Pedagogy / Practice Research

Master of Arts / Part-Time

Research Educational and Social Processes – Inspire Learning

Are you working in an educational, social or therapeutic field, and would you like to increase your knowledge and reflect on your own professional experience? Do you want to explore and resolve occupational questions? Would you like to acquire research skills that will develop your ability to reflect and your analytical understanding as well as open up new career opportunities for you?

Then you belong in our Master’s Programme Educational Research. The programme focuses on learning basic scientific methods and the step-by-step development and implementation of research projects. The Master's programme opens up career opportunities for you in the management, consultation, evaluation and further development of educational institutions and curricula; in quality management, and in lecturing activities, e.g. Waldorf Teacher Training. It thus provides educators with an opportunity to advance their careers.

Learn more about our Programme Information Days.

Develop your career: from an expert in practice to a researcher of practice!

Course Contents

Education and Training
Fundamentals of educational science, history of pedagogy, alternative and Waldorf education, pedagogical casuistry, developmental psychology

Educational Research Methods
History of empirical educational and social science, quantitative hypothesis testing and qualitative reconstructive research approaches

Collecting and Analysing Data
Planning, implementation and presentation of an educational research project. Course content is systematically tested and implemented in an educational research project

Philosophical Values for Education and Training
Philosophy, art and cultural history, epistemology, ethics, personality development

Personality Development through Art
Painting, sculpting, eurythmy, language formation, etc.

Concepts, Models and Contexts of Educational Institutions
Organisational forms and social conditions in institutes of primary and secondary education

Academic Writing and Master’s Thesis
Fundamentals of advanced scientific methodology, implementation of and reflection on an independent research project and its presentation (Master's thesis)

The exact overview of modules with descriptions of content is available in the module handbook under Downloads.

Specialisations

Depending on the student’s occupational field and career goals, the educational research programme offers the opportunity to deal in depth with the topics of early childhood or late childhood/youth in the context of social developments.

Specialisation: Practice Research in the Context of Childhood and Society
The basic conditions of childhood development as well as childhood educational institutions are the focus.

Specialisation: Practice Research in the Context of School and Society
The main focus in this specialisation is on educational processes that arise in the context of learning and teaching.

The specialisations do not lead to a specialised Master's degree in school education or childhood education. Successful completion of the programme results in a general Master’s degree in Education (M.A.), which can also be combined with the student’s other areas of interest or motivation, e.g. in social science, general education or therapeutic fields.

Attendance Phases & Self-Study

Attendance Phases

Over the period of 6 semesters, the lectures, seminars, research workshops and artistic studio work are divided as follows:

  • 7 weeks (8 days each) intensive study
  • approx. 27-28 weekend seminars (Fri. 6pm to Sat. 5:30pm)

Self Study

Self-study phases are used to prepare for and follow up on courses through the study of literature, research and artistic work, as well as the planning and implementation of projects. An average of 10 to 15 hours per week should be planned for self-study. Literature lists and additional documents are available online.

 

During the self-study phases, students and lecturers exchange information via e-mail and during telephone consultation hours.

 

The final module examinations take place during the course (e.g. written exam, colloquium, presentation, oral exam, term paper).

The Master's thesis should be completed by the end of the Spring Semester in the third academic year.

Admission Requirements

Master of Arts Pedagogy / Practice Research

  • A first university degree (Bachelor’s, State Examination, Diplom, Magister or equivent)

Application Process

You can apply for admission at any time. The degree programme starts in the Autumn Semester in September. In order to ensure a smooth start to your studies, your application should be received by 31 July if possible.

International degree-seeking students are asked to contact the General Student Advisory Service for the admission procedure. Please contact the person at this office who is responsible for the degree programme you are interested in.

Once we have reviewed your application, we will invite you for a personal interview to clarify all questions and requirements.

Video

Course Contents

Education and Training
Fundamentals of educational science, history of pedagogy, alternative and Waldorf education, pedagogical casuistry, developmental psychology

Educational Research Methods
History of empirical educational and social science, quantitative hypothesis testing and qualitative reconstructive research approaches

Collecting and Analysing Data
Planning, implementation and presentation of an educational research project. Course content is systematically tested and implemented in an educational research project

Philosophical Values for Education and Training
Philosophy, art and cultural history, epistemology, ethics, personality development

Personality Development through Art
Painting, sculpting, eurythmy, language formation, etc.

Concepts, Models and Contexts of Educational Institutions
Organisational forms and social conditions in institutes of primary and secondary education

Academic Writing and Master’s Thesis
Fundamentals of advanced scientific methodology, implementation of and reflection on an independent research project and its presentation (Master's thesis)

The exact overview of modules with descriptions of content is available in the module handbook under Downloads.

Specialisations

Depending on the student’s occupational field and career goals, the educational research programme offers the opportunity to deal in depth with the topics of early childhood or late childhood/youth in the context of social developments.

Specialisation: Practice Research in the Context of Childhood and Society
The basic conditions of childhood development as well as childhood educational institutions are the focus.

Specialisation: Practice Research in the Context of School and Society
The main focus in this specialisation is on educational processes that arise in the context of learning and teaching.

The specialisations do not lead to a specialised Master's degree in school education or childhood education. Successful completion of the programme results in a general Master’s degree in Education (M.A.), which can also be combined with the student’s other areas of interest or motivation, e.g. in social science, general education or therapeutic fields.

Attendance Phases & Self-Study

Attendance Phases

Over the period of 6 semesters, the lectures, seminars, research workshops and artistic studio work are divided as follows:

  • 7 weeks (8 days each) intensive study
  • approx. 27-28 weekend seminars (Fri. 6pm to Sat. 5:30pm)

Self Study

Self-study phases are used to prepare for and follow up on courses through the study of literature, research and artistic work, as well as the planning and implementation of projects. An average of 10 to 15 hours per week should be planned for self-study. Literature lists and additional documents are available online.

 

During the self-study phases, students and lecturers exchange information via e-mail and during telephone consultation hours.

 

The final module examinations take place during the course (e.g. written exam, colloquium, presentation, oral exam, term paper).

The Master's thesis should be completed by the end of the Spring Semester in the third academic year.

Admission Requirements

Master of Arts Pedagogy / Practice Research

  • A first university degree (Bachelor’s, State Examination, Diplom, Magister or equivent)

Application Process

You can apply for admission at any time. The degree programme starts in the Autumn Semester in September. In order to ensure a smooth start to your studies, your application should be received by 31 July if possible.

International degree-seeking students are asked to contact the General Student Advisory Service for the admission procedure. Please contact the person at this office who is responsible for the degree programme you are interested in.

Once we have reviewed your application, we will invite you for a personal interview to clarify all questions and requirements.

Video

The most important thing at a glance

Course Duration
6 semesters (part-time)

Course Start
Early September

Degree
Master of Arts (M.A.) or
Master of Education (M.Ed)

Tuition Fees
1,526 €/semester or 264 €/month

Financial Support
More Details available under Funding.

Contact and Counselling
For gerneral questions: Department of Education
bildungswissenschaft@alanus.edu
Telephone +49 2222 93211500

or:
Dr. Alexander Röhler
Programme Coordinator
alexander.roehler@alanus.edu
Telephone +49 2222 93211521
Contact form