Specialisation in Education
DOCSE-2022-01: Inclusion and Diversity
With an increasing awareness of diversity, equity, and inclusion, various countries, nations and regions are adopting policies, legislation, regulations and practices to promote inclusion. The recognition of inclusive and quality education is highlighted in the UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education, Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG), and the Education 2030 Framework for Action. The embrace of diversity and inclusion has already been articulated as a foundation for promoting quality education. Inclusion involves systematic changes and modifications within the curriculum, pedagogy, education approach, structure, and built environment to remove educational barriers. The perceptions and implementation of inclusion still require further investigation and exploration, particularly contextualising across different cultures and nations to fully embrace diversity.
Principal Supervisor: Kiiko Ikegami (kiiko.ikegami@usj.edu.mo)
Academic Unit: School of Education
DOCSE-2022-02: Curriculum and Pedagogical Studies
In today’s digital age, technology-enhanced inquiry learning has become pivotal in many aspects of teaching and learning in schools, especially in the context of current education reform efforts. Digital technology and inquiry-oriented teaching are expected to profoundly impact pedagogical practices, specifically, the quality and effectiveness of student learning experiences in schools. Research in this area would be helpful to examine the potential of digital technologies in enhancing scientific inquiry, scientific literacy, cognitive and metacognitive processes, and authentic learning experiences. This research area will interest practitioners, education leaders or researchers seeking to advance student learning through a social constructivist inquiry-based approach with digital technologies to equip students with inquiry mindsets and critical thinking skills, the qualities needed to provide structure for problem contexts and address complex societal challenges.
Principal Supervisor: Elisa Monteiro (elisa@usj.edu.mo)
Academic Unit: School of Education
DOCSE-2022-03: Early Childhood Education
Numerous studies have revealed that children who get an excellent education early are likely to be successful as adults. Early Childhood Education is an interdisciplinary discipline focusing on preschool-aged children’s cognitive, social, emotional, language, and physical development and children’s lives, play, and learning in and outside preschool institutions (nurseries, kindergartens, and all the different kinds of early learning centres). Research topics in Early Childhood Education include but are not limited to children’s language, social, emotional, and behavioural development, the qualities of early childhood education institutions, the effectiveness of classroom practices and early childhood curricula and instructional strategies, children’s transition to school, as well as the professional development and training for early childhood practitioners. Studies in early childhood education allow you to work with issues related to preschool institutions and preschool-aged children as a researcher, educator, or officer in educational organisations.
Principal Supervisor: Susannah Sun (susannah.sun@usj.edu.mo)
Academic Unit: School of Education
DOCSE-2022-04: Sociology of Education
Whether formal schooling or non-formal learning (e.g., private tutorial centres), education is organised by members of a particular group, community, state, and nation. And it is held to be a social institution that serves the objective of socialising individuals into the systems of society. Sociology of Education studies how individuals and social organisation experiences within these institutions affect educational processes and social development. It concerns the factors of family, community, culture, ethnicity, gender and so on in educational access and outcomes. The main topics under the Sociology of Education include but are not limited to educational equality, the function of education in social development, and the socialisation of individuals in the education system.
Principal Supervisor: Rochello Ge (rochelle.ge@usj.edu.mo)
Academic Unit: School of Education
DOCSE-2022-05: Globalization and Education
The impact of globalisation on education is multi-level and multi-faceted. Neither education nor knowledge is restricted by the boundaries of nation-states and/or regional cultures. At the Macro level, globalisation has brought a paradigm shift in educational policies and administration in many countries. At the meso-level, schools, colleges, and universities have been or are going through institutional changes in response to the opportunities and challenges brought up by globalisation. These changes include but are not limited to organisational restructuring (e.g., establishing an international office, embracing internationalisation in its mission and vision, recruiting staff from abroad) and curriculum reform (e.g., opening courses in English, adopting an international curriculum). At the micro (individual) level, students, researchers and teachers can select from a vast array of educational modes and institutions on a global scale. The research about Globalization and Education looks at the above issues from an academic perspective, describes, analyses and theorises the ongoing changes.
Principal Supervisor: Rochello Ge (rochelle.ge@usj.edu.mo)
Academic Unit: School of Education
DOCSE-2022-06: School, Family and Community
Different parental and community involvement models in education and the principles on which they are based are critical to the children’s education process. It is important to investigate research on the nature of the home school and community liaison, communication and development that could be addressed for further exploration, as is classroom practice and feedback. Research topics related to parents’ rights and obligations could be focused on, as are teachers’ commitments and responsibilities to parents, within a legal and broader moral context. Difficulties in parental and community involvement could be surveyed, and community development practices could be considered, making the boundaries between schools, community and home permeable.
In addition, based on the Macao context, Macao has experienced rapid social development after returning to China for twenty years. The Macau government has determined to improve the education system by supporting students’ development. The Macau SAR government encouraged home-school cooperation during the first phase of the “Ten Year Plan,” and one remarkable move was to encourage parent-teacher associations to be formed in each school. More work and research could focus on the second phase of the education development plan; it would be essential to find out how teachers and parents think about home-school cooperation and how it relates to the student’s development.
Principal Supervisor: Isabel Tchiang (isabel.tchiang@usj.edu.mo)
Academic Unit: School of Education
DOCSE-2022-07: Educational Psychology
Parent-child relationships and interaction are associated with children’s developmental outcomes, e.g., academic, socioemotional, cognitive outcomes, etc. We are interested in exploring the connection among parenting, academic achievement, socio-emotional development, behavioural outcomes, home environment, and children’s language development. For instance, during the early years, children acquire language rapidly. Research on child development has shown that early language skill is positively associated with social skills and early school success (Brooks-Gunn & Markman, 2005). Parents and the home environment play important roles in supporting their children’s early language development. Findings in the abovementioned areas could be relevant to practical applications and policy making.
Principal Supervisor: Miranda Mak (miranda.mak@usj.edu.mo)
Academic Unit: School of Education
