BSc Educational Psychology

This unit will provide students with an introduction to theory and research relating the concepts of risk and resilience, and their application in the study of human development. It will build on foundations provided by the Level 4 unit, ‘Development and childhood’, and in turn provide a foundation for the Level 6 unit, ‘Prevention Science and Education’. The unit explores definitions and theories of risk and resilience; ‘waves’ of research in risk and resilience (individual differences; embedding resilience in developmental and ecological systems; intervening to foster resilience; and epigenetic and neurobiological processes); and the complexities of applying risk and resilience theory to real-world scenarios. As such, core elements of psychology are elicited upon and applied through content and independent study  (e.g., biological processes, developmental psychology, social psychology, conceptual and historical issues in the field, individual differences).

The unit aims to:  

• develop students’ knowledge and understanding of risk and resilience processes in human development
• enhance students’ skills in analysing and evaluating theory and evidence in the context of risk and resilience processes in human development
• promote the knowledge, critical thinking, and reflexive skills required for a contextualised application of theory and evidence to applied human development scenarios 

Students will be able to:

The unit begins by providing students with an introduction to basic constructs of risk and resilience, contextualising these within broad fields of study, and introducing and exploring fundamental theories, concepts, and methods used within the area, with a particular focus on childhood and adolescence but with exploration of lifelong development also. The unit then focuses in on risk and adversity, examining how particular factors and experiences can impact upon development including within systems of risk and adversity. The unit next begins to explore lenses of positive development and adaptation in the context of risk, introducing foundational theory and research in resilience, complexities and critical issues in resilience, how interventions can function to improve outcomes for at-risk children and young people, and how resilience can be understood in the context of trauma. Global perspectives in resilience are examined, before exploring future directions and the challenges and implications of studying complex integrated systems.

Asynchronous pre-sessional lectures and activities: Lectures for the unit are divided into short videos on The VLE that students engage with in advance of in-person sessions. There are typically three short foundations videos for each week of study, which build on one another and are interspersed with short independent activities including personal reflections, critical appraisal, information sourcing, engagement in short reading tasks, adding to class padlets to be reviewed in session time, engagement with additional audio-visual media (e.g., podcasts, expert interviews), critical appraisal exercises, and reviewing points of application to the assignment. The short videos and activities are sequenced within each week to scaffold learning and encourage independent learning and reflection.  

Group discussions and activities: Group sessions are used to consolidate, build upon, and explore the application of content covered in asynchronous pre-sessional lectures and activities. Each group session begins with a recap of content and opportunity to share questions and reflections. Small group activities are set, centred around a broad task, with further instructions where appropriate that can be used to tailor to students’ understanding and interests. Tasks are designed to complement intended learning outcomes and the assignment (e.g., critical appraisal, real-world application, reflexive thinking), and the lecturer is on hand throughout to answer questions and provide feedback and prompts stimulate further discussion. Whole class discussion is used to consolidate, cross-pollinate learning, and address common questions and points of discussion.  

Recommended reading: Specific pre-sessional and post-sessional reading is assigned each week, including seminal theoretical pieces, empirical outputs, and reports.  

Post-sessional activities: A range of post-sessional activities are indicated for students. This includes self-assessment mini-quizzes each week and independent learning tasks that build upon and consolidate content.  

• Describe key theories of risk and resilience processes in human development  
• Articulate and discuss how key theories and evidence link together in making sense of risk and resilience processes in human development

• Analyse and evaluate theory and evidence in risk and resilience
• Critically evaluate the applicability of theory and evidence in risk and resilience to real-world scenarios

• Use theory and evidence to make sense of, and develop professional responses to, and evaluate possible outcomes for, real-world scenarios  

• Construct and clearly communicate a well-organised review of relevant theory and evidence in writing
• Apply digital skills to gather evidence and present findings  (e.g., use of word processing software, accessing electronic databases, developing references to cited literature)  
• Demonstrate autonomy and problem solving skills by identifying issues and clarifying questions, seeking possible solutions, and evaluating likely outcomes

BSc Educational Psychology is externally accredited by the British Psychological Society.

Formative Assessment - Optional self-assessment mini-quizzes available for each week on the VLE (4-6 questions)

Assessment - Critical review: Students are presented with a case study of a child spanning multiple developmental stages, and write a critical review in which they discuss the different risk and resilience processes in the child’s life and how these may be influencing development at their chosen developmental stage (2,500 words, 100%)

Formative Assessment - Automated

Assessment - Written bespoke feedback and rubric grading provided online

Goldstein, S. & Brooks, R. (eds.) (2013). Handbook of resilience in children. New York: Springer.

Masten, A. (2014). Ordinary magic: resilience in development.  London: Guilford Press.

Pixar Animation Studios. (2015). Inside Out [Film]. The Walt Disney Company. 

Ungar, M. (ed.) (2013). The social ecology of resilience. New York: Springer.

Expected Outcomes

The unit forms part of the BSc Educational Psychology programme and conforms to the QAA discipline benchmark for Psychology required for accreditation by the relevant PSRB (BPS). There is a focus on teaching the skills needed for post graduate work in the field of applied psychology, including, but not limited to:

• Professional standards in communication
• Demonstration of reasoning and analysis skills
• Application of knowledge and critical thinking skills to create novel and original solutions in applied contexts
• Demonstration of digital literacy
• High level skills in retrieval, organisation and synthesis of complex material
• Autonomy and ownership of tasks, including effective personal planning and project management skills

Within the teaching processes, there are substantive learning opportunities to practice and develop a range of interpersonal skills including inclusive and collaborative working, reaching consensus, verbal communication and acting sensitively to the needs and expectations of others.

Core knowledge is comparable to other Psychology degrees and therefore underpins further training for careers in the areas of applied psychology (e.g. Educational Psychologist, Clinical Psychologist, Health Psychologist, Occupational Psychologist, Counselling Psychologist etc). The content is specifically related to educational settings and as such immediately applicable to careers outside of the subject discipline (e.g. teaching, teaching assistants; SENCo; support workers).

The summative assessment provides students with an opportunity to engage with an authentic professional task through the direct application of psychological theory and evidence to the case study of a child. This includes consideration of discussing and handling sensitive experiences, understanding of how systems function to impact on individuals, and tensions in education and related systems.