About the Program
The program was developed based on Al-Quds Open University's interest in preparing qualified human cadres in the social sciences and education, capable of employing influencers and policy-making, developing the content of social studies curricula, investing competencies in the field of education competencies, and responding to market demands by providing learning opportunities that meet their needs. This program will also be a practical and professional success, considering the current trend in educational development, as well as the university's diverse facilities, materials, and cadres.
Students are accepted into the program after meeting the relevant conditions and criteria. The student must fulfill 36 credit hours in order to get a master's degree in teaching social science.
Developing qualified cadres in the field of teaching social education equipped with the most up-to-date knowledge in social sciences and research, as well as applied and life skills, capable of making decisions based on a deep knowledge, scientific and intellectual foundation, and employing their expertise to serve the Palestinian society, in addition to providing educational institutions with competencies capable of developing educational institutions in an integrated manner.
The program seeks to educate social workers who are capable of serving in the social care sector to mitigate social issues faced by individuals and communities, and to meet the needs of social service institutions. The program helps to meet the following goals:
- Develop students' research skills, in a way that enables them to address educational and life problems in a scientific manner.
- Provide them with designing, developing and implementing contemporary and effective educational programs skills.
- Develop their theoretical and comparative thinking abilities, which are related to that contribute to the study of history and geography.
- Provide them with skills to analyze the current situation and the future of education.
- Develop their abilities in evaluating educational programs in terms of quality and employ them in educational environments.
- Provide them with special learning strategies in the field of social education.
The following are some of the careers for a graduate of the Master in Teaching Social Sciences graduate:
- Specialize in the field of social education in public schools, UNRWA schools, and private schools.
- An educational initiator who is able to put forward educational initiatives in the field of social education and leadership to achieve its goals.
- Developer of social curricula content.
- An educational designer who takes into account educational strategies and modern teaching techniques.
- Lecturer or administrator in colleges and universities.
Courses for Master's Degree in Teaching Social Studies Specialization
To obtain a MA degree in Teaching Social Studies Specialization ، the student must successfully complete ( 36 ) credit hours distributed as follows:
Description of Courses for the Master in Teaching Social Science Program:
Credit Hours: 3 (Theoretical: 3, Practical: 0)
Prerequisite:
This course focuses on the geographies of the past and how the past is represented in the geographies of the present. Historical geography studies the atmosphere components, development and dynamics, and the geographical atmosphere changes through time and humans? interaction with this change since they can not be isolated from their atmosphere. Moreover, historical geography attempts to examine all changes in the atmosphere and link them to the temporal factor, one of the historical research fundamentals. Due to this openness to time, historical geography has achieved a remarkable development with the Fidelian school. Therefore, it is true that ?any human or natural geographical phenomenon that has emerged in history and evolved, its present appearance is only a continuum that derives its existence and meaning from the past.?
Credit Hours: 3 (Theoretical: 3, Practical: 0)
Prerequisite:
This course addresses a set of rules that seek to limit the effects of armed conflict. Moreover, the Humanitarian International Law protects persons who do not or are no longer taking part in hostilities and restricts the means and methods of warfare. It is also based on a number of treaties and conventions, especially the Geneva Conventions and their additional protocols, in addition to a series of conventions and protocols that cover certain aspects. There are many customary international rules applied to the countries and parties participating in the conflicts to protect the vulnerable groups in the society, including civilians, clerics and children, during wars. These rules also protect the facilities affected during conflicts, indicating that one of the aims of the International Humanitarian Law is to distinguish between military and civilian objectives as well as pain relief and restriction of means of hostilities in any conflict
Credit Hours: 3 (Theoretical: 3, Practical: 0)
Prerequisite:
This course aims to provide students with the methodological research basis for research design, and the methodological methods and strategies for conducting research in the education and social sciences. The course introduces students to the statistical methods for data analysis and the ways to use them in research and social educational studies
Credit Hours: 3 (Theoretical: 3, Practical: 0)
Prerequisite:
The course aims to build the collective and individual awareness through awakening the authentic Arab truth in the memory of the Palestinian and Arab community, and refuting the Zionist narrative (instilling a false memory among the members of the hostile entity) by focusing on teaching the history of the Palestinian people who have been on their land for more than five thousand years. The course provides a room for creativity in exhibiting what contributes to building national awareness for their students in the future.
Credit Hours: 3 (Theoretical: 0, Practical: 3)
Prerequisite:
Credit Hours: 3 (Theoretical: 3, Practical: 0)
Prerequisite:
This course addresses the latest contemporary educational issues, and technological, social, economic, and cultural factors and variables behind these issues. Moreover, students learn to link these variables? impact and the derived concepts and issues reflected in the educational and social reality. They will also work on their scientific and systematic analysis using the latest scientific means with a critical view of those issues and their contents and association with other issues of society and possible research solutions, and the necessary human and material potentials
Credit Hours: 3 (Theoretical: 3, Practical: 0)
Prerequisite:
This course introduces students to the basic principles of geographic information systems in terms of definition, and the development of their concepts, components, and theories. It also addresses the basic principles and methods of dealing with geographic information, as well as metadata and its sources. However, the course examines the methods of managing databases in terms of producing maps with their various symbols, tables, graphs, and texts, as well as cutting and pasting techniques, defining border areas, merging, re-extracting, and imaging.
Credit Hours: 3 (Theoretical: 3, Practical: 0)
Prerequisite:
This course addresses the Muslims? reality and their pressing issues worldwide as well as the Islamic World?s significant civilization challenges. Moreover, it monitors the future of the Muslim world in the midst of current changes, the impact of the great powers and their interest in the Islamic World, and their strategic calculations. In addition, this course addresses the needs of the Islamic nation for contemporary intellectual effort, which meets the internal and external challenges and discusses the intellectual insights necessary to bring about a leap among Islamic decision-makers, contributing to regaining the nation?s renaissance
Credit Hours: 3 (Theoretical: 3, Practical: 0)
Prerequisite:
This course provides students with concepts related to curricular analysis, design, and contemporary models in terms of theories, goals, functions, and tools. The course displays the theoretical and practical applications to school curricula in Palestine by adopting analytical inductions of cognitive content. The course reviews the issues and problems facing designing curricula locally according to the future aspirations of the educational system in Palestine. It provides students with the skills of analyzing, evaluating, and designing curricula
Credit Hours: 3 (Theoretical: 3, Practical: 0)
Prerequisite:
The course discusses peace protection, disarmament, human rights issues, environment, climate, and the new world system, establishing a framework for international justice and promoting economic and social progress. The course sheds light on the challenges in the twenty-first century, such as climate change, refugees, epidemics such as AIDS, COVID-19, globalization and terrorism, ways to improve the standard of living, education, and advancement of women, as well as the peaceful uses of atomic energy
Credit Hours: 3 (Theoretical: 0, Practical: 3)
Prerequisite: 0/6785
Credit Hours: 3 (Theoretical: 3, Practical: 0)
Prerequisite: 0/6771
This course aims to provide students with the main recent trends in social science teaching strategies. It also introduces them to learner-centered learning and teaching theories, such as active learning, project learning, discovery, cooperative learning, learning by doing, learning models based on constructivism, habits of mind, multiple intelligences, learning for thinking, differentiated education, flipped classroom, and others. It also deals with teacher-based learning strategies, such as explanation, description, story, lecture, and recitation. The course also deals with teacher-based learning strategies, such as explanation, description, story, lecture, recitation, presentation and representation, and aims to provide students with the necessary skills in planning teaching at its different levels
Credit Hours: 3 (Theoretical: 0, Practical: 3)
Prerequisite:
This course is part 1 of the seminar project. The students prepare their proposals and submit them to the program committee to evaluate and provide feedback. During this course, there are individual meetings appointed between students and their supervisors.
Credit Hours: 3 (Theoretical: 3, Practical: 0)
Prerequisite: 0/6772
This course focuses on providing the students with sources to investigate and identify research problems as well as training them on research skills and access to available literature and sources in Arabic and English related to their specialization. This course also aims to help students design methodologically and scientifically appropriate research plans for research topics in the field of specialization
Credit Hours: 3 (Theoretical: 3, Practical: 0)
Prerequisite:
This course focuses on critical analytical reading for some selected topics in methodologies and methods of teaching social sciences, and significant educational opinions, theoretical and applied approaches related to some educational issues in teaching social sciences using educational resources such as references, books, periodicals, journals, reports, and electronic sites
Credit Hours: 3 (Theoretical: 0, Practical: 3)
Prerequisite: 0/6788
In this course, students prepare their master?s thesis on one of the topics related to their specialization under the supervision of specialized professors. Finally, the students present and discuss their defense in front of an audience.