Education (Special and Inclusive Education) MA

Bethany Foden

I really enjoyed completing my Masters in Education. I made the decision to do a MA in Education, after a year of working 1:1 with children with special educational needs and disabilities. The decision to take the special and inclusive pathway was a no brainer after the work I’d done, as it was something I’d become incredibly passionate about.

I really enjoyed the mentoring and coaching module and found it really insightful. The managing behaviour module also provided me with a lot more information about managing behaviour (and I had a strong base to begin with), and a range of strategies I wished I’d known the year before. Now that I am working in class I find that I am using a lot of what I learnt, on a daily basis. 

One of the most insightful and enjoyable parts of my Master’s was actually researching and completing my dissertation! The topic was close to my heart, and the opportunity to interview families about the subject gave me so much awareness on the issue. It was an emotional experience, to hear their stories, and these conversations have shaped a lot of my teaching philosophy now I am working as a class teacher.  

I didn't study my BA at Worcester and the welcoming and supportive environment they provided was a stark contrast to what I had experienced in the past. It was a great year and a half of my life, and I would recommend it to anyone! 

Hélène Rogers

After completing my undergraduate degree in 2004 and PGCE in 2005, I felt that, with a full time teaching job, I would never have the time to complete another postgraduate degree. Having had the opportunity to mentor in my teaching post, I found that I became very interested in how to mentor and wanted to become the best mentor that I could be. I had also reached a stage in my career where I felt that I had gained a lot of confidence in what I was doing day to day but was lacking professional development to reach the next step.

In 2012, I decided to study for a PGCert in Education with Mentoring and Coaching and, even though I had not studied in an academic setting for 7 years. The lecturers at the University of Worcester made me feel at ease, offered support and thorough and timely feedback, making studying alongside working full time as Head of Department possible. I thoroughly enjoyed the course and it really made me want to study at MA level. 

I completed the NPQML and, in 2017, I decided to start the MA course. By that time, I was Head of Faculty, SLE and mother to two children and, despite leading a very busy lifestyle, I have found that the course was flexible enough to enable me to carry it out successfully which I did in October 2019. I cannot recommend the course highly enough as it has given me the tools to become an effective and reflective mentor and has had a very positive impact on my career. 

Catherine Atkinson

My experience of completing my Masters in Education at the University of Worcester was one of challenge and reward. Completing the course at the same time as working full time in school was, at times, a struggle, but enabled me to strengthen my time management skills. The greatest challenge was not getting carried away with the academic reading, I found I would get totally engrossed in a topic but sometimes need to reign myself back to stay focussed. The support from the University and staff was exemplary, hearing from previous participants and learning from their experiences was particularly useful. My tutor was always there, either on the end of the phone, in person or by email. The individual tutor sessions honed my learning but also challenged me to question my own thinking and develop my criticality. 

I would highly recommend studying for a masters at the University of Worcester. 

Ruth Leak

I chose to do an MA in Education at the University of Worcester to develop my knowledge for the job I was already doing. I am a social worker and my role at the time was arranging work based placements for student social workers. I was curious about the wider field of education and what it had to offer to social work. The MA Education programme at UoW was right for me because it fitted in with my life. It could be done on a part time basis, leaving time for work and family commitments.

The stimulating and inclusive teaching dispelled any concerns about not having studied for several years. Lecturers and other students were welcoming, interested to hear about social work and happy to share their experience of education. Arrangements for tutorials were flexible. When life was busy, support was available via emails or phone calls as an alternative to face to face meetings. 

I took my time, successfully completing the course in three years but others qualified sooner. I am delighted that the MA equipped me with the knowledge and skills to move into an academic post in the University of Birmingham’s Social Work and Social Care Department.  

The end of the course brought mixed feelings of achievement and loss. There was pride in what I achieved on this very ‘do-able’ programme and disappointment that a satisfying and challenging time was ending.   

Sevde Isteyin

Sevde joined the University of Worcester’s MA Education as, having had a background in human resources (HR) in Turkey, she wanted to learn more about coaching and mentoring. She was thinking of starting her own coaching business when she returned to Turkey, as her research showed that coaching was still in its early stages there. 

In relation to moving overseas to study, Sevde says: “leaving my comfort zone, and being in a different country, may cause some uneasiness for some people.  However, I found an environment at the University of Worcester where new ideas are welcome, there is clear communication and tutors pay special attention to help you realise that you are not alone.” 

Having returned to her home country in summer 2019, Sevde says that “feeling empowered in the field of coaching, I’m beginning my career with steady steps and a clear path.  I’m pleased that I joined the MA Education and am starting to reap the benefits.  I would like to give many thanks to everyone at the University of Worcester, especially my valuable instructors who helped to prepare me for my new journey.”