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M Ed in Education for Sustainability and Global Citizenship

The 'At a Glance' section below is indicative only.

Available: Full-time/Part-time

Level: 9

Duration: 1 yr FT/2 yrs PT

Location: MIC Limerick

Delivery Mode:

Blended with workshops on campus Tuesday evenings and workshops delivered online on Saturdays.

Assessment:

Continuous assessment and dissertation.

  • Programme Overview
  • Programme Content
  • Entry Requirements
  • How to Apply
  • Ask a Question

Programme Overview

The M Ed in Education for Sustainability and Global Citizenship is a two-year, part-time, blended programme offering a focus on climate justice, outdoor learning, biodiversity, intercultural education, peace studies and children’s agency.

Key Features

In response to current contemporary issues of climate change, a loss in biodiversity and challenges to world peace challenges for educators are immense. This new programme has been designed to equip educators with the pedagogies and theoretical frameworks to consider these issues. The programme is designed for those working in education including pre-school practitioners, primary and secondary teachers, and those working in non-formal education. The programme will focus on current challenges to sustainability including climate change, and loss of biodiversity. Through Global Citizenship Education (GCED) the programme aims to focus on agency empowering students of all ages to assume active roles, both locally and globally, in building more peaceful, tolerant, inclusive and secure societies.

The programme is designed for those working in education supporting them to integrate education for sustainability and global citizenship in their short term and long term programmes. The is a blended part-time programme over two years, with the on campus components taking place in Limerick. It also includes field trips to sites including the Burren, the Eco Village in Cloughjordan and the Aquarium in Salthill, Galway.

Lecturer holding a globe
M Ed for Sustainability & Global Citizenship
The programme focuses on current challenges to sustainability including climate change.

Benefits

Benefits of studying on this programme:

  • Provides an introduction to the foundations, pedagogies, curriculum, research, and contemporary issues in Sustainability and Global Citizenship Education;
  • Enables students to assess and critically analyse key concepts in sustainability and global citizenship education through critical dialogue, active pedagogies and a research project;
  • Allows students to advocate for the promotion of education for sustainability and global citizenship education, both within and beyond schools;
  • Provides an opportunity to critically reflect upon aspects of autobiographies to unpack values and experiences that impact on personal and professional approaches to living ethically and sustainably;
  •  Enables students to analyse and compare existing pedagogical approaches and resources for implementing education for sustainability and global citizenship education in the classroom, including local studies, social justice, intercultural education, outdoor education and ethical education;
  • Facilitates the development of skills associated with education for sustainability and global citizenship, such as critical thinking, geo-literacy, visual literacy and debating; and,
  • Gives an opportunity to identify and respond to the varied environmental and societal factors which impact on the implementation of education for sustainability and global citizenship in different contexts, including climate change, migration and racism.

Indicative Schedule

Please note that this may be subject to change: 

Five SAC (Sustainability and Citizenship) Education modules and one research module constitute the core programme components for Year One.

Autumn 2022

  • TBC: SAC 1: Saturday mornings (Applied Research Project)
  • TBC: SAC 2

Spring 2023

  • TBC: SAC3, SAC4 & SAC5 

Autumn 2023

  • Dissertation 1
  • Individual scheduled meetings with your research supervisor

Spring 2024

  • Dissertation 2
  • Individual scheduled meetings with your research supervisor

Please contact the Programme Coordinator below for more details.

Contact

Dr Anne Dolan, Programme Coordinator, M Ed in Sustainability and Global Citizenship 

E: Anne.Dolan@mic.ul.ie

Taught Postgraduate Programmes (Faculty of Education)

E: PGEducation@mic.ul.ie

 

Programme Content

Year One 

Five SAC (Sustainability and Citizenship) Education modules and one research module constitute the core programme components. See module descriptions below.

Year Two

Students will select a topic of their choice within the field of education and work under the close supervision of a member of the Faculty of Education who will encourage and monitor the research process and provide feedback when necessary.

This module explores the theories and practices related to outdoor learning, sustainability education and climate justice. It includes a series of lectures (face to face and online), workshops both indoors and outdoors enabling creative approaches to delivering sustainability and climate change content in the classroom. Theoretical and practical perspectives of Environmental Education, Education for Sustainability and the Sustainable Development Goals are addressed. A global lens to explore issues such as climate change, recycling, food security and biodiversity is utilised.

Environmental practices in school are examined including an analysis of the Green Schools Programme. The module is grounded in use of the local environment. Students will conduct outdoor activities and complete fieldwork visits to sites such as the Burren, and the Eco Village in Cloughjordan. There will be a strong emphasis on proactive practical activities which can be adopted in schools through the framework of a pedagogy of hope.

This module will draw on the varied fields of education which are concerned with human rights and global justice, and in so doing aims to equip teachers and learners alike to respond to the rapidly changing, interdependent and unequal world in which we live. To support the achievement of this aim, students will be introduced to, and given the opportunity to critically engage with key concepts within GCED such as citizenship, The Sustainable Development Goals, the role of non-governmental and governmental agencies in international development, Human Rights, and interdependence. Additionally, learners will have the opportunity to explore a variety of pedagogical approaches relevant to GCED and critique them from the perspective of their own educational settings.

This module will adopt a blended approach to learning and will combine a variety of learning experiences to support student engagement. Throughout this module GCED will be explored through a variety of participatory methodologies such as debates, simulation activities, group work and others.

This module presents geo-literacy as a strategy for teaching education for global citizenship. Three central aspects of geo-literacy will inform the theory and practice of this module namely: Interactions (How our world works); Interconnections (How the world is connected); Implications (How to make well-reasoned decisions). An emphasis on oral language is a central part of this module whereby students identify key words for each geo literacy lesson and strategies for supporting oral language in the classroom. This module will show case a range of artefacts including picture-books and children’s novels with geographical, development education and intercultural themes. Picture story books provide children with a range of windows through which they can view the world. Conversely, a range of different geographical perspectives can be filtered into the world of the child through the virtual lens of picture books.

This module provides theoretical and practical perspectives on local studies from a historical perspective. Students will have opportunities to engage in a variety of field trips in urban and rural settings, e.g. history trails of Limerick city, Currachase Park, Grange and Lough Gur, Co. Limerick. Other field trips will involve topic specific historical perspectives and opportunities e.g. visit to a monastic settlement and visits to local buildings. Students will actively engage in research and develop and refine their skills to work as Historians, as they investigate their local area. By the end of the module, the students will create a research project informed by citizenship, social justice and sustainability which will be a key resource for their classroom practice. In designing their research project the students will learn how to identify suitable research questions and how to utilize a range of research resources, e.g. maps, local libraries, census information, Google maps, interviews and photographs.

The syllabus will support the development of individuals with a critical understanding of the scholarly literature concerning philosophy with children as a tool of ethical reflection from both a theoretical and a practical perspective. Specifically, ideas from Ethics, Political Philosophy, Environmental Philosophy, Social Philosophy, Philosophy of Science, and Ethical and Belief systems will be presented in a dialogical mode that encourages children to explore ethical dilemmas in areas such as climate change, international development, Human Rights, Belief systems and migration.

The teaching methodologies associated with the philosophy for children movement will be studied and utilised. The content fosters the capacity and confidence of the participants to integrate philosophical ethics into their teaching across all subject areas.

Identifying a research problem and developing a research proposal; identifying research rationale and personal investment; locating the research problem within contemporary education discourse; reviewing and mapping of relevant literature; planning and designing a research project; research paradigms; quantitative modes of inquiry; qualitative modes of inquiry; discourse analysis; phenomenology; case study; action research; biographical methods; ethnography; grounded theory; critical theory; ethical principles in research design; methods of data collection; document analysis, observation; interview; focus group; questionnaire; reflective diary; tests; ethical procedures in conducting research; data management and storage; timelines and task management; data analysis; qualitative inductive analysis and coding data; triangulation, reliability and validity.

Entry Requirements

Applicants should hold a relevant degree at 2.2 Honours Level or higher (Level 8 - National Framework of Qualifications).

It is expected that applicants should have a minimum of two years’ experience in education.

Places on the programme will be offered based on the above, based on qualifications, performance at interview (if applicable), language proficiency level (if applicable), and application form.

In cases where the applicant does not meet normal entry requirements, the applicant can be assessed on prior learning in line with University policy and procedures on the Recognition of Prior Learning. The admission procedures will include an interview wherein the prior learning and experience of applicants in education will be assessed.

For English language requirements, click here.

How to Apply

EU Applicants

Applications for the M Ed in Education for Sustainability and Global Citizenship are now open.

To apply, please complete all the steps below:

  1. Download and complete the application form here (application fee Payment Ref Number required).
  2. You will be required to send your university transcripts.
  3. In the case of non-native English speakers, a copy of IETLS (or equivalent) is required.
  4. Please pay the non-refundable €50 application fee here using Stripe, and return the completed application and transcripts by email: to TaughtProgrammes@mic.ul.ie.

Applications will close at 5pm on Friday 26 July 2024.

Non-EU Applicants

You are advised to contact the MIC International Office before applying:

E: International@mic.ul.ie or T: +353 61 204988 

Contact
Programme Coordinator
Dr Anne Dolan
Contact
Application Queries
MIC Admissions Office
+353 61 205160 / 204348

Ask a Question

  • Programme Overview
  • Programme Content
  • Entry Requirements
  • How to Apply
  • Ask a Question