Graduate Letters and Comments

The following are extracts (some amended) from letters we have received from Education Studies graduates, commenting on various aspects of their degree.

Hayley Goldring (2.2) graduated 2010

Before we begin, I have to add that this is one of the hardest things I have ever had to write. The experience Education Studies at Winchester has given me is beyond anything I could fully explain. Each and everyone’s experience is personal and different. No soul is the same. A Lecturer once taught me to not overcomplicate things, sounding academic isn’t always the way, but to talk from within, from the heart. Making my ordinary journey everyday, I never once paused for thought, not properly anyway. I wonder how many of us truly do. I joined the University with no expectations or perception of what was to come. Maybe you are feeling somewhat anxious yourselves. This is a good feeling, and it is one that is needed to be embraced!

For me in reality, the end of my journey became evidently, my new beginning. (T.S.Elliot, 1942). I came to University a nobody but with the help of Education Studies I left a somebody. Education involves a much wider participation than I had imagined. All in one, I was taught an education I had not experienced before. Education Studies at Winchester puts your mind in the centre of education. It becomes the time of new adventure where in particular for me I learnt something new. An education of me.

Being taught the current issues as they stand today and how they have developed through time involves relating to a wide variety of criteria which are experienced in everyday life. Elements of philosophy, ecology, feminism, childhood, diversity, sociology all combine together throughout this degree. This is what makes each and every hour overwhelming. It is amazing how many contradictions you can be faced with but it is these that bring out your judgement and views. The first year is all about your experiences. This is vital to the beginning of your degree as it is what has led you to this stage today. The second year brings together these vital experiences and relates them to theory. This enables a better understanding of ourselves, of who we have become and why. The third year develops this even further by our voices being born!

You are about to embark on a remarkable course which words cannot do justice. This degree was my struggle, but a struggle I needed to become what I have become today. It brought out me and it can do so for you too.

Jon White (1^st) graduated 2010

Doing Education Studies as a degree was like being thrown on to a bouncy castle. You bounce up and down, your life being shaken and transformed after every bounce. It can be a confusing, dizzy experience, it can feel like you’re struggling to maintain the momentum, or even cope with the sensation of having your world being bounced around. When you bounce up, you can see greater distances than before; the horizons of life broadening, the vast reality of life becoming clear...you begin to see the world in a larger perspective. This in itself can become a dialectic tension between enlightenment and transcending awe, where you feel like you understand so much more, but then realise that you understand less. As you bounce you wrestle with the sights you see, trying to comprehend the depth of the scenes that you are presented with, while trying to manage the rhythm and occasional stress of the bouncy castle. But as you continue this difficult and demanding experience, confidence is quietly manifesting, sometimes unnoticed. As a result you bounce higher, seeing more wondrous sights and scenes for you to admire and struggle with. And as you see more and more, you begin to see that the horizon is not the end of the challenges, marvels and miracles...but only the beginning.

There are others around you who are bouncing with you, some bouncing at different heights to you. But all of these people, no matter how high they are bouncing, are watching you...they watch each other, supporting each other, encouraging each other, wrestling with the many sights that they see individually as one.

And of course, it’s a whole load of fun.

Sammy Pickard (2.2) Education Studies and Dance, graduated 2010.

I came to the University of Winchester with only 4 GCSE’s (A-C) and 1 A-level. I felt honoured to be accepted onto my degree combining Dance and Education Studies. I originally only took Education Studies as a means to filling my degree for the first year, with the intention of changing to 100% Dance in my second. Little did I know that that Education Studies would become my lifeline and my favourite subject.

If I had to pinpoint my favourite modules in the degree it would be studying inclusion and disability. When I started my degree I had recently diagnosed with Dyslexia. It was something that had always been overlooked at school and college. I was anxious about how people would view me, what support I would get and how on earth I was going to succeed alongside my peers. Studying on the inclusion modules enabled me to understand that every individual should have measures adapted and implemented so every individual had the chance to shine. Another favourite module was Holocaust Education. It gave me deeper insight and the opportunity to question and attempt to answer what my own true feelings were on such a horrific event.

The degree was very well structured and this helped me greatly. Assignments were well planned, so they rarely overlapped, meaning I could put all of my focus on one assignment at a time. The study resources available to students were a great support. All of the lecturers were always readily available to advise and support me in their own unique ways, helping me to reach answers without telling me what to think. The Learning Cafe was my saviour in my final two years. I think I lived in there! The endless supply of coffee and food when needed whilst madly writing essays helped me to stay focused. It made essay writing so much more relaxed.

I have left the university with a much extended knowledge of philosophy and of education. I certainly never look twice at someone with learning difficulties or disabilities and am easily able to communicate with them. I feel I understand much more now thanks to the education I have received about myself and about others. I have develop a great deal of confidence, I no longer see myself as a ‘thick’ individual but as someone who, with a bit of support, can do many things. I am now happy in life and strive to continue with my plans for the future. I still want to dance professionally but I want to go on to open a dance school in which everyone can be included and everyone, with the right support can achieve to the best of their ability and above all, have fun, because that’s what education is really all about learning in a fun and happy environment.

I would like to thank all the staff on the Education Studies team for their help, their support and the friendship over the years and Education Studies now takes pride in my life... without Education Studies, I would be a completely different person and maybe not for the better.

Amy Barrett (2.1) graduated 2010

I remember sitting in quite a large lecture room, not knowing anyone and thinking to myself, “why am I at University, and why am I taking this degree?” I did not know what was in store for me over the next three years.

It is very difficult to put the experience of Education Studies that I had into words. Not one person will have the same experience of this degree and each will face their own challenges which they, in time will overcome. Education Studies is a degree where, what you get out of it is not only a result at the end, but where you find yourself as a person and come to believe in yourself and what you can achieve in life.

I never had a clear vision of what education meant, that is until I found myself studying this degree. The question ‘where does education start and end?’ is one which a student will find themselves thinking about more often throughout the degree. It is one where you reflect on your own education of the past, and education of the future. A very wise professor once said “to become what we are is to gain a mind of our own” (Tubbs, 2004: xxvi). Education Studies develops your mind and soul in a way you thought education wouldn’t be able to. By the time year three approaches, you are able to have more of a relationship with theories you are working through, and become passionate about something which is part of us as living beings. The degree offers a unique journey of oneself, it is demanding and challenging but that struggle is worth it every time an assignment is handed in.

The passion which the lecturers have for their work and for their students is beyond anything I have experienced in education before. To see that there are people willing you on and helping you to develop your own growth as an individual really makes the experience of Education studies worthwhile. It has been more than a degree to me, it has moulded me into the type of person I want to be today and for the future. It will be an experience I will never forget and which I am truly thankful for.

Where does education begin and end? From a personal perspective, the ‘end’ of my degree was by no means a conclusion. My dissertation amounted to a great deal more than the culmination of accumulated facts of my four years at University. It bore witness to my personal discovery of the challenges and possibilities that exist in philosophical thinking and how it enriches the educative and moral experience. The Education Studies programme encouraged me to reach into the past and reflect of my own educational journey to higher education in terms of the social, moral and political framework in which my experience and understanding of education continues to be formed. Introduction to the philosophical thinkers such as Plato, Rousseau, Marx and Durkheim began unfolding of the aporetic nature of education. The iconoclastic ‘What is a Child’ and the subsequent module ‘Loss of Childhood’ disturbed our notions of what it is to be a child; a parent; a teacher in the light of science, philosophy and iconography. Increasingly I found the boundaries between past present and future blurring in a Nietzschean[1] style circle in which ‘all things are bound fast together in such a way’ that each moment draws after it future things and therefore draws itself too. It was exiting, perplexing and challenging. By Year Three the relationship to the work changed. I felt empowered to express my own voice through the theoretical perspectives that had been offered. Above all the Tutors practice what they preach. There are no quick fix answers; no resolutions, just a commitment to the ‘personal, social, ethical and spiritual development of the student’[2] in the pursuit of experience as education. After going to nine schools in eleven years I left at 16 with 2GCE’s and the belief that I was not academically minded. I fought hard over the next quarter of a century to reinstate the notion that I could be academic but it took Education Studies and their commitment to thought as education for me to finally recognise that illusive prize was always in my grasp. I now understand my education as a continuous process, a process of existential commitment to the possibilities of thinking as praxis. I recognise the significance of my relation to the experience of education. As I stood in the Cathedral on that perfect of graduation days I thought ‘No Nigel…no way would I take the degree and run. Not for all the tea in china would I have missed the last four years. Thank you; all of you - tutors and students alike for supporting me and bestowing me with a belief in myself. As the philosopher Gillian Rose once said ‘I want to stay in the fray exploring the difficulties in which I engage as a means to articulate my life’. [3]

P.S. in the words of a certain tutor ‘Rock on’ Ed Studies!

[1] Nietzsche, F. (1961) So Spake Zarathustra, London, Penguin

[2] Education Studies prospectus

[3] Rose, G. (1999) Paradiso, London, Menard Press

Having agreed to write a few lines talking about what Education Studies has meant to me, I now have no idea where to start! It was enjoyable . . . interesting . . . challenging. I’m grateful . . .changed . . .sorry to leave; none of these come near to an accurate description of the last two years.

I joined the Education Studies course at the beginning of the second year. I was nervous. Had I done the right thing in transferring? I had left the Primary BA at the end of the first year – a decision that I did not take lightly. I was one of those people who had always wanted to teach; I saw it as a vocation. The fact that I was quickly bored on the course and unhappy on my placement felt like a great failure on my part.

However, as I tackled my first Education Studies assignments, grappled with new and complex theories and still had time to squeeze in a weekly pub quiz (we always did appallingly!), I soon settled into the rhythm of my new course. Whilst the tutors demonstrated a wide variety of teaching styles, they were united in their obvious enthusiasm and the support and genuine care that they showed their students was unfailing. I became more certain that I had made the right choice.

I think it was Postmodernism that ‘broke’ me. Having previously kept my faith and my education in separate boxes, I looked at them both together with new eyes. If post-modern thought was right then I was wrong and if I was wrong then everything that I held to be true was, at the very least, seriously questionable. Education suddenly became about risk-taking. As I started reading for my dissertation I discovered that I could no longer take comfort in my faith, an experience that I found extremely painful. Frustration, struggle, uncertainty, utter bewilderment intermingled with excitement, immense satisfaction and a new-found drive to work defined the year that I spent studying for and writing my dissertation. Nigel pushed me to read a huge variety of texts that challenged me from all angles but he sensitively supported me throughout.

After careful consideration I applied to do a Secondary RE PGCE at Southampton, which I will be starting in September. The teaching ‘bug’ refuses to leave me and the enthusiasm of the Education Studies staff has only helped it to develop into a passion for the excitement to be found in the difficulty of education. If I can give to my own future students a fraction of the support and, perhaps most importantly, fun (albeit in a slightly bizarre form!) that I have experienced on Education Studies then I’ll have done well.

If there is a god to call me then I am called to teach. If there is no such god then the call comes from within. In either case, Education Studies has left me ready, willing and able to respond.

Kimberly Griffiths (2.1) Education Studies and Theology and Religious Studies 2000-2003

It is with both ease and difficulty that I write this. On the one hand it is extremely easy to reflect upon my time as an Education Studies student. However, the difficulty emerges when trying to convey in words, the wonder and sense of discovery that I experienced during my degree course.

My plan had always been to study Religion and Theology, areas that I felt I knew well and had always held a fascination for me. However, after a talk given by Nigel about the course, a subject that I had never once considered before, I knew that it was something I had to study. Prior to starting the course, I had tried to imagine what it would be like and thought that I had a good idea of what it would offer me. I am more than happy to say that I was wrong in my predictions and very quickly realised that what Education Studies was offering me was much better than anything I could ever have been capable of knowing beforehand.

The course offered a unique journey that was full of uncertainty, challenged my thinking and encouraged a deeper examination of my own ideas and values, as well as the work of the thinkers that I was studying. The course demanded things of me that, although difficult, seemed to contain a truth that spoke to me in a way that nothing else had before. It was difficult and unsettling to find that the wall of ‘understanding’ that I thought I had built was being demolished brick by brick but at the same time I found this to be a thoroughly liberating experience.

I also realised that my preconception of what a lecturer would be like was challenged. Throughout my time as a student it was a great comfort to know that all of the Education Studies lecturers were always available to seek advice from or simply to talk to. The holistic approach to Higher Education that the department takes is something that is felt immediately. Education Studies is more than a course, the lecturers are dedicated to the development and growth of individuals in every sense and I feel privileged to have had this unique experience. I am currently coming to the end of my NQT year as an RE teacher and know that every aspect of my role as a teacher is shaped and informed by the experience that I had with Education Studies and continue to have.

The whole experience of doing a degree in Education Studies was both challenging and liberating! I have excellent and unique memories of my time doing education studies. It is, however, quite difficult to reflect and write about such a personal experience in a few paragraphs, though I will attempt to do so.

The biggest challenge was learning new concepts about education, coming to terms with educational theory and undoing pre-conceived ideas about education before starting the degree. Initially it was difficult to understand the theory and, at the beginning, it appeared as if all the modules were working in isolation from one another. It was only during the latter part of the second year and into the third year that I could begin to make sense of the theory and see how all the individual modules interlinked and how and why they were relevant to education. Studying different aspects of education, such as gender, race, social class and early years education, was fascinating and really made one think about wider educational issues. I have found that examining education in its widest sense is very useful in the work place, especially if you are in a people-facing role.

The greatest challenge (until the very end anyway) was standing up in front of an audience and participating in debates and presentations, as they seemed pointless and meaningless during my studies. I am now very glad that they were part of the degree, as the experience gained doing them, has proved invaluable. I learned how to overcome this fear and polish my presentation skills, whilst doing the degree. I am now able to give presentations confidently within my role at Sure Start, something that I would not be able to do if I had not had the opportunity to build my skills in this area, during my studies.

Education Studies, is perhaps seen by some, as a less demanding degree, than ‘so called’ traditional routes to teaching, such as BA QTS and BEd. Yet, I would argue, that Education Studies is equally demanding in terms of content and workload as the traditional routes. I have memories of working into the small hours to complete essays that were due in the next day! Doing education studies is not for those who shirk away from a challenge, as it is all encompassing! It encourages you to juggle and examine who you are as a person and really (towards the end) helps you to home in on and perfect time management skills!

There were a number of challenges throughout the three years but I found the staff very supportive, as they were always available if you needed them to offer constructive criticism, listen and encourage you. The Education Studies website and the little blue (essay) writing book were also invaluable resources throughout my degree.

The best part of all is realising that the three years hard slog is over and that you are about to graduate! Suddenly the all nighters, ripped up rough drafts of essays and daunting presentations are all worth while!

It is difficult to put into a few words what the degree meant to me. At the beginning it meant a lot of hard work and essay deadlines, and although this didn’t change it meant more as the degree continued and more again in hindsight.

The degree in Education Studies did what it said on the box – we began with our experiences in the 1^st year, shut up and listened to what others had to say in the 2^nd year and in the 3^rd year we tried to bring the two together, with varying amounts of success. I remember being asked, if we were offered the degree in one hand and 3 years of work in the other, which would we pick. Even then I recall picking the 3 years, but without realising how valuable the 3 years would be.

From a short distance away, the degree meant the luxury (yes, luxury) of being able to think, to question, and think some more. It meant being able to follow the thoughts through the struggle while certainty was stripped away, leaving what came to be known as the abyss. It also meant finding out that the abyss was not so bad, and teetering on the edge could be exhilarating and despairing at the same time.

The degree meant to me, a realisation that I could do this, not always, but sometimes and in the end I did do it. It taught me not to be afraid to follow the thoughts, even when I did not always like them. It showed me some wonderful thoughts of those I had not even known existed and thoughts that I had not realised had been thought. It also taught me not to be afraid of philosophy, it is only thoughts. It also found answers and no answers, or answers that changed.

I look back on my time struggling with the degree with a sort of gratitude. The sort of gratitude that realises that I was lucky to have the time, the space and the encouragement and stimulation that allowed me to have 3 years of learning and thinking. I feel it answered the question ‘what is education’.

Julie decided to represent her own experience of the course using more visual means:-

When Nigel asked me to write a piece about the degree course, a mixture of thoughts came to mind! Mainly because my opinion of the course content has changed since embarking on a PGCE course this year.

While I was at King Alfred’s I found the philosophy behind the education system, and the course, fascinating. I found that modules such as ‘Citizenship Education’, ‘Philosophy of the Teacher’ and ‘Power of the Teacher’ provided a solid foundation into understanding the education system both in England and globally, from Ancient Greece to present day!

The many debates over what education really is and how can we teach it, at the time (although often heated and mind-blowing) did not really seem to be directly linked to the classroom in which I hoped to be teaching one day. However, as soon as I set foot in my first school experience classroom, I realised how much the Education Studies course had changed and developed my way of thinking. Not just in the area of educational philosophy, but overall as an individual.

I began to notice how Plato and Socrates have influenced the way in which children learn. Also how pioneers such as Montessori, have made their mark in daily education. I also found that I have a balanced view of the National Curriculum and other such Government schemes, which has aided me in becoming an individual teacher.

In conclusion, I would have to say that I am glad I followed the route into education that I did as I feel that I have an advantage over my peers who studies straight BA courses. This is not just due to the course content but the people who believe enough in education to teach with the enthusiasm and support that they do.

It is difficult to describe how profound an effect the Education studies degree has had on me personally. What I found in Education Studies took me by surprise. It was as though I’d stumbled across, quite by accident, the very thing I’d been looking for if I’d been able to define it.

Here is a course which recognises and works with the gap we experience between ourselves and society and ourselves and our own thinking. Education Studies does not compartmentalise itself as merely another academic exercise but includes the whole person within its ‘agenda’.

This gap – which tells us there is something missing – a longing for certainty in the midst of uncertainty, a thirst for knowledge, a longing for meaning and significance in a story larger than ourselves, is where our learning takes place.

In a world where the emphasis is so much on performance, efficiency, competence and control., Education Studies touches on a deeper aspect of the human spirit where – I feel as least – our longing for transcendence is given voice to.

I do not think that it is all our outward successes and achievements which make us educated in the true sense but, rather, our own failures and incompetence make our education possible. An important lesson which I have learnt is that no question or thought is insignificant.

After graduating last summer (2001) all that I learned on the degree has very much remained with me, impacting all areas of my life. I am due to continue my studies this September as I wish to explore in greater depth, the thinking which I started on the degree.

To begin with, I didn’t choose Education Studies, Education Studies chose me. I had originally applied for a place on the QTS course. However, this was over-subscribed and I transferred to Education Studies. It did not take me long to settle in and realise that the decision to transfer was the right one.

Looking back now., I would have been easy, too easy, to enter into a teaching degree straight away after finishing my own ‘education’. There were questions still left unanswered, both from my own education and from work experience training that I had carried out in a local primary school. My experience in Education Studies helped me to realise and face those difficult questions in three stages:

Year One – Reflecting on my own experience in education, how it made me feel as a person, as a student, how the Government had decided the course my education should take. We also examined ‘Great Educators’ – people such as Socrates and Buddha and their own thinking behind being a teacher (or not, as in Socrates’ case.)

Year Two – My own experience was abandoned as we examined theories behind education. We explored Plato, Marx, Montessori and their ideas on childhood, social construction and education. Here were theories which we could react towards, against and compromise with. In summary, Year Two continued my reflection on education but on a much wider level than Year One.

Year Three – Perhaps the most challenging as experience and theory became combined to produce a new experience. We could now address issues concerning education today such as race, ethnicity, gender. I now felt equipped to deal with those difficult questions from Year Thirteen.

And what of those difficult questions? Two which stand out the most from my experience of Education Studies are ‘What is a child?’ and ‘What is Education?’ I remember Nigel noting that on teaching course these questions were never really asked. To me, these are the most important questions to ask when becoming a teacher and I am glad that we considered these concepts in depth. Previously, I had thought of children as vessels to be filled with knowledge. However, I realised that they were people with their own agenda, who have a world to explore and who need to explore it in their own time. The teacher, to me, is no longer a supplier of knowledge but someone who can support a child through their exploration of the world. This, to me, is education.

My own experience of Education Studies reflects this. Nigel, Janice, Derek, Jane and Anne have all supported my education in some way. When we began lectures, there was a sense that our own educators were also learning, that everyone, including the lecturers, was exploring together. In this way, we explored more possibilities than we could have ever done if it was just a teacher and a lesson transcript. The tutor group always had time to answer any questions both in and out of lectures (and even during QAA inspections) and became friends as they realised our struggles were the same. Their ideas on life-long learning have become my own and through the graduate education studies, I can keep on learning and questioning education.

I am currently taking a year out, working in a local primary school on a voluntary basis. This has been beneficial for two reasons. One, I was no longer sure if I wanted to teach. My experience in the school, has made me aware that teaching, or at least some involvement in education, may still form part of my life. Two, I was concerned about the theory I met in Education Studies would be compromised in teaching. Luckily, I work with an excellent teacher who has shown me that it is possible to be a reflective practitioner.

I greatly enjoyed the historical element of my studies, seeing how educational thinking and theories link in together. Also discovering how ideas and philosophies began, and watching them unfold before me, whilst coming to the realisation that this unfolding process was still continuing today. Seeing how ideas of the past link in with current educational practice, and wondering where these would lead in the future. There was never a sense of standing still and assessing ‘education past’, but always the excitement of linking the past to the present, and then the anticipation of the future of ‘education’. This was particularly pronounced when, in my final year, we looked at Higher Education, and reflected on the process we were just completing.

Furthermore, the course structure allowed me to develop my own ideas further. For me, the Education Studies Degree was a personal journey, which lead into an individual pathway of study. My own struggles and beliefs were not swept under the carpet or counted as irrelevant, but I was positively encouraged by tutors to explore these issues.

For example, my personal struggle with some elements of philosophy was explored through a Private Study Module. I was encouraged by tutors to address these struggles and, in my final year, took the difficult step of putting my own thinking to paper and challenging these philosophies. This was really hard to do. My studies at this point became extremely personal and often painful, but now I am really pleased that I had the courage to do it.

When I first started King Alfred’s College in 1998, taking a course in English and Education Studies, I had no idea just how challenging and fascinating Education Studies was to become.

My education up until my time at king Alfred’s College had never given me the inclination to apply myself 100% to any given subject. To my great surprise I found a course, in Education Studies, that proved to be totally absorbing. The lectures were so stimulating that my brain often went into overdrive (something that doesn’t often happen!). The quality, encouragement and support of the Ed. Studies Department’s inspirational staff were pivotal in enabling me to achieve a First Class degree.

I am presently undertaking a PGCE secondary course in English at Southampton University and the Education component of my first degree has yet again proved invaluable. The emotional demands of this course have been eased by my philosophy of education that I was able to build through my time with the Education Studies department. On a daily basis, in the classroom, I find myself striving to recognise the individuality of each pupil and to make every effort to make their learning experience my top priority (something that isn’t always easy in a system governed by results). Learning to see and treat the students as 30 individuals rather than a single body has proved fundamental, particularly in my second school placement, where the behaviour of some students has often been challenging and whereby different teaching methods have been required to cater for the needs of all in the classroom.

One thing that Education Studies has taught me is the need for the teacher to continually learn from their students. My time in school so far has shown me that no two lessons have been or ever will be the same. It is this that makes every day so challenging.

It is these principles that I hope to take with me through my career in teaching and my thanks go to all in the Education Studies Department for giving me the chance to really ‘think’ about what ‘education’ means before entering a classroom.

Last summer, after finishing my degree I received a letter from Nigel asking me to put my experiences of Education Studies on the web. At first I thought this seemed easy. However, it was difficult to explain just how much the course taught me, both educationally and personally.

On the first day of my degree, Nigel asked the group 'if I held your degree certificate in one hand and three years hard work in the other, which would you choose?' Of course we all said the first option. However, three years later the risk of challenge has radically changed both my views of education and of myself.

Year 1 was a time for reflection on my own educational experience. This gave me the chance to voice my own opinions and feelings about education, while learning to listen to others. Important skills such as presenting and partaking in debates were also learnt during this year. During this time I also has the opportunity to discover the many different educational issues, such as power, gender, race etc., and it was here that my interest in educational philosophy began. Year 2 gave me the choice of more theory-based modules that enabled me to follow my chosen path. These modules focused mainly on the philosophical theory of education. Here I learnt the ideas of both modern and post-modern theorists among many others, and as the year progressed I found myself starting to become critical of the theories I was learning about. Year 3 was a time for the critique of both familiar and unfamiliar theoretical ideas. This year was the most challenging but at the same time the most rewarding. I was able to bring together my own experiences alongside the theory I'd learnt in order to begin critiquing. From my interest in theory and its practice within education I decided on a theory based dissertation, which after progressing through a number of stages resulted in a dissertation concerned with the ever-returning practice to theory.

The entire course, and in particular the dissertation gave me the opportunity to risk learning about learning. Every theoretical idea studied gave me the opportunity for questioning, an opportunity that allowed me not only to broaden my own educational ideas, but also to question myself and my role within education. This risk of having to question education and myself was at times both daunting and exciting.

Since graduating I have embarked on a PGCE course at Oxford Brookes University. Having just completed my first teaching practice with a Year 6 class I have begun to fully understand just how much as degree in education studies will and is helping me to become a teacher. I feel I have learnt the skills that ensure I recognize both my needs as a learner and those of the children I teach. I want to be able to give the children the education they deserve and I believe education studies has given me the best foundation for this. Rather than education being a narrow and restrictive experience I want to open the barriers to ensure that each individual child 'captures' the love of learning that I have.

This love of learning would not be anywhere as easy to 'catch' if it weren't for the lecturers. The staff's enthusiasm for their subjects was infectious and never failed to keep me enthusiastic. There were always there to help and guide me, while giving me the space to create and develop my own ideas (even if this was scary at times!). For a soon to be newly qualified teacher I can only hope that I offer my pupils the education that I was privileged to have enjoyed. It is now time to put my theory into practice.

Now that I have finished college there are a few modules that stay in my mind... These modules are the ones that covered topics such as racism, gender equality and power. When I first left college I worked for a sales company. The workforce was the most culturally diverse that I have ever witnessed... What I had learned during my time on the Education Studies course became important. I was quickly moved from sales to the administration department where I helped recruitment and personnel understand a bit more about the people who were working for them. There were many problems that the company faced with such a diverse workforce…, and what I had studied at college came in helpful for me and my employers.

I believe my time on the Education Studies course has made me very critical. I now find myself listening closely to the news etc and forming strong opinions and also telling anybody who is near about them.

Since leaving college, knowing that I know nothing in philosophical terms has been daunting yet reassuring at times. Understanding the world of contradiction is really what I have taken from the Education Studies course. There are also many positive things I have gained from the course such as the ability to stand up confidently and make presentations, the ability to work by myself and good communication skills.

My modular degree in English and education study approved to be the most in relating and rewarding experience of minor.

Year one of Education Studies enabled me to reflect on my own educational experiences…

In Year 2, philosophical and theoretical perspectives were explored… for me personally these were extremely difficult issues and I struggled with the module content and reading. During the year I was also considering my own future as a teacher and I changed direction and decided not to pursue this path as a career. Directly or in directly due to the philosophical issues raised in the modules, it is difficult to say, but it directed me towards making a change in my degree as I changed the pathway structure…

Overall, it is my opinion that some modules in year two proved critically and analytically more difficult than some offered in year three, but this is very much a personal issue. I very much enjoyed the structure and subjects addressed within the year one modules, exploring the various disciplines and their impact on education, as well as the variety offered by the assessment structure…

I have veered away from teaching as a future, and pursued a career in recruitment. I have approached my employer as to his thoughts on my skills brought from my education experience. He felt the degree showed tenacity, staying power and learning capability. Personally, I feel that the whole experience has given me greater confidence, analytical skills, made me more aware of topical issues and given me an inquiring mind and further confidence to analyse theoretical issues.

The Education Studies programme helped me to consider and reflect upon education in a variety of ways that were most helpful. I particularly enjoyed the modules on educational social theories, teacher/student ‘power’ theories and educational philosophy. These modules challenged my preconceptions, and forced me to look at education in ways that, for me, where new and diverse. Yet, at the same time, the study of certain theories and arguments helped to further confirm my own views and beliefs... This all led to a greater awareness of educational issues and viewpoints past and present, which in turn leads to a more balanced and informed capacity to reason.

As a mature student I found to that I could ‘come to the table’ with strong views and well thought out ideas and concepts, as well as a propensity to chew (or spit out) before swallowing everything we heard. Education Studies encouraged us to question, challenge, and critically analyse everything from Plato to post modernism and back again.

A module that dealt with spiritual and moral education was also very helpful in that it complemented my main degree subject - religious studies, whilst adding an educational dimension with its implications for teachers, students and schools. Likewise, in the third year educational philosophy module I was able to tie education and religion together in a written essay assignment. It was interesting and rewarding to see how Education Studies complemented other subject areas within the Combined Honours Programme, often adding extra depth and contour to concepts that appeared throughout undergraduate study...

The objectives of the programme certainly seemed to build year upon year, so there was a real sense of development and continuum which allowed for deep reflection...

In more generic terms, Education Studies has helped me to debate and argue rationally and (hopefully) more sensitively, to research widely and thoroughly beyond the prescribed text, and to make links across the denominational boundaries of academic discipline. It was a valuable opportunity to step back from the learning of ‘something’ and consider the process of learning itself, the ‘why’ of education. Vocationally, I hope, within some context, to teach, and therefore Education Studies has been invaluable, but it has also been of personal benefit as a student, a thinker, a communicator, as well as a teacher. I embarked upon the course not quite knowing what to expect, but was not disappointed - if anything, it has left me wanting more!

The educational experience was one that gave us the freedom to choose which particular area to concentrate on, and what interested us in particular about a subject was often researched further during the essays as titles were not always ‘set in stone’.

The seminars were conducted in a relaxed fashion, with everyone feeling free to ask as many questions as they liked; even when these questions were slightly obscure the discussion was steered back to the original point and the questions incorporated in the theme of the seminar.

Whilst lecturers were always available, self-discipline was always encouraged. This transition to mature study was evident throughout the programme.

I felt challenged by often difficult subject matter, but once the initial fear and confusion was worked through it was a confidence boost to know you had read and understood difficult texts. The nature of education was explored using many different theorists. A commitment to learning and education was generated which I still have today.

The development and progression and aimed for was always made clear through summaries and learning objectives given to us at the start of each module.

This course encourages its students to extend their research into areas of education which interest them, and the range of modules offered are very challenging. Had I known how interesting and useful Plato's writings are I would have studied them much sooner. This course has enabled me to understand and evaluate my own educational experience and to see both its positive and negative aspects. It is not just what is taught on this course which is useful to students but also the process which many students go through when studying Education Studies… because many of the methods taught are important to any undergraduate mode of study. The transferable skills, such as presentations, note taking, report and essay writing, and the debates are helpful in many walks of life especially in the workplace. Employers that I have encountered often don't know what Education Studies entails but the skills we have developed on the course are often of use to them. Overall the freedom to study which Education Studies gives its students allows people to use their initiative which is a skill many employers look for. Also the confidence in your own ability that this course gives it students makes many of us determined to succeed in whatever we do.

For me this course has rebuilt my self-confidence. It has enabled me to succeed but it has also encouraged me to continue my studies in education because there is so much research that I want to do. It is often said that once students reach the end of their three years as undergraduate Education Studies students they realise what the course was all about. This is a statement I believe to be applicable to my course of study because it's a process of discovery which affects not just the way students study but also how they live their lives. It is more of the philosophy than an education. It has also encouraged me to evaluate all areas of my life and to set new objectives and goals for myself. I am looking for a job in Hampshire’s local education office because I want to apply directly what I have learned on my course. This does not just include the philosophical, but also includes what I have learned about the application of education in schools. This includes the importance of history, gender and ethnicity in the school experience.

This course offers many different avenues of study and caters to almost all interests. The mandatory modules cover the basic issues associated with education whilst the optional modules allow students to follow their own research interests... One of the most useful aspects of this course is the opportunity for students to assess their own educational experience, an option that is not offered in many other courses...

If I had to pick one thing that I believed to be the most important thing that this course has taught me, it would be that education is a lifelong process. Overall this is one of the most valuable lessons a student can take away with them, the passion to learn more about the world.

Although I only studied Education Studies as a subsidiary subject I found the topics to be informative and enjoyable.

The aim of my studies at King Alfred us was to provide a sound academic base in preparation for a PGCE in physical education (secondary level). To achieve this my choice of subjects was geared around… providing transferable knowledge and skills.

‘Education and Social Theory’ was in fact my favourite module within Education Studies. I found it interesting and enjoyable on both an academic and personal level and I am sure that this is in part due to the tutor’s presentation of the subject.

The subjects studied in my final year, ‘Race and Ethnicity’ and ‘Special Education’ were both very informative and provided a good foundation for my transfer to the teaching profession especially as the school I am currently placed in has more than a third of its pupils on the SEN register.

Having read the list of aims and objectives I feel that the department has been successful in attaining all of these within the course. For me the time spent at King Alfred’s was both educational and enjoyable and the quality of the staff was excellent. As a result I would not hesitate in recommending it to others.

I did not know what King Alfred’s College had in store for me when I came five years ago but I knew, against all the odds and with the bit between my teeth, that it was something I had to do. Even then, the content of the Education Studies course in the undergraduate prospectus sounded the most interesting, flexible and one which I particularly warmed to. I know now that the teaching philosophy within the department is so very open - and this is borne out in so many areas - but in particular it is the hard working support and encouragement from all the tutors in our academic achievements/ ‘struggles’ which strikes a very fond cord and which cannot be underestimated!!

As a rep. I have been lucky to hear the views of many students who have expressed their views in a positive way, yet those students, especially as third years, have felt confident to challenge matters which they would like to change and also use the lectures and seminars in a flexible way that complements their study. The rep. meetings have always been an open and honest forum of debate.

My own personal achievement has been huge – academic rigour aside – the experience is one that will always remain with me, and one that strikes a very deeply within. Even as a mature student at the ripe for age of 38, I have made unexpected discoveries and have reached a real sense of contentment and contemplation. Yet in my newly- found Socratic wisdom I am sure that life’s challenges will continue to assert themselves and King Alfred’s has prepared me for that.

I only completed years two and three of the course because I transferred from a teacher training degree with Religious Studies, of which I had completed one-year, to a BA (Hons) Religious Studies (main) and Education Studies (subsidiary). I transferred from the teacher training because I felt that aspects which I considered essential to the professional training of a teacher were absent and that I was likely to find some of them, having read the course prospectus, in Education Studies. I felt that the compulsory modules, ‘Education and Social Theory’ and ‘Theories of Teaching and Learning’ were particularly relevant for anyone wishing to enter the teaching profession. In addition they provided an essential framework for the other modules on offer enabling students to ground their thinking in education.

I would like to draw particular attention to the two modules ‘Power of the Teacher’ and ‘Dialectic of Enlightenment’… They gave me the framework from which to learn and reflect on the relationship between philosophy, politics and ideology and use this for critical evaluation. This input affected all my other modules in both fields and I feel contributed significantly to the fact that I obtained a First Class degree. Also in terms of my personal development I feel I have the tools of analysis to understand the world around me far better and have greater resources from which to draw in decision-making. I would like to add that that (the) style of presentation particularly in ‘Dialectic of Enlightenment’ gave students the opportunity to immerse themselves in dilemma; for me this was one of the most valuable aspects of the degree.

My more negative criticisms of the courses I attended mainly concern assessment and dependence on IT resources for the promulgation of information.

I wish that the professional resources available to students of Education Studies were an integral part of teacher training. I believe that it would enhance the teaching profession beyond measure.

Since graduating I have been working for the department of Environment, transport and the Regions (DETR)…

I have thought a lot about what I have gained from my degree apart from a certificate. I feel above everything else that I am completely different person. I find that I am constantly thinking about all sorts of concepts in a different way. When I first started at King Alfred’s College and you asked us asked to write down what we thought ‘education’ was for, I thought I knew. To be honest with you, I thought it was a pointless question to ask! Why would we be going to study ‘Education Studies’ if we didn't even know what education was? I can now see, however, that what I believed in the first place was there to be challenged and throughout the whole degree course I challenged all my beliefs and thoughts on education and other subjects too. Having said that I don't think that I have arrived as a definite decision about what it is. So, although I have lost some knowledge that I thought I had… I can now see the importance of thinking about the subject and the way that I did and still do.

The course as a whole was demanding. It encouraged us to think about our own education, was thought-provoking and exciting. The teaching staff were inspiring; the love for their subjects and their career was also so apparent. Particular aspects of the degree enabled me to develop crucial skills necessary for the workplace. The oral presentations, although initially really daunting, allowed me to gain confidence in speaking before others, facilitated the development of team working skills, and skills of constructive criticism - both giving and receiving. My ability to research a subject area also improved considerably. The essays allowed me to develop skills of written communication, critical analysis and written style. The content of the modules allowed us to examine both contemporary theorists and classical theorists... In addition... we were encouraged to think about education in terms of the implications of some theories of teaching and learning on educational practice.

My Education Studies course allowed me to develop as a person. My self confidence grew, I developed presentation skills, I was introduced to politics and developed skills in analysing and critically assessing my own work...

In the first year of the course I was asked to reflect on my own education and to take part in debates and presentations. This helped me to gather new skills in talking to people and in getting my ideas across in a better manner.

The final year is the most appropriate to what am doing now. This is because my appraisal are based on my own reflections of my own development.

During my time at King Alfred’s I found the tutors easy to approach on most occasions. I was challenged throughout my time there and enjoyed the choice in modules.

Having embarked on an PGCE course Education Studies has already proven to be an extremely good basis to build upon. A proportion of the course involves Education and Professional Studies covering topics from classroom management to race and gender which were covered within the Education Studies course, so I have found (my) subject matter knowledge in some fields is of a higher standard than many of my colleagues…

Presentations formed a major part of the course and while there were reservations about standing up and talking in front of fellow students at the start, these worries were soon dismissed with more practice. Presentations gave me the ability to feel more confident about voicing my opinions and debating issues while also coming to terms with ICT. This type of assessment also gave immediate feedback from tutors and colleagues in terms of questions and peer assessment. Standing up and talking about something that you knew nothing about six weeks earlier and then talking about it for 30 minutes was an extremely good way of coming to terms with theorists.

My final year project in Education Studies enabled to me to engage in an in-depth study in an area of my choosing and I found myself constantly drawing upon key aspects and practices I had adopted in my first two years, (including) how to present and reference material. I was constantly challenged by my tutor and had constant support when required even during the vacation.

Being able to put my own and my fellow students views across in field meetings where I could openly discuss the progression of modules and reservations was just another part of the educational experience. Student views were given consideration and as in the lectures we could to some extent have control over our learning.

The progression of the course through the three years was paced extremely well. I progressed from just being challenged by tutors at the start to finally being able to challenge their ideas as well as theorists.

Year One of the Education Studies course give students the chance to build their confidence by taking part in group discussions and debates. The first year of the course helps students with basics such as how to conduct research for essays and how to write essays. Most of the first year's work is based on personal experiences which can be related to various educational experiences.

Year Two of the course is much more theory based and obviously the work becomes more in depth than the first year.

Year Three of the course is obviously the most difficult with students having to critically analyse most of the work that is done....

Throughout the three years certain things are expected of all students: ICT skills should improve over the three years; good referencing skills should be achieved; good relationships should be formed between students and also between students and lecturers; enjoyment should be experienced all the time!

The Education Studies course was incredibly challenging and I feel that I have gained a great deal from the course. The lecturers on the course were always helpful and always very approachable. The course was a well run and if they were ever any problems they always rectified quickly.

(I am now employed in the UK’s head office of SpecSavers in Guernsey.) my manager believes that I have brought a great deal of social skills to the job. By being on the Education Studies course I had to give presentations, chair debates and gives more seminal. Because of this my manager feels that I have gained confidence and am able to talk confidently in front of a group of people. My manager also feels that are able to get along with everybody in the office because I had to work so closely with people at college and had to learn to listen to others…