Module Information
Module Identifier
EDM3620
Module Title
Curriculum Leadership and Innovation
Academic Year
2025/2026
Co-ordinator
Semester
Summer
Reading List
Other Staff
Course Delivery
Assessment
| Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Semester Assessment | Report A report focusing on curriculum leadership and innovation within the context of their subject/ AOLE/ School 4000 Words | 100% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Report A report focusing on curriculum leadership and innovation within the context of their subject/ AOLE/ School 4000 Words | 100% |
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
Evaluate and reflect upon effective curriculum leadership methods.
Understand and evaluate curriculum leadership in the context of the Curriculum for Wales and AOLEs
To enable students to deepen their understanding of key theoretical and philosophical debates in regard to curriculum design and implementation, and to apply these approaches to their own practices
To evaluate innovative strategies in curriculum development and to reflect on their application in their own educational settings and contexts.
Brief description
This module will explore key issues regarding Curriculum leadership and innovative practice, drawing on theoretical and philosophical debates
It is targeted at education professionals. The module will encourage students to critically appraise their own approaches to curriculum development and leadership.
This module is optional but becomes core once selected.
It is targeted at education professionals. The module will encourage students to critically appraise their own approaches to curriculum development and leadership.
This module is optional but becomes core once selected.
Aims
1- To explore and evaluate models of leadership within Educational settings and contexts.
2- The critically evaluate the role of leadership within the Curriculum for Wales and to deepen their understanding of dispersed leadership.
3- To enable students to deepen their understanding of key theoretical and philosophical debates in regard to curriculum design and implementation, and to apply these approaches to their own practices.
4- To evaluate innovative strategies in curriculum development and to reflect on their application in their own educational settings and contexts.
2- The critically evaluate the role of leadership within the Curriculum for Wales and to deepen their understanding of dispersed leadership.
3- To enable students to deepen their understanding of key theoretical and philosophical debates in regard to curriculum design and implementation, and to apply these approaches to their own practices.
4- To evaluate innovative strategies in curriculum development and to reflect on their application in their own educational settings and contexts.
Content
This module explores theories of leadership and innovation with specific focus on the Curriculum for Wales. Students will critically evaluate different approaches to leadership and apply those theories to their own professional settings and contexts. Furthermore, the context of leadership within the Curriculum for Wales will be explored with emphasis on understanding dispersed leadership and management of Areas of Learning and Experience with reference to teacher agency and responsibility. The module will also draw upon key philosophical and theoretical debates regarding pedagogical theory and allow students to explore their application within their own educational settings and contexts. Additionally, the module will draw upon innovative strategies for curriculum, design, implementation and management and allow students to reflect on their application within heir own educational settings and contexts.
The module will be structured around 4 key themes with a number of subthemes:
Theories of Leadership in educational contexts and settings
• Theories of leadership
• Distributed v top down leadership models
• Theories of leadership and management in educational settings and contexts.
Leadership and agency in the Curriculum for Wales
• Maintaining subsidiarity in the context of the Curriculum for Wales
• Supporting teacher agency though curriculum implementation
• Holding contested and contesting ideas
• Accountability in the Curriculum for Wales
• Collaborative working
Theoretical and philosophical approaches to the application of curriculum design in regard to the Curriculum for Wales
• Supporting transition
• Using curriculum models
• Assessment for the future
• Implications for practice
Innovative approaches to curriculum design and delivery
• Effective cluster working
• Scaling-up
• Case studies of innovation
• Implications for practice
Knowledge and Understanding
K1. An in-depth, systematic and advanced knowledge of the complexity and multi-faceted nature of education, both in their own context and beyond.
K2. A critical evaluation of current policy, theoretical and practice-based perspectives at a local, national and international level
K3. A critical reflection and interpretation, synthesis and application of knowledge and research in their own professional contexts.
K4. A comprehensive, critical evaluation and synthesis of relevant literature.
K5. A critical awareness of key methodological approaches applicable to professional enquiry.
K7. A systematic acquisition of a significant body of knowledge in their area of professional practice.
K8. The ability to communicate accurately and clearly to a wide range of audiences
Lectures
Total hours:16
Type of Contact: Scheduled
Students will engage in lectures and workshops, face-to-face and online, to explore and examine the key concepts in this module.
Type of Contact (scheduled/ guided independent study/placement): Scheduled
Seminars
Total hours: 6
Type of Contact: Scheduled
Seminars will encourage students to build confidence and deepen their understanding of the concepts being taught in smaller groups. Approaches to seminar delivery will include ‘flipped learning approaches’ whereby students interrogate key issues before further exploration with their peers, supported by course tutors, as well as Problem-Based Learning and challenge-based learning approaches.
Self-Directed Tasks and Individual Study Time
Total hours: 178
Type of Contact: Independent
Between scheduled sessions, students will have opportunities to engage in wider reading, undertake independent tasks to test out ideas and to build confidence in their own professional practice.
The module will be structured around 4 key themes with a number of subthemes:
Theories of Leadership in educational contexts and settings
• Theories of leadership
• Distributed v top down leadership models
• Theories of leadership and management in educational settings and contexts.
Leadership and agency in the Curriculum for Wales
• Maintaining subsidiarity in the context of the Curriculum for Wales
• Supporting teacher agency though curriculum implementation
• Holding contested and contesting ideas
• Accountability in the Curriculum for Wales
• Collaborative working
Theoretical and philosophical approaches to the application of curriculum design in regard to the Curriculum for Wales
• Supporting transition
• Using curriculum models
• Assessment for the future
• Implications for practice
Innovative approaches to curriculum design and delivery
• Effective cluster working
• Scaling-up
• Case studies of innovation
• Implications for practice
Knowledge and Understanding
K1. An in-depth, systematic and advanced knowledge of the complexity and multi-faceted nature of education, both in their own context and beyond.
K2. A critical evaluation of current policy, theoretical and practice-based perspectives at a local, national and international level
K3. A critical reflection and interpretation, synthesis and application of knowledge and research in their own professional contexts.
K4. A comprehensive, critical evaluation and synthesis of relevant literature.
K5. A critical awareness of key methodological approaches applicable to professional enquiry.
K7. A systematic acquisition of a significant body of knowledge in their area of professional practice.
K8. The ability to communicate accurately and clearly to a wide range of audiences
Lectures
Total hours:16
Type of Contact: Scheduled
Students will engage in lectures and workshops, face-to-face and online, to explore and examine the key concepts in this module.
Type of Contact (scheduled/ guided independent study/placement): Scheduled
Seminars
Total hours: 6
Type of Contact: Scheduled
Seminars will encourage students to build confidence and deepen their understanding of the concepts being taught in smaller groups. Approaches to seminar delivery will include ‘flipped learning approaches’ whereby students interrogate key issues before further exploration with their peers, supported by course tutors, as well as Problem-Based Learning and challenge-based learning approaches.
Self-Directed Tasks and Individual Study Time
Total hours: 178
Type of Contact: Independent
Between scheduled sessions, students will have opportunities to engage in wider reading, undertake independent tasks to test out ideas and to build confidence in their own professional practice.
Module Skills
| Skills Type | Skills details |
|---|---|
| Co-ordinating with others | Apply their knowledge, understanding and transferable skills to engage with, support and where appropriate, to influence others. |
| Critical and analytical thinking | Arrive at evidence-informed conclusions relating to complex issues in education in general, and in their area of professional practice in particular. Critically evaluate literature and evidence to progress their own skills of enquiry. |
| Professional communication | Develop clear and appropriate writing styles in Welsh or English, which are accessible to a range of audiences. |
| Reflection | Apply engagement with theory and evidence to develop new personal and professional perspectives of own professional practice. Evaluate own learning needs in order to set and review own professional learning objectives. |
| Subject Specific Skills | Apply systematic approaches to critically evaluate their own practice in relation to the Professional Standards for Teaching and Learning (2017). |
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 7