Syllabus

Week One - Introduction to Course and Overview of UK Educational System

1. the Field of Comparative Education and introduction to the course
2. overview of UK culture and education system
3. the UK national curriculum
4. educational assessment

Week Two - comparison of key themes in UK education

1. social class in the UK educational system
2. ethnicity and diversity in the UK educational system
3. immigrant populations and English as a second language (EAL)
4. special and gifted students (tracking and policies)

Week Three - UK and international comparisons

1. student essay and research meetings
2. gender in UK classrooms and in the UK educational system
3. education in Europe and Asia
4. international comparisons: TIMSS and PISA

Week four - student reflections and presentations

1. global education trends
2. reflections on teaching in the UK
3. final student presentations
4. final student presentations and wrap up