2024/25 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

LLLC1369 An Introduction to Childhood and Child Development

20 Credits Class Size: 30

Module manager: Rebecca Thorley
Email: R.Thorley@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2024/25

This module is not approved as a discovery module

Module summary

This module explores developmental perspectives on how the environment, family, culture, and society impact on children's development. The module emphasizes the role of close attachments between children and caregivers. Exploring the role of practitioners as social pedagogues is to systematically facilitate learning and development, connecting children's experiences and meaning making. The module emphasizes the importance of play in a child's life, highlighting its role in fostering social skills, imagination, and physical development.

Objectives

1. Critical thinking in relation to nature versus nurture debate
2. Analysis of the role of adults and professionals in influencing and intervening in children’s lives and development.
3. To explore child development from a social, cultural, emotional and physical perspective
4. Evaluation of key child development theories in relation to play, attachment, communication and resilience.

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:
On completion of the module, students will be able to:

1. Describe a range of developmental theories explaining children’s emotional, cognitive, physical, and social development and their resilience.
2. Explain the ecological view of young children’s development, including the role of adults and professionals.
3. Evaluate the role of play and individual agency on children’s development.
4. Discuss the interaction of nature/nurture on development.
5. Apply developmental theories to provided observations of young children.

Skills Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:

1.Academic: You’ll learn how to justify your arguments as to what influences children’s development in terms of established theory.
2. Work Ready: You’ll learn how to undertake a systematic observation and assessment of a child’s behaviour in context and complete a simulation of a work-place observation report.

Syllabus

This will be a ‘flipped’ class in line with the Child and Family Studies Programme suite of modules. Students are expected to learn from interactive online materials prior to attending each weekly seminar wherein this prior learning will be applied and formatively assessed. Alongside maintaining expected progress and learning within the structured online interactive resources, it is expected that students deepen, extend and enhance their learning by consulting with recommended and self-sourced academic texts on the subject.

Teaching Methods

Delivery type Number Length hours Student hours
Supervision 1 2 2
Lecture 10 1 10
Seminar 1 5 5
Independent online learning hours 83
Private study hours 100
Total Contact hours 17
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) 200

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Student progress and engagement with online learning tasks will be monitored on a weekly basis, and formatively assessed by the tutor in weekly class discussions. There will be an opportunity for students to receive individual formative feedback on their draft written work.

Methods of Assessment

Coursework
Assessment type Notes % of formal assessment
Written Work 2,500 word Observation Report 70
In-course MCQ Test on Child Development theory 30
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) 100

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading List

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 2/27/2024

Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team