1st in Scotland for research in Education in the most recent Research Assessment Exercise.
The Postgraduate Certificate in Professional Enquiry: Leadership is delivered by staff in Education. We maintain an extensive programme of educational research, supported by grants from a range of sponsors. Taught students are well supported by staff in their studies.
The Postgraduate Certificate in Professional Enquiry: Leadership supports the leadership development of practitioners and enables you to contribute effectively to the improvement of practice in your own professional setting. It will help you to develop a much broader perspective in terms of your thinking on leadership, management and improvement in educational outcomes.
Programme Objectives
The Postgraduate Certificate in Professional Enquiry: Leadership supports the leadership development of practitioners and enables you to contribute effectively to the improvement of practice in your own professional setting. It will help you to develop a much broader perspective in terms of your thinking on leadership, management and improvement in educational outcomes.
The programme will enable you to gain a sound understanding of the central themes of developing professionalism in the public services, especially those of long-term and contemporary significance. It will enable you to develop and broaden your own practice through analysis, reflection and debate, focused on your work place, in order that you might become a more competent and reflective practitioner who contributes effectively to your community of practice.
The programme will offer participants a structure to:
- Revisit and re-appraise their educational values and professional role.
- Investigate, reflect on and evaluate their practice.
- Gain access to the knowledge and understanding which will enable innovation and improvement in educational leadership.
- Develop and support good practice in their team.
- Contribute to the development of practice within the school and the local education service.
Entrance Requirements
You should have a first degree from a university or institution recognised by the University of Stirling and either an appropriate professional qualification or at least two years’ relevant experience. You must also have access to an appropriate work environment.
English Language Requirements
If English is not your first language, you must provide evidence of your proficiency such as a minimum IELTS score of 6.5 (minimum 6 in each skill), or TOEFL: Listening 23, Reading 23, Speaking 23, Writing 23.
Modes of Study
Part-time: two years
Programme Start Date
Normally September, but programme start dates are negotiable, between the School of Education and local authorities.
Structure and Content
The Postgraduate Certificate consists of two modules:
- Professionalism and Reflexive Practice: Leadership: This module sets the foundation for the rest of the programme and enables you to explore the meaning of professionalism within the current public service context in Scotland.
It establishes the purpose and techniques of reflective practice and collaborative enquiry, including the examination of personal and professional values and commitments. You will practise and develop the skills pertinent to extending your professionalism through a collaborative action-learning approach. You will consider current developments in your area of practice and the implications this has for leadership and management. You will evaluate your own practice and develop a personal learning programme within the framework of extending your own professionalism.
- Constructing Professional Knowledge: Developing Teams: In the second module, you will focus on issues related to teamwork, motivation and collaborative action. This module will also explore what is known about professional development and the various ways in which this may be supported. Managing change and developing evidence-informed practice will be the other major strands of the module. You will prepare a proposal for professional enquiry that will improve your own and your team’s practice. During the module you will extend and build on the skills established in the first module and deepen your understanding and skills in relation to project management.
Delivery and Assessment
The programme is delivered through a mixed mode of seminars, self-study materials and work-based learning. Progress is assessed in a number if ways through self-evaluation, reports and professional enquiries
Timetable
Contact the School for information on your timetable and reading lists.
Career Opportunities
The Postgraduate Certificate provides continuing professional education for those teachers currently in, or aspiring to, principal teacher posts in Scottish schools.
Participants who successfully complete the Postgraduate Certificate in Professional Enquiry: Leadership can undertake further modules towards the Postgraduate Diploma/MSc in Professional Enquiry. Alternatively, you can, with the sponsorship of your local authority, transfer into the MSc Professional Enquiry: School Leadership & Management (with Scottish Qualification for Headship) programme.
