Educational Innovation and Leadership microdegree programme

Educational Innovation and Leadership is an microdegree programme that looks for working professionals in the educational sector, who are interested in gaining insights into how to lead innovation in education. This includes people who wish to learn about the primary influences on student learning, how to support teachers and schools in taking these into account and how in general to prepare for leading evidenced-based innovation in education.

If you are working at any level of the education system and wish to enhance your professional knowledge and skills, then this study programme is for you! This includes:

• National and local government officials
• University academic and non-academic staff
• Representatives of non-governmental organizations
• Teacher educators
• School leaders, teachers and other representatives of general education

The focus areas of the curriculum are

• Key influences of student learning
• Educational innovation
• Evidenced-based change management
• Modern educational management competencies
• Estonian education success story

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Why study with us?

Estonia has transformed its educational system to one of the most advanced ones in the world being a role model for digital education. Estonian pupils ranked first in the PISA 2018 results among the European countries in all three domains and fifth among the OECD countries. Results come with a high satisfaction in student’s lives, on average 70% (OECD 67%). Additionally, according to CEPS Estonia is rated as being the most prepared country in Europe for digital lifelong learning. How did this transformation happen, what does it mean? And how can other countries learn and benefit from this experience? These questions will be answered during the studies.

Tallinn University has been the leading teacher-education institution in Estonia since 1919, previously known as Tallinn Pedagogical University and Tallinn Teachers' Seminary. Our academic staff consist of the top leaders in education, who have helped to design the current educational system at school’s and state level. We collaborate with our partners from Estonia and other countries in order to provide our students with the highest level of professional competences.

Study method

Studying includes both face-to-face and distance learning in a Zoom environment. In addition to working at or through the Tallinn University facilities study visits to educational institutions will take place. There will be:

• Pre-reading and tasks
• Interactive lectures, seminars, webinars
• Individual work
• Group work

Admission requirements

• The minimum educational level - Bachelor’s degree or the equivalent from an accredited institution.
• The participants' English language proficiency level needs to be at least B2.

Application deadlines

• January 8, 2024, submission of an application
• January 8, 2024, submission of covering letter (your motivation for taking the course) to viktoria.bubukin@tlu.ee

  At a minimum, the letter should state why you wish to take part; what knowledge and skills you bring to the course (e.g. work experience); how you hope to use what you learn.

  Covering letter is evaluated by the following criteria:
  1) Purpose: clearly stated goal
  2) Experience: relevance of work experience and skills in reference to the microdegree
  3) Influence: clarity of vision in how to apply learning from microdegree
  4) Writing: quality of language and criticality of thought

• January 15, 2024, selection of the participants
• January 16, 2024, feedback to the candidates

Study sessions

• January 22 and January 29, 2024, in Zoom
• March 4 until March 17, 2024, at Tallinn University, Estonia
• June 10 until June 12, 2024, in Zoom

The Educational Innovation and Leadership microdegree programme consists of two modules:

Drivers of Evidenced-based Innovation in Education (6 ECTS)

• What May Matter Most
• Key Triggers/Concepts Needed for Leading Educational Renewal
• The Power of Context

Learning Educational Innovation (6 ECTS)

• Curriculum: Embodiment of the Vision
• Teachers and Leaders
• Leading Educational Renewal

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Academic Staff

Eve Eisenschmidt in Estonian Research Information System

Salome Khurtsidze in Estonian Research Information System

Scholarships

Tallinn University School of Educational Sciences’ project “Scholarship to create study opportunities at Tallinn University Educational Innovation and Leadership study programme” enables third-country educational specialists to obtain a micro degree in Educational Innovation and Leadership study programme at Tallinn University. The project is supported from the development cooperation scholarship programme by ESTDEV - The Estonian Centre for International Development.

The project covers the tuition fee for all together 15 students from Georgia, Kenya, and Ukraine, and contributes to payment of living expenses (80€ per diem per student for 14 days). Project also covers travelling costs (300€ - 1000€, depending on the country of origin).

Supported by ESTDEV – Estonian Centre for International Development

Contact information