BA Education, Leadership and Culture

This course unit will introduce students to the key concepts, issues and terminology generated by the challenges of education in culturally diverse communities. Its aim is to foster students’ critical thinking around the three, frequently over-used, ideas of ‘culture’, ‘community’ and ‘equality’ in educational contexts (including pedagogy, curriculum, in/non-formal learning environments, educational policy making, etc.). Drawing on Manchester-based case studies and working with community groups, students will explore the complex ways in which communities defined by race and ethnicity, gender, disability, or social class, utilise education and culture as creative and powerful means for social activism, equality, and change.     

• Identify key issues affecting how culture, equity and community are understood and enacted, or otherwise, across education systems (formal and informal) both locally and internationally; 
• Guide students to develop a broad and critical understanding of the relationship between culture, equity, community and educational leadership in culturally diverse communities;
• Introduce analytical perspectives to the theory and practice of equity and culturally just educational provision at the local and international level;
• Support students to evaluate, through a place-based activity, culture, equity and community, through a social justice frame, across education in Greater Manchester. 

• Educational Equity
• Cultural Diversity Education
• Community Education
• Education and Power
• Social Justice
• Civic Education
• Social Activism

The course will blend tutor-led input in seminars with group work which is largely student-led. Group work, podcast production, will provide opportunities to explore and evaluate, as critical peers, the practical application of the theoretical principles examined in the sessions. Throughout the programme learning will be focused on both individual and collaborative research skills, group work practices and networking, digital methods, arts and multimedia formats. Sessions will also include collaborative input from local education organisations and community leaders and field work visits to local education initiatives – all field work will follow the UoM Field Course Policy. 

• Students will be able to discuss and explore the key concepts of culture, equity and community 
• Students will be able to describe examples of formal and informal education activities occurring in diverse cultural communities and link these to a social justice model

• Students will be able to critically reflect on the relationship between culturally diverse educational contexts and equity 
• Students will be able to critically evaluate scholarly literature

• Reflect on feedback from tutors and peers, and on group work 

• Students will be able to apply a range of digital capabilities including use of learning applications, databases, search engines and audio/video software
• Students will be able to write for both academic and non academic audiences 
• Students will engage with local issues of educational equity
   

Online via the VLE, 15 working days after submission

Ainscow, M. (2020). Inclusion and equity in education: Making sense of global challenges. Prospects, 49, 123-134.

Apple, M. W. (2012). Education and power. routledge.

Arday, J., Zoe Belluigi, D., & Thomas, D. (2021). Attempting to break the chain: reimaging inclusive pedagogy and decolonising the curriculum within the academy. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 53(3), 298-313.

Banks, J. A. (2015). Cultural diversity and education: Foundations, curriculum, and teaching. Routledge.

Gorski, P., & Swalwell, K. (2023). Fix Injustice, Not Kids and Other Principles for Transformative Equity Leadership. ASCD.
Harries, B., Byrne, B., Rhodes, J., & Wallace, S. (2019). Diversity in place: Narrations of diversity in an ethnically mixed, urban area. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 45(17), 3225-3242.

Vincent, C. (Ed.). (2020). Nancy Fraser, social justice and education. Routledge.