Discover key education terms and concepts in this comprehensive glossary. Build your understanding, enhance your practice, and explore how an MA in Education can help you create real impact.
Education is changing fast. New theories, teaching methods, and policy shifts are all shaping how we teach and learn. If you're looking to grow in your role or move forward in your career, it's important to understand the key terms used in the field.
Knowing the language helps you make sense of complex ideas, communicate clearly, and create more inclusive and effective learning experiences.
That's where this glossary comes in. It's designed to introduce you to important terms from education theory, teaching practice, research, and policy. No matter what your role is, these concepts can help you think more critically about your work.
They can also give you a strong starting point if you're considering a master's degree in education.
Take some time to explore the glossary. It can help you build a solid understanding of essential ideas in education and support your growth as a thoughtful and informed educator.
A
Andragogy: The method and practice of teaching adult learners. Andragogy emphasises the self-directed nature of learning, experiential strategies, and practical problem-solving.
Assessment: The process of evaluating student learning, skills, and academic progress. This includes both formative and summative methods designed to inform instruction and guide educational improvement.
Autonomy: In education, this refers to the degree of independence granted to learners and educators. Autonomy fosters self-regulation and critical thinking. It can also include personalised learning pathways.B
Behaviourism: A theory of learning based on observable behaviour. It posits that learning is a response to external stimuli, often implemented through reinforcement and punishment strategies.
Benchmarking: The process of comparing educational practices, outcomes, or standards against recognised best practices. This facilitates continuous improvement.
Blended learning: An educational approach that combines traditional face-to-face instruction with online learning. This provides flexibility and better interactivity.C
Collaboration: The process by which educators and learners work together, share ideas, and support one another's learning. This is often facilitated through group projects or interdisciplinary activities.
Constructivism: An educational theory asserting that learners build knowledge through experiences and interactions. It emphasises active learning and discovery.
Curriculum: A structured set of learning objectives, content, assessments, and teaching methods designed to guide instruction across a course or programme.D
Differentiation: An instructional approach that tailors teaching methods to meet the diverse needs, learning styles, and abilities of students. This is a cornerstone of inclusive education delivery.
Digital literacy: The ability to navigate, evaluate, and create information effectively using digital technologies. It’s a vital part of today’s education and prepares students for the modern workplace.
Discourse: In education, this refers to the way language and communication shape learning, knowledge construction, and the understanding of social practices.E
EdTech (Educational technology): Digital tools and resources that are designed to facilitate teaching and learning. Their goal is to enhance educational outcomes and engagement.
Empowerment: In education, this means fostering a sense of agency in learners and educators. Doing so enables them to make decisions and implement change in their practices.
Enquiry-based learning: A student-centred educational method that involves exploring real-world problems by asking questions or looking at problems and scenarios. The student is then prompted to investigate, analyse, and derive conclusions.
Equity: The pursuit of fairness in education. Equity ensures that every learner has access to the resources and opportunities necessary to succeed, regardless of background.
Experiential learning (ExL): The process of learning through reflection and experience. It involves a hands-on approach and active participation.
F
Feedback: Constructive responses provided to learners about their performance. It can highlight their strengths and address their weaknesses, with the goal of fostering improvement. The goal is to give students a better understanding of what is expected of them, and how to meet those expectations.
Flipped classroom: An instructional strategy where traditional in-class presentations and homework elements are reversed. This encourages active learning through problem-solving during class time.
Formative assessment: A range of formal and informal evaluative processes that monitor how a student is learning and provide ongoing feedback.G
Global education: An educational approach that focuses on intercultural understanding and global citizenship. It draws on the interconnectedness of learning in a globalised world.
Grading: Also referred to as ‘marking’. The practice of evaluating and assigning a value to student work based on established criteria. These criteria are often set by an institution or educational body.
Growth mindset: The belief that abilities, talents and intelligence can be developed over time through dedication and hard work. Fundamental parts of this mindset include resilience, persistence, and the belief that there’s always room to grow and improve.H
Heutagogy: The study of self-determined learning, encouraging learners to take initiative and responsibility for their educational journey.
Holistic education: An approach that aims to develop every aspect of a person’s potential at once. This can include intellectual, emotional, social, physical, creative, and spiritual development.
Hybrid learning: A model that blends online digital media with traditional classroom methods to create a flexible learning environment.I
Inclusive education: The practice of educating everyone in the same environment, regardless of their individual abilities, backgrounds, and needs. Its goal is to provide all students with equal access, and equal opportunities.
Interdisciplinarity: The integration of concepts and techniques from different academic disciplines. For example, education experts can refer to psychology, anthropology and economics to inform their practice. This holistic approach fosters comprehensive understanding and innovative problem-solving.
J
Jigsaw method: A cooperative learning strategy where learners are divided into small, diverse groups. Each student becomes an “expert” on one part of the assignment, first studying it individually, then discussing it with peers who studied the same topic (expert groups). They finally return to their original group to share their insights and write an assignment together. The technique fosters both individual accountability and collective achievement.
Job-embedded professional development: Continuous education that occurs within a workplace environment and usually relates to the person’s work or goals. It allows employees to learn during their working hours through practical, real-world experiences.
Just-in-time learning: An instructional strategy that delivers learning content exactly when needed, rather than waiting for scheduled training. This strategy is often supported by digital resources and adaptive technologies.K
Key performance indicators (KPIs): Quantifiable measures used to evaluate the effectiveness and success of educational strategies and outcomes.
Kinaesthetic learning: An approach that views physical activities as essential to the learning process. Often used to support students who learn best by doing.
Knowledge construction: The process of building new understanding through experiences and reflections, integrating existing knowledge with new information.L
Learner-centred approach: Also known as ‘student-centred learning’. A teaching method that shifts the focus from the teacher delivering content to the learner actively participating in the process.
Learning outcome: A clear, measurable statement detailing what a learner is expected to know, do, or value after completing a learning process.
Lifelong learning: The ongoing, voluntary pursuit of knowledge for personal or professional reasons throughout a person’s life.M
Mentoring: A supportive relationship where an experienced individual guides and advises a less experienced person in their educational or professional journey.
Motivation: The internal drive that stimulates and sustains goal-oriented behaviours. Motivation is essential for student success and engagement.
Multiple intelligences: A psychological theory proposing that individual intelligence is not a single general ability, but a range of distinct cognitive abilities. These each represent different ways of processing information and solving problems.N
Networked learning: The use of information and communication technologies to support connections between students, teachers, and knowledge sources.
Neuroscience in education: The interdisciplinary study that applies insights from brain research to improve teaching methods and learning strategies.
Norm-referenced assessment: An evaluation approach that compares a student’s performance against a group. Often used to rank learners and establish their educational standing in relation to one another.O
Online learning: The process of acquiring knowledge and skills via digital platforms, offering flexibility and access to global resources.
Open educational resources (OER): Teaching and learning materials that are freely available and openly licensed, promoting accessible education for all.
Outcome-based education (OBE): An educational model that focuses on measuring student performance through specific desired results. There is no specific type of teaching method prioritised for this model.P
Pedagogy: The art and science of teaching, including strategies, methodologies, and practices used to facilitate learning.
Policy analysis: The systematic evaluation of educational policies to assess their impacts, implications, and effectiveness.
Practice-based research: An approach that integrates practical experience with academic research, fostering direct applications of theory in real-world settings.Q
Quality assurance: Processes and procedures designed to ensure that educational programmes meet certain standards of excellence, rigor and effectiveness.
Quantitative research: Research methods that involve the collection and analysis of numerical data to uncover patterns and correlations.
Questioning techniques: Strategies used by educators to stimulate critical thinking and promote deeper understanding through inquiry.R
Reflective practice: The process of self-evaluation where educators critically consider their own teaching methods and student outcomes to foster continuous improvement.
Reform: The intentional process of making changes to educational structures, policies, or practices to improve learning outcomes and equity.
Research methodology: The systematic approach used to conduct research, including qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods.S
Scaffolding: An instructional method that provides temporary support to students to help them master new concepts before gradually withdrawing the assistance.
Social justice: The pursuit of fairness and equity within the education system, ensuring equal opportunity for all learners regardless of their circumstances.
Sustainable development: Integrating sustainable practices and global challenges, such as climate change and social equity, into teaching.T
Technology-enhanced learning (TEL): The integration of digital tools and resources into the educational process to improve learning outcomes and engagement.
Transformative learning: A process through which learners critically examine their existing beliefs, assumptions, and perspectives. This is a key driver of personal and societal change.
Translational research: The process of applying academic research findings to practical educational practices and policy-making.U
Universal design for learning (UDL): A framework that guides the development of educational environments that accommodate individual learning differences.
User Experience (UX) in education: The study of how learners interact with educational technologies and learning environments, aiming to enhance engagement and usability.
Utilisation-focused evaluation: An approach to assessment that emphasises how evaluation findings are used to inform and improve practice.V
Validity: The extent to which an assessment accurately measures what it is intended to. Validity ensures that educational evaluations are both reliable and meaningful.
Value-added: A measure of the contribution an educational programme or teaching method makes to student learning outcomes, beyond what would have been achieved otherwise.
Virtual learning environment (VLE): An online platform that facilitates the management, delivery, and assessment of learning activities.W
Wellbeing: A holistic consideration of a learner’s or educator’s mental, physical, and emotional health, which is essential for a positive learning environment.
Workshop: A training session or interactive learning event focused on building specific skills or exploring topics in depth.
Y
Year-on-year comparison: A method of assessing progress and improvements by comparing data across different academic years.
Yield: The measurable results or outcomes achieved from educational interventions, often analysed to guide future practice.
Youth empowerment: The process of giving young learners the tools, agency, and confidence to actively participate and lead in their learning environments.Z
Zone of proximal development (ZPD): A concept introduced by Lev Vygotsky. It describes the difference between what learners can do without help, and what they can achieve with guidance from someone more knowledgeable.
Zoom learning: Though derived from a specific digital platform, this term now broadly refers to synchronous online learning sessions that emulate real-time classroom interactions.
An MA in Education: Turn knowledge into impact
We hope this glossary has sparked your interest and given you a strong foundation in the key concepts shaping modern education. These ideas are more than just definitions—they’re tools you can use to create inclusive, effective, and forward-thinking learning environments.
If you're ready to take your understanding further, our MA in Education can help you apply these concepts in real-world settings. Through modules like The Digital Educator, The Transformative Educator, and The Education Research Practitioner, you'll connect theory to practice and build the skills to lead change.
Whether you're improving classroom strategies, applying research, or shaping policy, this course empowers you to make informed, lasting impact. With a curriculum that’s both globally relevant and locally grounded, you’ll be prepared to meet the challenges of today’s education landscape and shape its future.
If you're ready to take the next step, visit our course webpage to learn more. This could be the beginning of a meaningful transformation in your career and your contribution to education.
