What is the academic study of Education?
The study of Education at Cambridge is primarily based upon the Philosophy, Psychology, History and Sociology of Education. These four main disciplines are at the heart of understanding education; studying them allows you to build up an in depth appreciation of Education as an academic subject. The approach to education by way of the four disciplines is one of the features that marks out our course from those offered at many other universities.
Philosophy of Education focuses on questions about the aims and purposes of education in different societies and on the underlying questions of value which influence educational choices and decisions - for example, those relating to moral education, personal and social education, education for citizenship, or education about controversial issues.
Psychology of Education generally includes the scientific study of what people think and do. Within the context of education, psychological research provides insight on issues important for learning. Some specific topics might include: cognitive development; the nature and types of learning difficulties; social development including the self-concept, development of a gender identity, and social interactions, particularly within the peer group.
History of Education looks at the development of the education system over time by studying the educationalists who pioneered innovation in teaching and learning, together with social movements that have placed the advancement of popular education at their heart. The course also looks more broadly at social change and how this has influenced educational provision in the twentieth century, particularly in relation to popular representation and media images of schooling, gender difference in educational provision, and teacher identities and classroom practices.
Sociology of Education seeks to examine the relationships between education and society. It focuses on the ways in which social class, gender and ethnic relations shape educational experiences and trajectories and are reflected in educational outcomes and individuals’ identities. The various sociological papers offer opportunities to study the economic and political shaping of social inequality, the ways in which schooling relates to major contemporary trends such as the marketising of schools, the individualizing of young people, and the promotion of the notion of ‘choice’ and freedom. Sociological studies explore youth cultures, family life, ethnic relationships social exclusion through the curriculum and in the classroom, Students also explore the ways in which social equality and integration have been promoted by educational policy-makers.
A number of optional education papers available to students in Part I and Part II (the second and third years) adopt an explicitly inter-disciplinary focus, integrating these four disciplines with each other or with additional disciplines. For example, a Part I paper explores the influences of modernity and globalization on education and a Part II paper examines the contribution of education to inclusion, well-being, conflict resolution and recognition of social diversity.
For more information see the Course content: Education section.