PMEP 101 Foundations of Education Continuous Assessment Brief 2026 | Hibernia College

PMEP 101 Continuous Assessment Brief

Programme: Professional Master of Education (Primary)
Cohort: Spring 25
Module: PMEP 101 Foundations of Education
Assessment type: CA

Learning Outcomes

In completing the assessment task, students are required to demonstrate their ability to:

• Explore and interpret the role of philosophy and historical events on contemporary policy and practices in the Irish primary education system and curriculum
• Analyse and examine the historical and philosophical influences on the Irish primary school education system and curriculum to equip learners with the essential knowledge to engage in critical thinking and rich education discussions
• Use methods of philosophy to answer key questions about education, including analysis, language, argument and theory
• Equip learners with a deep awareness of the ethical life of a teacher in the contemporary world and examine questions about how teaching can be a sustainable, self-fulfilling profession
• Collectively and collaboratively map the influences of the foundational subjects to the Irish primary curriculum and learn, through experiences, key methodologies, active learning methods and assessment strategies in education

Assessment Methodology

This module is assessed by: CA submission

PME 101 Assignment Brief

Four Short Academic Essays

Overall Word Count Limit: 2,500 (+/-10%)

Assignment Overview

This assignment asks you to critically engage with and analyse key themes from PME101 Foundations of Education course. You will explore historical, philosophical, and curriculum studies topics in Irish education, focusing on how these areas intersect and inform professional practice. The assignment consists of four distinct but interconnected parts:

1. Historical Analysis (approximately 600 words) 2. Philosophical Reflection (approx 600 words) 3. Curriculum Studies Critique (approx 600 words) 4.Professional Practice (approx 600 words)

The task requires you to synthesize historical, philosophical, and curriculum frameworks in the Irish context, reflecting on their impact on classroom practice and the role of teachers today. Through this assignment, you will demonstrate your ability to integrate theory and practice, applying your knowledge to contemporary educational contexts.

At least eight academic references must be cited in total. Curriculum documents may be cited but these are not counted towards the minimum of eight academic sources.

Task Breakdown

1. History and Policy of Education (600 words)

In this section, you are required to analyse Irish education history post-independence.

• Irish Education post-Independence: Analyse the developments in Irish education during this period. Focus on features such as the relative impact of social, political, cultural, economic and denominational influences on policy and practice in the area.
• Continuity and Change: Consider the extent to which historical trends continue to impact contemporary practice and to facilitate change.

Guiding Questions:

• How has the education system evolved in response to political, social, economic, cultural and religious influences during these periods?
• How closely did education reflect the aspirations of the Irish people?
• What are the strongest contemporary influences on Irish education?

2. Philosophical Reflection (600 words)

In this section, reflect on the ethical dimensions of teaching in the context of professional identity.

Drawing from key philosophers and ethical frameworks, critically analyse the following:

• Ethics of Professional Practice: Using insights from philosophers you have studied, explore the ethical obligations of teachers and their role in fostering moral and intellectual growth in students. Consider what it means to be an ethically responsible teacher today.
• Self-Reflection and Teacher Identity: Consider how self-care, virtue ethics, and teacher identity shape professional practice. Reflect on the relationship between ethical decisionmaking and teacher self-care, using insights from philosophers on this course.

Guiding Questions:

• How do ancient Greek ethical frameworks (virtue ethics) apply to contemporary teaching practice?
• What role does teacher self-reflection play in ethical practice?
• In what ways can teachers balance professional responsibility with personal well-being and self-care?

3. Curriculum Studies (600 words)

This section focuses on a critical evaluation of curriculum structures from the Primary Curriculum Framework (PCF 2023) and how they have evolved over time. Critically analyse the following:

• Examine the development of curriculum: Focus on the shift from the content-objective approach (1999) to the learning outcome approach (2023). Discuss the impact of these changes on teaching practice and pupil outcomes, and explain how these shifts reflect broader educational philosophies.
• Curriculum and Teacher Preparation: Discuss how the dual curriculum structure (content and learning outcomes) affects the preparation of teachers. Analyse the importance of active, playful and engaging learning experiences, and how this aligns with the competency model of the PCF (2023).

Guiding Questions:

• How have Irish primary education curricula evolved from 1971 to 2023, and what philosophical foundations have underpinned these changes?
• What challenges and opportunities arise from the shift to a learning outcome approach in the 2023 framework?
• How can teachers effectively balance curriculum objectives with the individual needs of pupils, particularly in diverse classrooms?

4. Implications for Practice (600 words)

This section focuses on your choice of key ideas and concepts from this module and a critical evaluation of how they might inform your professional practice in mainstream classrooms. Critically evaluate the following:

• Key Ideas and Concepts: Identify, discuss and critically evaluate the impact of key ideas and concepts on teaching practice and pupil experience, and explain how these impacts are related to some or all of the foundations disciplines you have studied.
• Theory to Practice: Demonstrate an understanding of how the links and connections between theory and practice might support your work as a teacher in mainstream primary settings.

Guiding Questions:

• What are the ‘big ideas’ you have taken from your study of History, Philosophy and Curriculum Studies?
• What practical applications, if any, do these ideas have?
• How might your practice be supported by these ideas and concepts during your teaching career?

Assessment Guidelines

Uploading and Submission Instructions

You should consult the general information on the MyHELMS Assessments page regarding assessments, uploading and submission before reading these specific instructions.

Upload Requirements:

Upload as one PDF using the following naming conventions:

PMEP_101_Foundations_12345678.docx, where ‘12345678’ is replaced with your student number

Filenames

As mentioned above, assessment documents should be titled

PMEP_101_Foundations_12345678.docx where ‘12345678’ is replaced with your own student number.

Do not include your name or other identifiable personal data in your file.

It is the responsibility of the students to ensure that all work is accessible. In the event of an assessor being unable to open a submission or part thereof (e.g. link inaccessible or expired, password protected material, shortcut uploaded) a zero will apply. It is imperative that students start the upload process in a timely manner (take note that this may take several hours and that students should allow for this possibility).

Referencing

Please ensure that you adhere to the Hibernia College referencing guides (quick and main guides) when referencing reading sources. These guides are based on a specific version of the Harvard system used by the College. The references should come at the end of the submission.

Further supports for academic writing, referencing and information relating to academic integrity are available at: Academic writing and referencing – Hibernia College Home

Academic Integrity

• All work submitted to meet course requirements at Hibernia College is expected to be a student’s own work. A student should be careful to distinguish between ideas which are his/her own, and those which have been derived from other sources e.g. journals and books.
• Plagiarism is strictly prohibited. Students must ensure that all work submitted is their own and that all sources are properly cited. Refer to: https://study.hiberniacollege.net/intranet/hb17/of441/sfe444/plagiarism-guide.pdf
• Use of AI-generated content (e.g., ChatGPT, generative AI tools) is not permitted. Any assessment found to contain AI-generated material will be subject to investigation under academic misconduct policies.
• Students are encouraged to check their work using URKUND/Ouriginal to identify any potential text-matching issues before final submission.

For further details, refer to the Hibernia College Academic Integrity Policy.

https://qualityframework.hiberniacollege.com/document/view-current.php?id=12

Uploading to MyHELMS

Please note that it is the student’s responsibility to ensure that assignments are successfully uploaded and submitted into MyHELMS by the specified deadline. The assignment version that is available at submission time is to be assessed.

Navigate to the Assessments page on MyHELMS, locate the section dedicated to this module and click the assignment link to begin the uploading process.

Contact Student Helpdesk if you encounter technical difficulties in uploading your assessment.

Please adhere to the following when completing the assessment:

You must adhere to the Hibernia College adapted Harvard Referencing Guide and to Hibernia College Academic Writing Style Guide when completing this task. Use Arial or Calibri font style, 12-point font size and 1.5 line spacing.

Penalties

There are penalties for:

• Late submission
• Failure to Meet Word Count Requirements on the following:

▪ Academic Essay 2500 words – a word count of less than 2250 and greater than 2750 will incur a 10% penalty for this component of the assessment

• Incorrect Document Upload: If a student uploads the wrong document or an inaccessible file, a zero mark will be applied for that section, and the student may be required to repeat this assessment.
• Non-submission will receive a mark of zero and the student will be required to repeat this assessment.
• This will result in a delay in the issuing of results and may affect your course completion date and graduation.

Important: Where a student has to repeat an assignment due to non-submission or a failure, the module result will be capped at a pass grade overall.

End of Continuous Assessment Brief

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