Why study this course

This is a highly practical degree, teamed with the theory you will need to succeed. Gain up to 9 weeks of experience within work-based placements.

You'll gain invaluable classroom practice and will have flexible opportunities to experience other educational settings.

Three FREE years of membership to our Sport & Fitness Centre, gym and facilities for all BGU undergraduate Sport students

We have extensive links with external partners and opportunities for work experience, volunteering and coaching

Course summary

Studying Education Studies at BGU will provide you with an excellent understanding of education in its widest sense, nationally and globally, and is a great course if you are interested in a career in teaching or are thinking about working in other education-related areas.


During the study of Sport at BGU you will gain understanding in the complexities of this subject, including; the development of sport; how performance can be enhanced and how it can be managed and led. This course is designed to develop your knowledge and understanding of the sport, physical education, learning and teaching and education.

Key facts

Award

BA (Hons)

UCAS code

CX63

Duration

3 years

Mode of study

Full-time

Start date

September

Awarding institution

Bishop Grosseteste University

Institution code

B38

Apply for this course

When you're ready to apply, the route you take will depend on your personal circumstances and preferred method of study. Click the relevant button below to start your application journey.

About this course

Education Studies

How do people learn? What gets in the way of learning? Where might people learn best – and how? Do we need schools? Is it possible to ‘school’ the world? Can education make a difference to human rights? Women's rights? Nationally? Globally? These are just some of the big questions that you will examine through studying Education Studies at BGU in Lincoln. We are proud of our highly contemporary, reactive and issues-based course that has been carefully designed to give you that ‘bigger’ picture of education in a global society. An Education Studies degree from BGU will equip you well for the future, no matter what your career destination, but if you are planning to go on to teach you will find that our modules will open your eyes to some different ways of thinking about education and its purpose and place in society.

Studying Education Studies with us will provide you with an excellent understanding of education in its widest sense, nationally and globally, and is a great choice if you are interested in a career in teaching or are thinking about working in other education-related areas. The undergraduate degree provides you with a deep and reflective knowledge and understanding of contemporary issues in education, directly related to everyday practice. You’ll debate education policy, find out more about the drivers of educational change in England today and critically consider different approaches to schools and schooling, both within the UK and globally.

A key feature of Education Studies is a focus on you as a developing practitioner. You will be encouraged to develop a strong personal ideology of education during the course and will be supported in the development of secure employability skills through our work-based placements. A number of core modules each year incorporate placements in schools or other education-related settings and carefully structured placement tasks will ensure that you gain valuable first-hand practical experience.

Sport

Our dynamic Sports courses are designed around three specific areas - Physical Education, Sports Coaching and Sports Development. As your course progresses you can choose to specialise in a particular area, giving you as much freedom as possible to explore your personal interests.

Alongside these three areas, you can expect to cover contemporary themes that develop from year to year. You’ll explore the effects of exercise on the body, looking at a range of physical activities in different social groups – from high-level sports performers to young children. As you’d expect, this course also contains a great deal of hands-on experience, where you’ll learn how to use your skills to inspire others to be more active and to excel at sport and exercise.

You’ll be researching and interrogating recent issues and looking at conflicting ideas and opinions on this undergraduate degree, as well as being encouraged to hone your coaching, leadership and teaching skills through practical exercises, field trips, laboratory work and placement opportunities. In Sport, we think you should experience intellectual excitement and enjoyment, knowledge and practical skills relevant to your chosen career and as much freedom as possible to explore your personal interests.

Here at BGU in Lincoln employability is central to our courses, so we’ll support you to find a placement that is tailored to your career aspirations for the future. You’ll also have the chance to gain coaching qualifications and to volunteer in sport across the county – our links with local sports partnerships and governing bodies provide unique work and career opportunities that you won’t find anywhere else.

If you have a passion and commitment to sport then this is the course for you. Come and join us to research and debate recent and topical developments and conflicting values and ideas about sport and physical education.

What you will study

As a student on this course, you may study some or all of the modules listed below.

Building on the fundamental concepts of learning introduced previously in Level 4, this module focuses on the sociology of education and learning, and, primarily, how academic achievement and educational inequality is shaped by society and educational structures. The module provides teaching and classroom-based experiences through which the impact of a variety of sociological factors, such as socio-economic group, gender, ethnicity and human rights can be better understood. Relevant theories and approaches to explaining differences in attainment will be studied, together with an exploration of factors that might contribute to narrowing gaps in educational outcomes. As part of this module you may be expected to investigate and analyse a range of published sources of data on educational attainment and interventions and so learn to interpret and explain data presented in different ways. You will also undertake a placement that will enable you to apply knowledge gained in the module and further develop your transferable skills of communication and organisation, as well as gain further experiences of supporting learning.

An understanding of how individuals learn and the factors that shape learning is fundamental to any study of education. This Level 4 module will introduces you to a range of key theoretical ideas and principles about learning from birth to adulthood. It explores theories that focus on adult learning, for example andragogy, as well as pedagogical ones that centre around child learners, for example behaviourism and constructivism. The module combines a study of these historical approaches with a consideration of contemporary theories such as heutagogy and factors like education policy that shape, or even determine, learning in the 21st Century. It will enable you to draw on your own experiences of learning and will encourage you to critically engage with theories to identify strengths, limitations and the applicability to educational environments. As part of this module you may work on developing key academic skills that will provide a foundation for academic work at all levels of the programme. Such work may include academic reading skills, for example identifying and reading different types of sources, and academic writing skills, such as structuring written assignments. You will undertake a placement that will enable you to apply theoretical perspectives from the module to understand and reflect on pupils’ learning within the education system. The placement also provides you with the opportunity to begin to develop key professional skills. Teaching and learning will proceed by way of interactives lectures, seminars and tutorials, supported by e-learning and VLE-based tasks. Tutor-led seminars will utilise collaborative group work in order to model and enable learning and assist you in developing the skills to study and learn independently. In this module you will develop subject expertise, professional skills and increase graduate attributes, most notably academic literacies and employability.

This module sets out to combine an academic study of the relations between sport, education and society, with a pragmatic desire to explore sport in formal and informal learning environments. It will promote inquiry into the implications of the curriculum for teaching and learning of sport and will begin to develop required skills and knowledge of appropriate teaching strategies in preparation for further development. Teaching and learning will proceed by way of interactive lectures, practical work, tutorials and seminars. These will introduce key concepts and develop your understanding of sport in education. Practical activities and tutor-led workshops will provide opportunities for you to observe and assist in teaching and learning of sport. A number of directed tasks are incorporated, including data collection, independent reading, presentation and discussion. Online support and discussion through the VLE will be available and shared reflection will be encouraged through your contribution to a blog. The syllabus will include a study of the nature of sport in education and will provide an introduction to the application of Physical Education (PE) in a variety of educational settings. You will be introduced to key issues in PE such as inclusion, assessment, cross-curricular learning, citizenship and lifelong learning. Sport will be placed in context of the National Curriculum for PE and you will examine real case studies of how sport education has been used in both primary and secondary PE. You will also have the opportunity to explore and develop knowledge and understanding of strategies aimed at making the sport experience positive and meaningful to all individuals.

This module will provide you with an overview of the influence of physical activity on health and wellbeing in young people. The module will explore the main cultural, political and ethical issues surrounding physical activity and will introduce methods of promoting physical activity to young people. Tutor-led workshops both in the Sports Hall and Human Performance Lab (HPL) will introduce and develop the varied practical and analytical skills required to complete the module successfully. A number of directed tasks are incorporated, including data collection, independent reading, use of VLE, presentation and discussion. The syllabus will explore current research on physical activity and young people in the UK and will examine current and previous levels of physical activity. You will gain theoretical and practical understanding of the physical, social and psychological benefits of physical activity for young people. In particular this module sets out to identify how young people develop their self-identities and how they accept or reject physical activity and sport in this process. Through investigating physical activity prescriptions, levels and key exercise interventions you will gain a breadth and depth of understanding of the barriers young people face towards exercise and physical activity.

This module will draw on and develop your understanding and experience of real- world contexts. Building on placement experiences in Level 4 the module explores the wider role(s) of a professional in a setting. It enables you to apply knowledge and skills in a real-life context offering you a valuable experience to draw on when you present yourself to employers or selectors upon graduation. The module will introduce you to key theoretical ideas and principles related to reflective practice and professionalism. It will provide a critical understanding of successful elements for career development including relevant practical guidance on tools to support this such as individual ‘professional context’ action plans, careers advice, CVs, letters of application and personal statements. The syllabus will include a block placement and the study of reflective practice and student-professionalism. You will be introduced to key educational theorists and philosophers concerned with reflective practice such as Dewey, Schὂn and Kolb and the significant contributions of each. You will reflect on your own approaches to reflective practice and further develop critical thinking. The strengths, limitations and general applicability of reflective practice for professionals will be considered carefully in the light of evidence presented and this will be related to your own work on placement. Workshops provide you with the opportunity to participate in academic practices, including developing academic reading and writing skills at level 5 which is embedded in the context of the taught component. This module is deliberately structured in an open-ended way to allow placement to develop in a manner most suited to your potential future career and to respond to opportunities presented by employers.

This module builds on and develops the basic methods and data interpretation skills developed during Level 4 modules. The module also prepares you for your Dissertation at Level 6 especially if you are intending to pursue a Dissertation (Capstone Project) in Education Studies or other Social Science (at Level 6). You will explore ways in which a range of quantitative and qualitative methods can be brought to the investigation of educational issues. You will apply selected quantitative and qualitative methods and will be introduced to the benefits and difficulties of education research. You will develop your understanding of the range of research methodologies and research methods (data collection tools) that can be used in education research, and further develop your skills of statistical analysis and data interpretation.

An understanding of the principles and practice of inclusive education is crucial to those who intend to work in an educational context. This module will introduce you to the philosophical social justice debate and theories and ideologies of inclusive practice, and will examine interpretations of diversity and inclusion in different contexts. Although matters relating to inclusion are embedded in all modules, this offers you the opportunity to study the topic in depth and to critically analyse and apply a range of theories in the context of your work with young people in a range of educational contexts. It will build on the values, beliefs and philosophies explored in Level 4 modules and extend your appreciation of issues of human rights, equality and equity.

This module will further develop your knowledge and understanding of pedagogical approaches and skills and apply them to the teaching and learning of PE and sport. It will further explore issues related to the National Curriculum for the teaching and learning of sport. It will provide opportunities for you to acquire and apply knowledge of the principles and concepts of motor skill learning and performance. There will be opportunities to implement and evaluate a wide range of PE and sport related teaching resources and strategies. You will also have the opportunity to develop research and analytical skills in the selection of appropriate PE material and techniques for use in learning environments. The syllabus will include lesson planning, practical organisation, inclusion and differentiation in the physical environment, pedagogical approaches. These themes are explored through various physical activities and practical workshops. You will develop a detailed knowledge of the major theories and practice of teaching and learning through sport and PE. It aims to introduce a range of teaching strategies, which can be used in PE and coaching contexts, providing the opportunity for you to create an appropriate teaching environment for learners to acquire physical, emotional and social skills. You will be introduced to the principles of motor skill learning and related theories and how to apply the concepts of motor learning and performance to real-world settings of teaching and coaching. You will be required to identify relevant teaching and learning practices that will develop pupil knowledge and understanding of the activities in accordance with the National Curriculum in primary and secondary schools.

This module will investigate effective ways of promoting interest, participation and performance in sport. You will develop a critical understanding of theoretical and vocationally relevant issues for sports development in contemporary society. You will broaden your knowledge and understanding through working with a variety of guest speakers, in order to compare contrasting theories, viewpoints and complex arguments. An optional field visit will play a helpful role in understanding current practice in leadership and working with diverse populations. The syllabus will include an introduction to the historical development and promotion of sport and exercise in the UK. You will learn about the theories of sports development and will explore and evaluate policies that guide its direction. Leadership within local authorities, governing bodies and voluntary organisations will be examined alongside the practicalities of policy implementation at a national, regional and local level. You will investigate current development and promotional projects operated by organisations such as the Sport England, Active Lincolnshire, Youth Sport Trust and Lincoln City Council. This module will provide many opportunities for debate, analysis and enquiry, with you appraising the sports development continuum and evaluating the role of sports development and leadership at an individual, group and community level.

This module will allow you to further your knowledge of varying methods which can be used in Sport, Exercise and Physical Education to analyse a range of assessments. You will learn different techniques, depending upon the context of the chosen assessment. The module will raise awareness of the range of methods of analyses and allow you to determine the appropriate methods used. You will also gain an understanding of how to analyse any results and be able to present these in an appropriate manner. You must individually write a report, which will demonstrate your ability to carry out choose the appropriate method of analysis for a chosen example, whether this is in a sporting, exercise or physical education context.

This module will build on (EDU50322) Vision to Reality and introduce you to a further range of contexts and settings for learning, examining these from the perspective of educators and learners, policy and practice. Throughout the module you will be encouraged to consider and appreciate the scope and limitations of education within a variety of teaching and learning environments and organisations. You will be introduced to a wider and more complex range of research and theory related to the benefits and limitations of teaching and learning in informal and alternative learning environments alongside the unique personal embodiment / impact of these on the overall experience of learners and educators. You will consider how pedagogical approaches are utilised in these contexts and how such contexts are positioned in contemporary educational policy. You will develop and apply skills of critical analysis in module sessions and independent learning. First hand experiences of different learning contexts through study visits and work with visiting experts will be threaded through the module as a basis for comparison, analysis, evaluation and reflection.

This module will provide you with skills and knowledge needed to design, conduct and report a substantial dissertation on a subject of interest to you and of relevance in the current context of education. You will gain an understanding of different methodological approaches and perspectives on educational research and be encouraged to articulate your own epistemologies and ontologies. Taught sessions will help to inform and scaffold the your planning process and provide a range of methods for sourcing, collecting, collating and analysing both primary (collected on placement) and/or secondary data in the construction of the written work. The module will ensure that your understanding of research ethics and integrity is embedded at all stages of your dissertation including gaining ethical clearance for primary research. Consideration is given to the potential positive ‘legacy’ of your research in practice. You will build on the research skills imparted earlier in your studies, at all levels, applying them in a more independent manner. The module will deepen and refine your knowledge of your specialist area and offer insights into the construction of longer pieces of analytical written work, and the way in which arguments are mediated in them. Opportunities to share and refine ideas at all stages will be supported by group work and supervisory tutorials. Links with university services offering additional expertise relevant to supporting your research skills and writing will be integrated and signposted in the module.

An awareness of global perspectives on education strengthens Education Studies students’ understanding of educational issues, ideas, and solutions by broadening the scope of study beyond the UK. This module explores the impact of globalisation on education policy and practice in different international settings in varied international, social, economic, and political contexts. The module requires you to take a global perspective on issues and trends such as citizenship, human rights, access to education, and education for sustainable development and relate these to social theories of education and development goals. You will be encouraged to reflect on the global, multicultural nature of our society and your own cultural fluency, and research contrasting perspectives on effective responses to the diversity of international school pupils’ backgrounds, experiences, and needs. You will be required to engage critically with module topics and develop as an independent learner and critical thinker to investigate your chosen area of research.

Excellence and innovation in curricula are a central tenet of any world class education system. This highly responsive module provides you with a theoretical and critical understanding of key considerations in the development and implementation of curriculum policy, content and practice in educational settings. The module considers future developments in the current curriculum and possible alternative future directions. It provides you with an opportunity to study this at first hand in placement settings. A range of theoretical approaches to the curriculum will be critically examined. The syllabus may include topics such as differing views of the nature and organisation of knowledge, and examination of various curriculum frameworks, including aims, content and contemporary views of pedagogy. These will vary over time in order to ensure that the module is responsive to new developments and future directions in education for instance decolonising of the curriculum and environmental education. Innovative practice from inspirational educational settings may be showcased in order to provide models of excellence. Placement will allow you to gain real-world experiences of current curriculum arrangements.

This module will enable you to develop further knowledge of how to conduct effective measurement techniques. The module will build on concepts and issues introduced elsewhere in the course and will involve you in the measurement and evaluation of a number of parameters of kinanthropometry in a laboratory setting. You will be provided with opportunities to work in groups to develop further competence in a range of anthropometric techniques. You will also be asked to carry out an independent practical assessment, which will require demonstration of competence in a range of kinanthropometric assessment techniques. The syllabus will begin by exploring both the qualitative and quantitative research paradigm and will enable you to develop further knowledge of how to conduct proper measurement techniques. The module will involve you in the measurement of a number of parameters of kinanthropometry in a laboratory setting. By analysing different types of human size, shape, proportion and composition you will be able to apply physiological and psychological principles to practical situations ranging from exercising for health to physical training for enhanced athletic performance. You will have opportunities to work in groups and will explore a range of methods to examine the reliability and validity of a specific measurement protocol or technique. The overall aim of the module is to equip you with practical skills that enable independent enquiry and analysis.

This module will give you the experience of designing, carrying out a research project, and writing a dissertation, in an area of sport, coaching or physical education. You will gain transferable and practical skills relevant to conducting data collection and analysis of a research project. You will select you research project topics with staff during the second semester of your second year. Each student is allocated a supervisory tutor within the School. Supervisory sessions will cover the identification of a research question; necessary elements of research design; the approach needed to prepare for and complete the research project; a range of appropriate research methods; appropriate statistical analyses; the structure of the research report; the interpretation of the research results; possible or probable conclusions; and the writing of the report. You keep a diary of the research process which logs meetings with supervisor and agreed outcomes. The syllabus will focus on equipping you to undertake an ethically approved research project. During the module you will follow your methodology, carrying out data collection before performing the analysis and discussion of results, resulting in a sustained piece of work. The analysis of results must be detailed and coherent and the discussion should compare findings to other recent and current research. It is undertaken with minimum guidance from the supervisor and will require the exercise of initiative and personal responsibility. It will provide an understanding of the significance and limitations of theory and research as well as enabling you to have the ability to articulate your own preferred learning styles and strategies and actively manage your development to organise an effective work pattern including working to deadlines. It offers you the chance to embark upon your own specialist academic interests and in some cases to make an original contribution to current academic debate.

This module will draw contemporary knowledge of sport, coaching and physical education together and relate issues to current practice. It is designed to enable you to develop critically informed opinions on contemporary issues. The syllabus will include a study of the contemporary social, cultural, political and ethical issues in sport and physical education. You will select research issues which may include for example debates surrounding notions of ‘policy’, ‘inclusion’, ‘deviance’ ‘equity’ and ‘identity’ in relation to sport, coaching and physical education. The focus of the module will vary according to changing issues in the sporting world. Building on critical studies in other modules, you will be given the opportunity to explore, research, discuss and critically evaluate a particular contemporary issue from within your chosen theme.

The module aims to develop your understanding of the emotional nature of sports work and the underlying normative practices and actions that are developed in sports workers relationships and practices. The taught session content will draw upon key sociological and educational theory and concepts and empirical studies to make sense of emotional display, emotion management and emotional wellbeing, impression management and micro-politics in sport and physical education related roles. The module content will inform and align with module tasks and assessment. You will be actively engaged in learning through a social inquiry approach via the identification, exploration and reflection upon emotional practices, experiences and actions across a range of sports and physical education roles. Teaching will adopt a combination of lectures, seminars, tutorials and practical sessions. Assessment will adopt a case study approach.

Entry requirements

You will normally need 96-112 UCAS tariff points (from a maximum of four Advanced Level qualifications). We welcome a range of qualifications that meet this requirement, such as A/AS Levels, BTEC, Access Courses, International Baccalaureate (IB), Cambridge Pre-U, Extended Project etc.

However this list is not exhaustive – please click here for details of all qualifications in the UCAS tariff.

Find out more about the international application process including English Language requirements.

Further information

Click here for important information about this course including additional costs, resources and key policies.

In accordance with University conditions, students are entitled to apply for Recognition of Prior Learning, RP(C)L, based on relevant credit at another HE institution or credit Awarded for Experiential Learning, (RP(E)L).

How you will be taught

There is no one-size-fits-all method of teaching at BGU – we shape our methods to suit each subject and each group, combining the best aspects of traditional university teaching with innovative techniques to promote student participation and interactivity.

You will be taught in a variety of ways, from lectures, tutorials and seminars, to practical workshops, coursework and work-based placements. Small group seminars and workshops will provide you with an opportunity to review issues raised in lectures, and you will be expected to carry out independent study.

Placements are a key part of degree study within many courses at BGU. They provide an enriching learning experience for you to apply the skills and knowledge you will gain from your course and, in doing so, give valuable real-world experience to boost your career.

Assessment

Education Studies

In Education Studies, assessment is carried out through coursework of different types, including essays, reports, oral presentations, multimedia presentations, reflective logs and portfolios. There are no examinations. You can expect to give one or two oral presentations or poster presentations as one of a small group of students throughout the course. You will gradually build up skills of multimedia presentation and third-year students currently share a short, assessed multimedia film to their peers. You will build up your writing skills steadily throughout the course and in the first year, you will complete a portfolio of shorter written pieces and two longer essays, receiving formative feedback from your tutors to help you build up your academic capabilities.

Sport

In Sport, we use a variety of imaginative approaches to assessment that enable you to utilise your strengths. Over the course of your studies, you could expect your assessment to include presentations, multimedia reports, displays, portfolios, individual research projects, essays, exams and work in the Human Performance Laboratory. We recognise that individuals come from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences, and accordingly use a wide range of assessment strategies. You can expect to be guided and supported carefully in your first year, gradually becoming more independent as the course progresses.

Careers & Further study

Education Studies

Education Studies graduates enjoy very high levels of employability – the course facilitates your personal and professional employability skills through regular work based placements – and our students are in high demand. Currently, around 70% of our students complete a teacher training course and will go on to be highly successful Primary or Secondary teachers. An Education Studies degree from BGU means your career opportunities are diverse. In addition to careers in education, Education Studies graduates are well placed to work in other education related, health, social care, public information or communication sectors. The course provides good training for a role within business, service industries, personnel, museums, galleries or charities. The diverse nature of this course will also enable you to go onto further study such as postgraduate study on a master's degree.

Sport

In Sport, we prepare you for a broad range of sport-related jobs in such areas as sports development, adventure education, physical activity and health, sports coaching, fitness and recreation industry, school sports coordination, armed forces, youth work and postgraduate research.

By the end of the course, you will have developed a range of practical and transferable skills that are underpinned by excellent subject knowledge, meaning you will be well-prepared for your chosen future career. In the past our graduates have begun careers as sports coaches, personal trainers, as physical education teachers (primary and secondary), in the field of youth work or within sports development.

What Our Students Say

Discover what life is like at Bishop Grosseteste University from our students.

Support

Studying at BGU is a student-centred experience. Staff and students work together in a friendly and supportive atmosphere as part of an intimate campus community. You will know every member of staff personally and feel confident approaching them for help and advice, and staff members will recognise you, not just by sight, but as an individual with unique talents and interests.

We will be there to support you, personally and academically, from induction to graduation.

Free Sports and Fitness membership

Fees & Finance

A lot of student finance information is available from numerous sources, but it is sometimes confusing and contradictory. That’s why at BGU we try to give you all the information and support we can to help to throughout the process. Our Student Advice team are experts in helping you sort out the funding arrangements for your studies, offering a range of services to guide you through all aspects of student finance step by step.

Click here to find information about fees, loans and support which will help to make the whole process a little easier to understand.

Undergraduate course applicants must apply via UCAS using the relevant UCAS code. For 2024 entry, the application fee is £27, and you can make a maximum of 6 choices.
For all applicants, there are full instructions at UCAS to make it as easy as possible for you to fill in your online application, plus help text where appropriate.