Module manager: Richard Harris
Email: R.J.Harris@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable
Year running 2026/27
BSc Psychology or MPsyc, BSc Advanced Psychology or BA Philosophy, Psychology and Scientific Thought entry requirements and successful completion of all Level 2 PFP modules. BSc Psychology with Education (and its international and industrial variants) entry requirements and successful completion of all Level 2 PFP modules.
This module is not approved as a discovery module
This module will introduce students to a diversity of perspectives on psychological research, theory, and practice. This will include, for example: critical psychology; community psychology; decolonial psychology; black psychology; queer psychology. These are all approaches that take a different perspective on the methodology, focus, goals, and function of psychology, both as a profession and an academic scholarly discipline. Students will be encouraged to integrate perspectives and develop their own critical understanding of the psychology's function.
In this module, lectures and workshops are designed to provide students with a range of different perspectives on psychology. In particular, weekly workshops will encourage students to critically integrate diverse perspective on psychology, in order to appreciate different approaches to the study and practice of psychology.
On successful completion of the module students will, in a manner relevant to the subject, be able to:
1. Demonstrate specialist understanding of conceptual knowledge and theory within a range of perspectives in psychology
2. Demonstrate specialist understanding of the practical application of a range of perspectives on psychology theory
3. Integrate perspectives to psychology to critically consider the function of psychology as a profession and a discipline
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:
4. Critically evaluate practical, theoretical, and ethical issues associated with a range of psychological perspectives
5. Apply, with evidence and evaluation, psychological theory from a range of different perspective to address real-world issues and problems
Each week students will consider different perspectives on psychology research, theory and practice. Weekly lectures will be supported by group workshops to tie together the different perspectives and to help students prepare for the assessment. Likely topics will include:
1: Welcome and Overview
2: Community psychology
3: Queer psychology
4: Critical psychology
5: Black psychology
6: Feminist psychology
7: Decolonial psychology
8: Indigenous psychology
9: Islamic psychology
10: Reflective practice and integration
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lectures | 10 | 1 | 10 |
| Seminars | 10 | 1 | 10 |
| Independent online learning hours | 10 | ||
| Private study hours | 120 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 20 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 150 | ||
Every week, students will write and share in a private Class Notebook on MS Teams a 300 word (approx) reflection on the lecture. This will prompt students to consider the approach discussed in the lecture and answer set questions (e.g., “What can this approach tell us about psychology? How does it differ from other approaches? Do you agree or align with it?”). As the teaching team, we will review the reflections every week and start the workshops with a broad overview of the themes that arise from student’s individual coursework.
Students will then be encouraged to take their formative writing and use this for their summative assessment, which will require them to integrate perspectives across psychology.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Essay | Summative | 100 |
| Reflective report/log | Formative. Weekly 300 word reflections to support summative assessment | 0 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
Students will be provided with three provocative statements about psychology. The essay will require students to integrate different perspectives and how these relate to the statements. Every week, students will write and share in a private Class Notebook on MS Teams a 300 word (approx) reflection on the lecture. This will prompt students to consider the approach discussed in the lecture and answer set questions (e.g., “What can this approach tell us about psychology? How does it differ from other approaches? Do you agree or align with it?”). As the teaching team, we will review the reflections every week and start the workshops with a broad overview of the themes that arise from student’s individual coursework. Students will then be encouraged to take their formative writing and use this for their summative assessment, which will require them to integrate perspectives across psychology.
Check the module area in Minerva for your reading list
Last updated: 30/04/2026
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