Education Essay Topics

Ultimately, education is about facilitating learning and ensuring that students have the acquisition of knowledge and skills. However, it is a difficult concept to define, with academics, philosophers, teachers and learners attempting to do so for centuries.

Whether you are studying for your PGCE, Teacher Training or Education Studies With or Without QTS, these questions will hopefully inspire your thesis, essays and assignments. If you are looking for the best education studies essay questions, we have included a variety of subjects and topics, covering all the stages from Early Years to Higher Education.

Contents

Research Methods in Education Essay Topics

Students of education often develop practical experience of research methods that can then be applied across the various educational settings. Primary research is an essential component of shaping our educational pedagogy and ensuring that the most effective teaching methods are applied. If you are looking for concise and accessible essay questions related to research methods, you could include:

  • Design your own study that includes children and young people as active participation in primary research methods and explain why.
  • Why is action research a population investigation method for education?
  • Compare and Contrast the methodological and theoretical approaches of two different pieces of research that are exploring the same topic/issue.
  • ‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world’ (Mandela). What did Nelson Mandela mean by this quote?
  • Using secondary research methods and the analysis of raw data, discuss the inequitable distribution of education on a global scale.

Early Years Essay Topics

The early years are the starting point of our educational journey and fostering a love of learning at an early age can have a long-lasting impact on a child’s experience of education. If you want to focus on the little ones, questions related to Early Years education could include:

  • “In play a child is always above his average age, above his daily behavior; in play it is as though he were a head taller than himself. As in the focus of a magnifying glass, play contains all developmental tendencies in a condensed form; in play it is as though the child were trying to jump above the level of his normal behavior” ( Vygotsky1967, 16). Discuss the importance of play in the Early Years, with reference to theories by Lev Vygotsky and Jean Piaget.
  • How can early years’ settings ensure the provision of language rich environments?
  • Early Years Organisation, Leadership and Management: Use a case study approach of an early years setting to discuss the differences between leadership and management in education, with reference to relevant leadership theories.
  • Discuss the use of informal learning as part of the forest school approach.
  • ‘One test of the correctness of educational procedure is the happiness of the child’ (Montessori). How can Montessori thinking be applied to your future practice as a teacher?

Primary Education Essay Topics

Covering KS 1 and 2, primary education refers to the years between reception and year 6. It is an important part of a child’s education. Primary education essay questions encompass a wide array of topics, and could include:

  • Discuss the importance of parent partnership in primary education and outline the responsibilities of the teacher in establishing an open and positive relationship based on mutual trust and understanding.
  • Provide a critical analysis of the implementation of the Prevent Policy measures in primary education and outline why it has been criticised.
  • Discuss the potential impact of the lack of face-to-face teaching during the pandemic? How might the lockdown have impacted pupils and further exacerbated existing educational inequality?
  • Provide a critical analysis of the evolution of technology in the classroom, and the impact that this has had on learning.
  • With reference to John Dewey’s theory of education, discuss the use of experiential learning when teaching Key Stage Two Science.

Education in KS3 and KS4 Essay Topics

Key Stage 3 (KS3) includes years 7, 8 and 9 and Key Stage 4 is years 10 and 11. If you are studying to become a secondary school teacher, related essay questions could include:

  • GCSE Reforms: How have the recent reforms from A*-C to 1-9 been received so far?
  • Provide a critical analysis of behaviour management in the KS3 classroom.
  • How can teaching maths creatively improve student engagement?
  • Discuss the use of formative and summative assessment methods whilst teaching online during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • What is the correlation between Free School Meals (FSM) eligibility and educational attainment?

Access to Further and Higher Education Essay Topics

In modern times, achieving a degree is perceived as important for future employability. The following education essay question ideas are related to further and higher education, and include:

  • Safeguarding students in further and higher education; Discuss the potential issues and the role of colleges and universities in ensuring a robust and systematic safeguarding procedure is in place.
  • Overcoming Barriers to Participation: Higher Education Policy and Students from Black and Minority Ethnicity Communities.
  • Supporting Students with Special Educational Needs at Higher Education: Compare inclusion policies and discuss the potential barriers to implementation.
  • How can we better support students with English as an Additional Language?
  • Provide an overview of the relevant theories of lifelong learning, with reference to the experience of being a mature student.

Social Inclusion in Education Essay Topics

Sociological debates concerning education are essentially debating the ‘direction of society in itself’ and education has an important role to play in addressing inequality. Related questions could include:

  • Care Leavers: Education in the System. Discuss the inequitable access to education for care leavers and how the government aims to address this.
  • Discuss the implementation of the new Relationships and Sex Education curriculum (2020), including the changes that have been and the wider response.
  • Focusing on a specific Special Educational Need (SEN), discuss this in relation to the relevant policy and legislation, teaching pedagogy, and the potential challenges.
  • Apply Paulo Reglus Nieves Freire (1921-1997)Pedagogy of the Oppressed to the 21st century British classroom.
  • Provide a comparative analysis of inclusive education policies in two countries of your choosing.

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