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Developmental Psychology
Developmental
psychology is introduced in the programme by focusing on the school career
of one particular 16 year old boy, tracing his successes and failures
within the school system and exploring how developmental theory and research
can be used to explain his progress. In PinE 201 Social
Development we introduce our case-study teenager, George, who has
been excluded from school and now attends a pupil referral unit. In this
first developmental course we focus on social development - play, childhood
friendships, parenting, later adolescent relationships and the development
of self.
PinE 202 Cognitive Development carries on our exploration of development, continuing with our case study of George but this time focussing on cognitive explanations for his school failure. We explore the growth of thinking, the effect of language background on school learning, the development of mathematical skills, moral development and moral reasoning, and the origins of disruptive and risky behaviour.
In
your third year you can opt for PinE 307 Advanced Developmental
Psychology. This module looks in greater depth at aspects of developmental
psychology introduced in the second year, particularly parenting of young
children, and language and learning. Applications of two theoretical approaches
are considered: traditional attachment theory and recent challenges to
it, and Vygotskian theory. Applications of attachment theory will include
parental involvement in schooling and the involvement of fathers, current
debates about the pre-school care of young children, and the role of gender
as a key social category in mediating a child's relationships with peers
and teachers. In addition the course addresses a specific applications
of Vygotskian perspectives in educational settings: the study of language
use in classrooms and its role in supporting learning.
Tutors: Dr Jo Warin & Angela Lovett
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