Module Purpose and Objectives

The postgraduate master’s thesis contributes to the deepening of research on the specific scientific topics explored in this particular Postgraduate Program. Based on these particular courses, students will be familiarize with the overall research progress based on a specific research field that students will choose to work with.

Both the choice of the assigned supervisor and the thematic field of the master’s thesis are based on the courses covered in this particular Postgraduate Program. The student's thesis proposal must be accepted by a teaching member personnel of the program who will be the assigned supervisor of the student. Alternatively, students can choose various topics suggested by the teaching member personnel who will take the role of the assigned supervisor. The master’s thesis is evaluated by a three-member committee. The three-member committee is approved by the School of Economics and Management and consists of the assigned supervisor and two more members. All three members must have scientific research experience related to the selected research topic by the student.

Each academic semester the thematic course ‘Master’s thesis corresponds to 15 ECTS credits (2^nd semester Master’s thesis I 15 ECTS & 3^rd semester Master’s thesis II 15 ECTS), with a total of 30 ECTS for both courses.

After completing the first part of the dissertation, the student can proceed to the second part. During the second part of the master's thesis, the student proceeds with the field study and the writing of the thesis.

The supervisor and the two members of the committee decide whether the research has been completed according to the required academic criteria. If the student's work meets the academic and research requirements, the three-member committee will also check whether the dissertation has followed the specific instruction for the preparation of a master’s thesis based on the provided guidelines by the university. At the same time, the three-member committee decide whether the student is ready to proceed with the master’s thesis defense in order to complete his/her postgraduate studies.

The Postgraduate Program organizes public master’s thesis presentations at the end of each academic semester. During each presentation, the student presents his/her research and findings and the three – member committee. Then the three – member committee proceed with questions based on the content of the master’s thesis. Upon completion of the questions, the student exits the room and the three-member committee evaluate the student's performance. A successful master’s thesis defense completes the student’s academic obligations.

Module Content

Upon the completion of the Master’s thesis, students should be able to:

• Apply concepts, theories and / or methodologies issues taught in this Postgraduate Program.
• Work further on a specific scientific field covered in this Postgraduate Program
• Research, collect, evaluate an analyze data
• Analyze and compose data based on critical thinking
• Use the guidelines for writing a master’s thesis, including the use of the literature
• determine specific learning outcomes in collaboration with their assigned supervisors

Module Purpose and Objectives

The postgraduate master’s thesis contributes to the deepening of research on the specific scientific topics explored in this particular Postgraduate Program. Based on these particular courses, students will be familiarize with the overall research progress based on a specific research field that students will choose to work with.

Both the choice of the assigned supervisor and the thematic field of the master’s thesis are based on the courses covered in this particular Postgraduate Program. The student's thesis proposal must be accepted by a teaching member personnel for the program who will be the assigned supervisor of the student. Alternatively, students can choose various topics suggested by the teaching member personnel who will take the role of the assigned supervisor. The master’s thesis is evaluated by a three-member committee. The three-member committee is approved by the School of Economics and Management and consists of the assigned supervisor and two more members. All three members must have scientific research experience related to the selected research topic by the student.

Each academic semester the thematic course ‘Master’s thesis corresponds to 15 ECTS credits (2^nd semester Master’s thesis I 15 ECTS & 3^rd semester Master’s thesis II 15 ECTS), with a total of 30 ECTS for both courses.

After completing the first part of the dissertation, the student can proceed to the second part. During the second part of the master's thesis, the student proceeds with the field study and the writing of the thesis.

The supervisor and the two members of the committee decide whether the research has been completed according to the required academic criteria. If the student's work meets the academic and research requirements, the three-member committee will also check whether the dissertation has followed the specific instruction for the preparation of a master’s thesis based on the provided guidelines by the university. At the same time, the three-member committee decide whether the student is ready to proceed with the master’s thesis defense in order to complete his/her postgraduate studies.

The Postgraduate Program organizes public master’s thesis presentations at the end of each academic semester. During each presentation, the student presents his/her research and findings and the three – member committee. Then the three – member committee proceed with questions based on the content of the master’s thesis. Upon completion of the questions, the student exits the room and the three-member committee evaluate the student's performance. A successful master’s thesis defense completes the student’s academic obligations.

Module Content

Upon the completion of the Master’s thesis, students should be able to:

• Apply concepts, theories and / or methodologies issues taught in this Postgraduate Program.
• Work further on a specific scientific field covered in this Postgraduate Program
• Research, collect, evaluate an analyze data
• Analyze and compose data based on critical thinking
• Use the guidelines for writing a master’s thesis, including the use of the literature
• determine specific learning outcomes in collaboration with their assigned supervisors

Module Purpose and Objectives

• formulate key objectives on teachers’ evaluation
• connect the teachers’ evaluation with the school organization’s evaluation
• acquire knowledge and skills related to the monitoring of teaching, as well as the teachers’ and school organizations’ self-assessment
• describe the relation between assessment and school effectiveness
• apply different evaluation methods
• effectively develop and implement an educational program evaluation that is implemented either at the school organization or the education system level
• observe and evaluate the teaching process using appropriate teaching forms / tools
• compare and evaluate critical evaluation systems and provide suggestions for any improvements

Module Content

In this particular module students will be familiarized with the teachers’ evaluation process. Specifically, students will study the important aspects of evaluation, issues related to teaching monitoring and methods, procedures and the forms that can be used to observe classroom teaching, as well as various assessment strategies. Also, students will be familiarized with topics related to the evaluator, curriculum, teaching-learning, evaluation of the learning outcomes, as well as the teacher and school self-assessment. Also, the assessment role in the professional development, as well as with regards to the selection of school principals. Finally, reference will be made to the present and future teachers’ evaluation process.

Module Purpose and Objectives

This module will allow students to create and modify educational material for the distance educational learning process, as well as to use the most modern, open and easily accessible technological applications that will facilitate the distance learning and teaching process.

Module Content

In this particular module we will cover topics related to the knowledge and skills of designing the educational material through the distance educational learning process. Specifically, teaching material, case studies scenarios etc. will be created by the students. In addition, we will present various best practices from well-known Universities which created successfully a distance learning educational material. In this context, students will be familiarize with the most modern and most frequently used technological environments that support the distance learning and teaching process. Specifically, the open technology environments will be introduced through specific activities (case studies, scenarios etc.). Also, students will be familiarized with various technological tools that can be easily used by students. In fact, this is important since the current era requires from teachers to follow all the latest research studies, as well as the use of social networking. At the same time, issues related to Open Internet Sources will be presented.

Module Purpose and Objectives

The purpose of this module is to provide students with a variety of theories in order to re-design their teaching process and teaching material based on the students’ needs with special educational needs and/ or disabilities.

Module Content

This module provides students with the knowledge on family issues and early intervention of children with disabilities or special educational needs. Also, this module covers the topics of the cooperation and communication between school and family in order to address effectively students’ educational needs with disabilities or special educational needs, as well as it presents a thorough study of all categories of students’ special educational needs. In particular, this module focuses on issues related to the family of children with disabilities or special educational needs and covers topics of early intervention such as goal setting, basic principles, research results that substantiate its importance and the financial performance of the intervention programs. In addition, this module focuses on the collaboration and communication between school and family for the equal education of students with disabilities or special educational needs within a  classroom (basic principles, effective ways and communication strategies between the two parties, as well as the role of parents in the child's learning based on  the educational systems of Greece and Cyprus). Finally,  this course presents the categorization of  students with special educational needs with emphasis on the characteristics and learning profile of children with disabilities or special educational needs. Also, the effective teaching process with children in this particular setting is presented. 

Module Purpose and Objectives

This module aims to familiarize students with the strategic planning concept in education. Also, students will learn how to apply the relevant theory to educational organizations based on their needs, as well as based on the strategic forecasting method.

Module Content

In this particular module, students will study the concepts of organizations and management, as well as the concepts of need analysis, strategic forecasting and the concept of strategy. Also, students will study the strategic analysis process, both at the level of the external and competitive environment and at the level of the internal environment of the organizations, as well as the strategic choice, strategic plan and its implementation. Moreover, the Total Quality Management (TQM) and the Common Assessment Framework (CFR) will be explored. Also, issues related to the accountability and the implementation of a strategic planning in the Cyprus Education System will be discussed.

Module Purpose and Objectives

Students will be able to:

• identify the historical, cultural, and political dimensions of ‘the curriculum’
• recognize the impact of various theoretical ideas (e.g. postmodernism, poststructuralism, posthumanism) in curriculum theory and development
• discuss the development of modern curricula in multicultural societies

Module Content

Examining various topics and aspects with regards to curriculum development and theory. The module covers: the historical, cultural, and political dimensions of ‘the curriculum’; the impact of various theoretical ideas (e.g. postmodernism, poststructuralism, posthumanism) in curriculum theory and development; and, the development of modern curricula in multicultural societies.

Module Purpose and Objectives

The main purpose of this module is to study the development of the child as an active member of a social group during adolescence. This module covers the evolution of the adolescent, as well as the cognitive, emotional, social and moral aspect, adopting a socio-cultural approach. The adolescent is considered an active member of a social group in which he/she interacts.

Module Content

This module includes topics related to the development of the adolescent, the identity formation, changes in the relation with parents and other peers, as well as the problems that often occur in adolescence (use of substances, running away from home, deviant and delinquent behavior).

Module Purpose and Objectives

In this particular module students will study the concepts/definitions of program evaluation, the differences between research and evaluation, as well as the theoretical orientations of the program evaluation through a historical review.

Module Content

Students in this particular module will study alternative approaches-models that can be used to evaluate programs, including modeling programs or structured hierarchical analysis techniques, the capabilities-weaknesses of this kind of approaches, topics related to resistance and conflict during an evaluation process. Also, in this topic we will cover the process of collecting information during an evaluation, the sample and cost in relation to the data and methods sources, and finally their analysis and interpretation.

Module Purpose and Objectives

The purpose of this module is to provide students with knowledge on the concepts of change management, school effectiveness and school improvement. 

Module Content

Students will study topics covering  the nature of change in modern organizations, the need for change and the factors influencing change, planning change, the role of the individual and change, school as an organization and change, change at the level of the education system, leadership and change, as well as innovative programs in education and international research. At the same time, they will study the characteristics of an effective school organization, the teachers’ characteristics, creating a climate for change, theoretical models of educational effectiveness, measuring school effectiveness, and study the most important research findings in order to improve school efficiency. Finally, they will examine various school effectiveness research programs conducted in Cyprus and internationally.

Module Purpose and Objectives

The purpose of this module is to provide a number of basic tools that will help students to better and more fully understand the new and diverse current policy transformations that affect an education system—locally and internationally.

Module Content

This module provides a number of basic tools that will help students to better and more fully understand the new and diverse current policy transformations that affect the education system. Within that framework we will examine the educational policy context and raise some diverse and crucial questions: What are the consequences of globalization for public and private education? To what extent is the knowledge taught in schools influenced by the social, economic and political relations that arise within the world capitalist empire? Why should education help to develop the world market, but also to solve the problems of unemployment and poverty, at a time when the market economy itself is the main cause of social and economic inequality?

Module Purpose and Objectives

This module covers the study of a child's development, as an active member of a social group, from infancy to middle childhood. Specifically, this thematic course, adopting a socio-cultural approach, covers the cognitive, emotional, social and moral development of the child.

Module Content

• The child's relation with the people who take care of him/her, as well as the importance of these relationships for his/her development
• The way in which, on the one hand, children learn and acquire knowledge in preschool and on the other hand, the importance of the child's interaction with adults and his peers through the process of his/her development
• The child’s role in this learning process and in general during his/her own development process.
• The effect of the child's first experiences on his/her subsequent psychosocial development
• The importance of friendly relations for the social, cognitive and emotional development of the child.
• The parameters related to the manifestation of violence and conflict between children.

Module Purpose and Objectives

In this particular module we will examine the relation between education and ethnocultural differences, as well as the processes of prioritization and exclusion of the "different" that take place within a school context. Also, the focus is given on the analysis of educational practices through the perspective of pedagogical theory. Finally, the critical examination of the different forms that have identified such as  the "intercultural-multicultural" and / or "anti-racist education" aims to highlight the multiple questions raised at the level of practice.

Module Content

This module covers the important role of intercultural education. The main purpose of this module is to familiarize students with the current academic research in this area and to provide them with tools that will allow them to analyze educational reality and develop a pedagogical framework for navigating heterogeneity. This overall effort adopts an interdisciplinary perspective and seeks to highlight the particular ways and concepts through which different scientific views construct and study this particular topic. In particular, the relation between education and ethnocultural differences is examined and the processes of exclusion of the "different" student that take place within a school context are deconstructed. Specifically, the presentation of this topic begins by examining the historical views of intercultural education in different social contexts, and then focuses on the analysis of educational practices in the areas of multicultural/intercultural education.

Module Purpose and Objectives

The purpose of this mdule is to analyze the origin and nature of behavioral problems, through various interpretive approaches, so that their complex nature is understood and then promote effective ways for addressing these behavioral problems and adopt a positive behavior. Also, in this particular module we highlight the strong relation between learning and behavior, as well as the importance of teaching social skills for positive behavior management and maximizing the overall learning process

Module Content

Students will be able to:

• be introduced in basic concepts from the field of special and inclusive education
• learn the historical, political and theoretical framework for supporting students with disabilities or special educational needs
• understand the legal framework around the education of students with disabilities or special educational needs
• develop a critical approach to improving the education of students with disabilities or special educational needs based on current educational trends

They will also be able to:

• Recommend teaching approaches and environmental modifications aimed at the efficient and effective education of students with disabilities or special educational needs

Module Purpose and Objectives

This course covers the important aspect of the open and distance education. Also, this thematic course aims to deepen our understanding of the education field through the distance learning method. In particular emphasis is placed on exploring the need for distance education in the modern educational reality of the 21st century. Through an in-depth knowledge of the most modern theoretical approaches and various methodological design plans, as well as forms and evaluation models we will cover all the autonomous, collaborative and participatory learning and teaching approaches. Students through the comprehensive study of the most modern theoretical and methodological framework will be able to deepen their understanding in the field of the Open and Distance Education as active and critical participants together with the aspect of the professional development.

Module Content

In this module the focus will be on the basic principles of planning and development the Higher Education Institutions in the past, in the present, as well as in the future. Various institutions, which operate in Cyprus, Greece, but also famous institutions operating remotely in Great Britain, America and Africa will be introduced to students through the comparative study aspect. Also, this module covers an in depth exploration regarding the quality of Teacher- Student relations, as well as issues related to the design and implementation of the Counseling Meetings that take place both face to face or through an online environment.

Module Purpose and Objectives

This course covers topics related to the families that have children with disabilities or special educational needs. Also, this thematic course covers the programs and issues of early intervention, such as goals setting, basic principles, research results and financial performance that promote the importance of early intervention programs. In addition, this module focuses on school and family collaboration and communication for equal student education with disabilities or special educational needs in the classroom (basic principles, effective ways and communication strategies between the two parties, as well as the parents’ role in the child's academic learning bath, both derived from the educational contexts of Greece and Cyprus). Finally, this course covers all categories of special educational needs with emphasis on the students’ characteristics and learning profile with disabilities or special educational needs, in the differentiation of teaching and in the adaptations that prove to be effective for their education.

Module Content

This module covers topics such as family issues and children’s early intervention with disabilities or special educational needs. Also, it covers the important topic of the collaboration and communication of the school and the family in order to support students’ effective education with disabilities or special educational needs. Finally, this course covers a thorough study of the categories of children with special educational needs.

Module Purpose and Objectives

The purpose of this module is to familiarize students with the current academic research and to provide them with tools that will allow them to analyze the educational reality and to develop a pedagogical framework for human rights education and citizenship education. Also, this module adopts an interdisciplinary perspective and seeks to highlight the particular ways and concepts through which different scientific views construct and study this particular topic.

Module Content

This module, based on the literature, will cover issues related to human rights and citizenship education. 

Module Purpose and Objectives

Upon the completion of this course, students should be able to:

• know the basic types of technology that can be used within a learning environment
• Recognize good educational practices for using both educational technologies and general digital technologies
• understand the basic functional characteristics of the digital technologies that can be used for educational purposes
• Understand the basic principles of managing and using digital technology
• design educational projects using technology
• critically evaluate the possibility and use of integrating digital technology in the school context.

Module Content

This module focuses on various digital technologies that can be used pedagogically in the educational field. In this context, students will be introduced to technologies designed exclusively for use in education, such as educational software and digital learning games. Also, they will be introduced to general  technological purposes such as software tools, multimedia and media, digital storytelling, internet, etc. that can be used to enhance the educational process. Emphasis is placed on the main functional and technical characteristics of these technologies, as well as on the basic principles that govern their educational integration practices. In the same context, students are invited to study good practices for the use of all the above digital technologies for educational purposes and specifically adapted to the various courses of the curriculum of the general and special education.

Module Purpose and Objectives

This module will cover the study of literature on social justice education. The purpose of this module is to familiarize students with current research findings and to provide them with tools that will allow them to analyze the educational reality and to develop a pedagogical framework for managing inequalities through the perspective of "social justice". Also, this module adopts an interdisciplinary perspective and seeks to highlight the particular ways and concepts through which different scientific views construct and study the area of social justice education. 

Module Content

The purpose of this module is to link the concept of inequality to the concept of justice and explain to what extent the responsibility for social inequality lies within a school organization. In fact, through specific examples we will present how the concept of ‘social inequalities’ is translated into the daily life of a classroom. Therefore, in this particular module, students will learn the ways in which the education system produces, consolidates and reproduces social inequalities. In addition, this course aims to assist students to develop the ability to observe cases of social inequality by analyzing the multiple factors that created them, including teachers.

Module Purpose and Objectives

The purpose of this module is to present the basic organizational theories and then present the modern organizational theories in the Educational Leadership field, by studying administrative and organizational problems in educational organizations and by utilizing the current research systemic theory. This particular thematic course, also, covers the topics  of team management, conflict management, staff development, communication issues, efficiency and quality, as well as the topic of innovation and change management in educational organizations. Moreover, the current research trends in educational leadership are studied by covering topics such as the successful school principals’ characteristics, based on various cases studies in different contexts, as presented in the literature. Students are expected to study, reflect and analyze contemporary educational problems in the field of educational administration and seek solutions.

Module Content

This module covers the topics of team management, conflict management, staff development, communication, efficiency and quality, innovation  and change management in educational organizations. Moreover, the current research trends in educational leadership are studied by covering topics such as the successful school principals’ characteristics based on various cases studies in different contexts as presented in the literature. Students are expected to study, reflect and analyze contemporary educational problems in the field of educational administration and seek solutions. More specifically, students in this particular thematic course are expected to gain extensive knowledge in the cognitive areas of team management, conflict management, staff development, communication, efficiency and quality, innovation and change management in educational organizations. Finally, they are expected to explore and analyze the key aspects of successful school leadership.

Module Purpose and Objectives

In this particular module we will study the educational role in the process of creating, maintaining and / or enhancing social and cultural classifications and inequalities. 

Module Content

This module covers the role of education in the process of creating, maintaining and / or enhancing social and cultural classifications and inequalities. More specifically, we will study the way in which the concept of difference is presented in education, in relation to the concepts of identity/ culture. At the same time, special emphasis is placed on thematic approaches of the sociology of education field. The main objective of this presentation are the social and educational differences towards education and the school mechanisms through which the differences are transformed into inequalities, thus legitimizing the exclusion processes. Also, the relation between the official language of the school with the social classification that affects the language, is examined. Moreover, based on information provided by the literature on bilingualism, the significant effects of the official language on the students’ performance who are speaking different language is presented. Finally, the modern scientific achievements that highlight the importance of the mother tongue as a cognitive background for learning other languages,  as well as the relation between language and identity, is presented.

Module Purpose and Objectives

This particular course will cover the basic concepts of the special education field. Also, it will cover the theoretical, historical and legislative framework of the special education field both in the Cypriot and Greek context, as well as internationally. Finally, this course will cover issues and topics about the current trends in the special education field.

Module Content

This particular thematic course will cover the basic terminology for special education, the most important theoretical models of the special education field, as well as to present the categories of children who can be included in the special education setting. In addition, this section focuses on the rhetoric of disability, as well as to the debate between supporters and defenders of the concept of labeling children with disabilities (on the basis of the scientific and theoretical approach to disability).

Module Purpose and Objectives

The purpose of this course is to study the basic organizational theories and how these theories can be related to the topic of Educational Administration. Also, in this thematic course we will explore how these theories can be applied at the level of the school organizations, educational organizations and systems in general. This thematic course covers topics such as the historical and theoretical basis of the educational administration area, the school as a social system, external and internal factors that affect a school organization, the structural, cultural (school culture), political and individual element of school organizations, as well as an introduction to the various leadership theories and the decision-making processes. Students are expected to reflect, study, analyze and apply on the contemporary educational problems in the field of educational administration and seek solutions.

Module Content

This module presents the historical aspect of the Science of Management and refers to the three main philosophical levels that influenced its development: scientific administration, management through human relations, and modern administration. Also, the theory of the social system is presented in relation to the science of administration. Moreover, the basic assumptions and key features of the systems, the Getzels and Guba model (1957) for a social system and the mechanisms for protecting systems from the environment are described. Finally, reference is made to the school as a social system based on its structures and characteristics. Also, the emphasis is given to the important aspect of the external environment and all those elements or factors that affect an organization. Following, the concept of "leadership" is examined, which occupies an important aspect both in the theory of administrative science and in the daily function of modern organizations. Also, the various theoretical leadership approaches and perspectives are presented. At the same time, the concepts of power and authority are presented and analyzed, as they appear in social systems and organizations. According to Weber (1947), Blau and Scott (1962), French and Raven (1968), Mintzberg (1983) and Hirschman (1970) the forms and sources of power and the games of politics and power are described. Finally, the notion of school culture and school climate is presented, with an important reference to all the dimensions and types of school culture and school climate. Also, the important role of a school leader in creating, changing and improving a school culture/ climate is presented in an effort to support the effectiveness of organizations but also to boost the creativity of the people within the organization.

Module Purpose and Objectives

The main purpose of this module is for students: (a) to understand the integration policies and the factors that affect the practice of educational technology, (b) to focus on the teachers’ role by bringing together basic learning theories with the use of technology in teaching and learning and learn the most important models of pedagogical integration, (c) to connect the most basic courses of the curriculum and special education with the pedagogical use of technology and (d) to assess the need for an educational system reform based on theories of change.

Module Content

This module emphasizes the studying of issues surrounding the integration of new technologies in education. In this context, students will study integration policies and factors that affect the practice of educational technology. Furthermore, emphasis is also placed on the interpretation of the teacher’s role in the use of technology in teaching and learning, with a clear reference to basic learning theories. At the same time, students will be introduced to modern models of pedagogical integration of technology while examining the use of the latter in various courses of the curriculum, both in the general and special education. In addition, the main focus of this thematic course is the view of educational technology in a broader "ecological" context, taking into account the formation of the classroom, the school culture and the general mechanisms of the educational system. As a result, students will appreciate the need to reform the education system, with reference to theories and conditions for change, in order to achieve an effective and sustainable integration of technology.

Module Purpose and Objectives

The main purpose of this module is to familiarize students with the stages of conducting qualitative educational research. Also, students will be able to provide a critical analysis and interpretation of research findings based on the qualitative approach in the field of education.

Module Content

In this module, students will study the basic principles of qualitative educational research. Specifically, students will study the qualitative research phases and design (research questions etc.). Also, students will learn the basic qualitative methodological approaches (ethnographic research, case study research, action research, narrative research, grounded theory), as well as the methods of collecting qualitative data. They will also learn the qualitative data analysis processes in order to present concrete conclusions.

Module Purpose and Objectives

Upon the completion of this course, students should be able to:

• Understand the basic principles of quantitative research in education
• understand ethical issues related to quantitative research
• know the main characteristics of the basic methodological tools of quantitative research
• report the stages of implementing a quantitative research
• know and apply sampling techniques based on the quantitative paradigm
• know and apply quantitative data collection methods
• understand and apply quantitative data analysis methods
• interpret and evaluate quantitative data and conclusions / findings

Module Content

In this course, students will study the basic principles of the quantitative research in education, the stages of conducting quantitative research and the development of critical competence against research findings of quantitative research studies. Also, students will learn about the data collection process when designing a quantitative research study (specialization of a research topic, formulate quantitative research questions, select and design methodology), as well as to understand ethical issues that arise during the design and implementation of a questionnaire. Finally, students will learn the basic techniques for analyzing and processing the quantitative research data (presenting results and drawing valid conclusions).