BSc Educational Psychology / Course details

Year of entry: 2024

Course unit details:
Counselling and educational psychology in the professional context

Course unit fact file
Unit code EDUC23040
Credit rating 20
Unit level Level 2
Teaching period(s) Full year
Offered by School of Environment, Education and Development
Available as a free choice unit? No

Overview

The unit will provide students a grounding in the ‘real world’ applications of education and counselling psychology in the professional context, with specific reference to core areas of Psychology (especially social psychology).  For instance;

  • The importance of relationships in intervention and counselling
  • How theories of the development of ‘self and identity’ can help explain and attribute behaviour
  • The role of attribution in exploring mal-adaptive behaviour

The unit will build upon previous learning in relation to theory and in turn provide grounding for the third year placement unit (intervention in schools).  Chartered Educational and Counselling psychologists will introduce key elements of their research and practice work (e.g. therapy in schools, child assessment, consultation) and explain the role and application of psychology.

The unit will be augmented by a number of applied learning scenarios taking the form of small group seminars.

 

Aims

The unit aims to:

  • Demonstrate how psychology is applied in the context of educational and counselling psychology professions.
  • Demonstrate how core elements of Psychology form part of professional practice.

 

Learning outcomes

Category of outcome

Students should/will (please delete as appropriate) be able to:

Knowledge and understanding

Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of how psychology is applied in the contexts of educational and counselling psychology professions

 

Intellectual skills

Analyse and evaluate theory and research pertaining to the practice and application of educational and counselling psychology

 

Practical skills

 

 

 

Transferable skills and personal qualities

Video production

 

Oral communication (contributing to discussion and debate)

 

Working with others (group work, case-based work)

 

IT skills (word processing, accessing electronic databases and library facilities, managing references)

 

 

Teaching and learning methods

Content sessions (e.g. including discussion and debate, case/scenario based learning, and other approaches to learning and teaching)

Small group seminars (e.g. applied learning scenarios)

Supplementary e-learning processes and resources (e.g. online videos, guided reading, etc)

Assessment methods

Assessment task Length How and when feedback is provided Weighting within unit
Selecting one school-based issue within the purview of educational or counselling psychology (e.g. school-based therapy, assessment, etc) produce a video introducing the relevance and application of psychological theory in practice in relation to this issue. No more than 5 minutes Criterion based lecturer assessment 100%

 

Feedback methods

Online via Blackboard

Recommended reading

Cline, T., Gulliford, A., & Birch, S. (2015). Educational Psychology (Topics in Applied Psychology).  Routledge: Hove, UK.

Douglas, B., Woolfe, R., Strawbridge, S., Kasket, E., & Galbraith, V. (2016).  The Handbook of Counselling Psychology.  SAGE: London

Orlans, V., Van Scoyo, S. (2009). A Short Introduction to Counselling Psychology.  SAGE: London

Woolfolk, A.  (2015). Educational Psychology. Pearson: Harlow, UK

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Lectures 30
Independent study hours
Independent study 170

Teaching staff

Staff member Role
Catherine Kelly Unit coordinator

Additional notes

Activity Hours Allocated
Staff/ Student contact

20 content or seminar sessions @ 1.5 hours = 30

Preparation for seminar work 18
Private study, reading and assignment preparation 152
Total Hours 200

 

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