The program of study for this degree is divided into two related parts that correspond to the research and teaching periods. The first part deals specifically with the theoretical and methodological foundations of scientific research in the fields of teaching, teacher training and educational assessment, and is intended to offer a general overview of current research trends. Students will examine the key areas of research to determine the principal theoretical and practical features of the different methodological options available. The second part takes a more applied approach and situates the concepts and theoretical models learned previously in current processes in education research. Students will gain valuable research training by taking part in the work of the research groups to which the teaching staff of the master’s degree belong, and will be expected to apply the theoretical knowledge acquired during the first part of the degree, where possible. The aim of this two-part structure is to create an effective link between theory and research practice, although this link should not imply a linear and hierarchical relationship between theory and practice, in which the latter would simply be a «mechanical application» of the instructions laid down in the former. Rather, in this degree «theory» is viewed as a conceptual tool that encourages a thorough examination of the education system in which the students will subsequently seek employment.

The structure and principal characteristics of the master’s degree are as follows: 

• The degree has a global study load equivalent to 60 ECTS credits, and is designed to be completed in two semesters. However, the program structure also permits students to complete the degree in four semesters. 
• The degree program is structured as a series of modules (two mandatory and three optional), each of which is broken down into mandatory and optional course units worth either 5 or 2.5 ECTS credits. 
• Successful completion of the degree leads to the award of the Master in Teaching, Teacher Training and Educational Assessment.

The following modules are offered:

Module I: Research Trends in Teaching, Teacher Training, and Educational Assessment (10 mandatory credits) 

This module constitutes an introduction to and initiation in the most recent trends and issues in education research in the fields of teaching, teacher training and educational assessment. Students will examine fundamental problems, concerns and areas of interest and consider some of the more advanced methodological approaches used in these fields to clarify the key theoretical and practical characteristics of the different methodologies available, taking an integrative approach to these two dimensions of educational practice. More specifically, students will analyse issues such as research in teacher training, formative research, assessment in education and assessment as education, and the educational experience as a means of examining teaching practice and the specific knowledge involved, or the complex, cross-disciplinary scenarios that characterise the current education system.  

Module II: Research in Teacher Training and Educational Assessment (20 optional credits) 

In this module students will be introduced to the principal concepts and lines of research related to the teaching profession and the management and assessment of teacher training at all levels of the education system. From a generic view of teacher training, students will examine not only a series of related aspects of training and assessment but also the exercise of teaching practice itself, as a means of analysing current teacher training strategies and identifying areas for improvement at all educational levels (university and non-university), and to discover new paths that will enable us to improve education research for the benefit of the education system and society as a whole.

Module III: Research in Educational Experience and Teaching Strategies (20 optional credits) 

In this module students will analyse educational practice as an experience and consider the role of teaching strategies in formative processes from a cross-disciplinary perspective. The syllabus analyses the construction of pedagogic knowledge on the basis of practice and experience, enabling the students to gain training across the natural spectrum of this subject and involving them in both action and reflection on the way the different subject areas involved interact with one another. This module is intended to provide students with a solid epistemological and theoretical grounding in education research, and will encourage them to develop and put into practice successful research strategies.  

Module IV: Research in ICTs: Didactic and Organizational Perspectives (10 optional credits) 

This module gives education professionals the opportunity to gain a more in-depth understanding of the role of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in today’s society and their impact in the field of education. The focus on systematic study and research will enable participants to examine and understand the importance of these technologies in determining new teaching strategies and in recognising new learning patterns, the construction and value of knowledge and its the role of new forms of literacy. Students will also learn to plan and evaluate the use of ICTs in different teaching and learning contexts, including distance learning, and consider the ways in which the current configuration of the education system may to some extent preclude the successful integration of these technologies.  

Module V: Education Research Methods (10 optional credits) 

This module leads to the award of 20 optional credits and forms part of the study programs of all four master’s degrees offered by the Faculty of Education at the University of Barcelona. It provides students with the knowledge and skills to carry out different scientific procedures in education research and focuses on the onto-epistemic, methodological and technical levels to give students the balanced research profiles to conduct thorough and credible research.   

Module VI: Education Research Practice (20 mandatory credits)  

This module leads to the award of 20 mandatory credits and is imparted as a practical research course in which students will perform three types of learning activities: seminars and research workshops, tutored research assignments, and a final research project. The main aim of the module is to introduce students to real laboratory practice, and will strengthen their team work skills in real research groups, introduce them to the most appropriate methods for different types of work, provide experience of carrying out all phases of a research project, train them to write effective reports and provide the skills to make successful oral presentations of research results.