilitate initiatives and promote curriculum leadership in mathematics education; and
e.	To develop awareness and appreciation of the importance of theories, and foster competence in research in mathematics education.

Concentration Core Courses
	EDUM	7270	Mathematics Curriculum Develop at Junior Levels	3 units
	EDUM	7280	Theory, Research & Pedagogical Issues of Number & Algebra	3 units
	EDUM	7290	Theory, Research & Pedagogical Issues of Shape & Space	3 units
	EDUM	7300	Theory, Research & Pedagogical Issues of Data Handling	3 units

Requirements

For graduation, students must complete a total of 27 units and satisfy the requirements of the dissertation or its equivalent within the specified duration of the programme and obtain:

1.	Grade C- or above in all courses; and
2.	A cumulative GPA of 2.50 or higher

Normally students should complete the programme in one-year full-time or two calendar years. With special permission a student may extend his or her part-time study but in no cases would the period of study be allowed to exceed three calendar years.

I.	Common Core Courses			6 units
	EDUC	7520	Research Methods in Education	3 units
	EDUC	7610	Data Analysis for Education	3 units

II.	Concentration Core Courses			12 units

III.	Elective Courses			3 units
	Students are required to take one course selected from the following list. Students are allowed to choose courses from concentrations other than their own to meet the elective course requirements, where these concentrations are offered.
	EDUC	7430	Development in Mathematical Thinking	3 units
	EDUC	7560	Seminar in Education	3 units
	EDUC	7570	Moral Education: Theory & Practice	3 units
	EDUC	7580	Civic Education	3 units
	EDUC	7590	Education for the Gifted & Talented	3 units
	EDUC	7600	Career Competence Development & Education	3 units
	EDUC	7630	Thinking & School Curriculum	3 units
	EDUC	7640	School Guidance & Counselling	3 units
	EDUC	7700	Psycholinguistics & Sociolinguistics in English Language Teaching	3 units
	EDUC	7710	Literature & Language Arts	3 units
	EDUC	7880	Globalization Studies	3 units
	EDUC	7910	Curriculum Development & Implementation in Liberal Studies	3 units
	EDUC	7980	Energy Technology & the Environment	3 units
	EDUC	7990	Mathematics in Action - Applications of Contemporary Mathematics	3 units
	EDUM	7310	Introduction to Theories of Curriculum & Assessment	3 units
	EDUM	7320	Leadership in Curriculum Development & Pedagogical Design	3 units
	EDUM	7330	Testing, Measurement & Assessment in Education	3 units
	EDUM	7340	Contemporary Issues in ELT: Policy, Practice & Pedagogy in English Language Education	3 units
	EDUM	7350	Managing Change in ELT	3 units
	EDUM	7360	Chinese Language Education in a Changing Context	3 units
	EDUM	7370	Creative Chinese Language Teaching	3 units
	EDUM	7380	Teaching Liberal Studies—Integrating Issues in Instruction	3 units
	EDUM	7390	Facilitating Liberal Studies Learning	3 units
	EDUM	7400	Managing Learning Diversity in Inclusive Education Settings	3 units
	EDUM	7410	Teaching Individuals with Developmental Disabilities	3 units
	EDUM	7420	Supervision & Mentoring in School	3 units
	EDUM	7430	Knowledge Building with Ubiquitous Technologies	3 units
	EDUM	7440	Teaching Chinese in Dialect Speaking Area	3 units
	EDUM	7451-2	Reflective Practice & Independent Action Learning Project	6 units
	EDUM	7460	Theory, Research & Pedagogical Issues of Early Childhood Mathematics	3 units

Subject to prior approval of the department, students are allowed to take an elective course from selected taught postgraduate programmes in the University for meeting the elective requirements.

IV.	Dissertation			6 units
	Either
	EDUC	7621-2	Dissertation I & II	6 units
	Or
	EDUC	7650	Independent Project	3 units
	An elective course			3 units
	Or
	Two elective courses			6 units
				──────
				27 units