BEd Educational Leadership & Management (Special)

Introduction

The BEd Educational Leadership and Management (Special) offers learners the opportunity to gain specialist knowledge across the core areas of educational leadership and management. It provides the grounding required for graduates to be functionally competent in this field of study. Learners will have the opportunity to study online toward the enhancement of their leadership and management skills, knowledge, and competencies to meet the new requirements advocated through educational reform for the Caribbean.

The programme is built on three main pillars:

1. A work-based practical approach to facilitate the integration of work-based learning and experience with theories of leadership and management
2. Reflective practice including use of an electronic portfolio to facilitate self assessment of practical leadership and management skills
3. A constructivist approach to knowledge and learning that emphasizes integration of skills, attitudes, knowledge and experience across courses, and collaboration within a community of learners

The assessment structure will be practice-driven and will include an emphasis on case studies, research projects that are grounded in authentic work-based settings.  The assessment will also include group cooperation and collaborations for both oral and written reflective presentations.

Currently, to take this professional, work-based programme the candidate must be employed in an education-related institution – a ministry of education, an institution at the early childhood, primary, secondary or tertiary level – in one of the Caribbean countries serviced by the UWI to ground their courses in practice and to conduct their field experience and Practicum. The UWI Open Campus Country Site (OCCS) facilitates examinations for courses assessed through a traditional face-to-face examination

Who is this programme for?

This programme targets the following categories in the education sector:

• Qualified staff in Ministries of Education (with or without teacher training) e.g. curriculum officers, guidance officers, school supervisors, administrative staff
• Staff within schools e.g. school principals, vice principals, senior teachers, subject teachers, deans, department heads, team leaders
• Other educational leaders, managers and professionals involved in instructional design and management at schools and institutions of higher education

Programme Structure

Duration of Programme

The programme will be offered over 3 years (full-time) and 5 years (part-time).

Award of Degree

In order to be awarded the B.Ed Educational Leadership & Management (special) degree, students must successfully complete the 90 credits as specified in the programme structure.

Delivery Mode

Courses will be delivered using blended learning modalities, including online tutorials, web conferencing and audio conferencing technologies. Learners must have access to a computer and the Internet. Online orientation is conducted before the start of the programme.

When will the programme start?

This programme starts in August and can be completed in a minimum of three academic years.

Entry Requirements

In keeping with the work-based approach to this programme, new entrants:

1. Must have a minimum of one year of working experience in an educational institution and
2. Must be employed in an educational institution – public or private, Ministry of Education - for the duration of the programme.Proof of employment is required. These are essential requirements as the instructional design of the programme and course assessments will be integrated with the work place experience

Normal Level

Applicants should meet normal or lower matriculation AND have an acceptable pass in CXC-CSEC (General Proficiency) Mathematics or its equivalent.

An acceptable pass in English A in an examination of the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC-CSEC), or an acceptable equivalent AND one of the following minimum qualifications:

1.       Holders of CXC-CSEC Certificates, General Certificates of Education (GCE) (or the approved

           equivalents) who satisfy either Scheme A or Scheme B as stated below:

                Scheme A: They possess FIVE (5) subjects of which at least TWO (2) must be GCE

                Advanced Level (A’ Level)* passes, while the remainder may be acceptable passes

                in the CXC-CSEC or GCE O’ Level examinations.

                Scheme B: They possess passes in FOUR (4) subjects of which at least THREE must

                be GCE A’ Level** passes, while the fourth may be an acceptable pass in the CXC-CSEC or

                GCE O' Level examinations.

2.       Holders of Certificates and Diplomas awarded by this University

3.       Holders of an Associate Degree from the UWI, or from approved Caribbean tertiary level

           institutions with a minimum GPA of 2.5

*        Candidates who have passed two two-unit courses in a particular subject area fall

          within the two A’ Level matriculation standard (Reference Scheme A).

**      Six CAPE units, including the two single-unit courses – Caribbean Studies and

         Communication Studies will be accepted under normal matriculation

         (Reference Scheme B)

Lower Level

The following are eligible for lower level matriculation for admission to degree programmes:

1.       Holders of five (5) CXC-CSEC or GCE O’ Level passes or equivalent, not necessarily obtained at the same sitting, as follows:

           (i)      English (A), and

           (ii)     Mathematics or a foreign language, or an approved science (not Health Science),

                    or additional Mathematics or Geography

           (iii)    Three (3) other approved subjects not already counted above.

2.       Persons over the age of 21, who have been out of school for at least five years, on the basis

          of their overall academic and professional attainments.

3.       Holders of one of the approved certificates from the School of Continuing Studies with an

           acceptable pass in English Language

NOTE:     The same subject cannot be counted at both CXC-CSEC General Proficiency and

                  GCE O’ Level.

English Language Proficiency Examination

The English Language Proficiency Test (ELPT) is used to assess whether persons applying to pursue

undergraduate degree programmes at the UWI Open Campus possess a satisfactory level of writing

and reading proficiency in English for university academic purposes. For detailed information on the

ELPT, see English Language Proficiency Test.

Academic Preparation

The following courses do not provide credits for your programme of study but will give you the added benefit of preparing for your academic studies at the UWI Open Campus:

OOL1001     Orientation to Online Learning

IYMS1001    Improving your Math Skills (if applicable)

ECON0001  Remedial Mathematics (if applicable)