ECONOMICS OF EDUCATION - 2023/4

Module Overview

The module covers topics within the economics of education. It will cover topical areas within economics of education with a strong empirical foundation and relevance for public policy. The topics will include the following: the extent of inequality in educational outcomes and why this matters (this is an important aspect of sustainability); evidence on the economic and social benefits of education; drivers of educational outcomes in the family, among peers and within educational institutions. We will look at how different types of education and training are rewarded in the labour market and the public policy implications of this. The module will build on the microeconomic theory and econometrics that students learned in the second year of their programme. 

Module provider

Economics

Module Leader

MCNALLY Sandra (Economics)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 6

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 2

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

Indicative content includes:

-Inequality in education

-Economic and social benefits of education

-Role of families and peers

-School autonomy, choice and accountability

-Investing in education to what extent do resources matter?

-People and practices: teachers, pedagogy and leadership

-Technology in education: a help or a hindrance?

-Vocational education, apprenticeships and training

-Economic issues in higher education

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

n/a

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate: Their understanding of important topics within economics of education and their relevance to policy; the ability to explain and critically evaluate empirical evidence on these topics. Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

Students are assessed by coursework and final examination.

-A coursework written assignment 

-A final examination 

The coursework and examination will enable students to demonstrate their knowledge; their ability to critically evaluate empirical findings and their ability to apply their knowledge in a real-word context. This course will help them apply their economic knowledge in real-world settings that will be directly useful in the workplace. It will also show-case how the framework and methods used by economists can help answer important questions within social science and may inspire some students to pursue post-graduate studies in applied microeconomic topics. The work of recent Nobel-prize winning economists is frequently used (such as Joshua Angrist).

Formative assessment and feedback: Students will be given a worksheet to deepen the knowledge of material covered in the lecture and readings. These will be used within the lectures to encourage student engagement and ensure that students can critically engage with the topics covered. Students will receive written feedback on their coursework assessment  to help them prepare for the exam.

Module aims

• Introduce students to important topics within economics of education and show them how to critically evaluate empirical evidence, including an emphasis on the implications for inequality (links to the University's focus on sustainability).
• Help students understand how their knowledge may be applied in real world settings (links to the University's focus on resourcefulness)

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:

Enhance students’ ability to independently analyse topics within economics of education.

Enhance students’ skills in evaluating education policies and effectively communicate these evaluations in verbal and written form.

The learning and teaching methods include:

- Combined lectures and workshops

- Guided learning will include readings and a worksheet to be completed on a weekly basis.

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: ECO3059

Other information

The School of Economics is committed to developing graduates with strengths in Employability, Digital Capabilities, Global and Cultural Capabilities, Sustainability, and Resourcefulness and Resilience. This module is designed to enhance students' knowledge, skills, and capabilities in the following areas:

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2023/4 academic year.