Applied Child Psychology - MSc

Postgraduate

In Nottingham

Price on request

Description

  • Type

    Postgraduate

  • Location

    Nottingham

  • Duration

    1 Year

This Applied Child Psychology Masters degree combines an in-depth look and critical evaluation of the advanced study of psychological development with regard to children and adolescents. You'll focus on the implications of psychological theory and research for policy and practice across a range of applied settings, for example, education, clinical and social contexts as well as undertake advanced training in relevant research methods.
This is an ideal course for anyone wanting a career that involves working with children or for those interested in securing a doctoral training place in educational psychology

Facilities

Location

Start date

Nottingham (Nottinghamshire)
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Start date

On request

About this course

Careers and job application advice is available to all our postgraduate students and is provided on a one-to-one basis by a subject specialist within the Department, supported by the university wide careers service.
The job titles below give an indication of the careers our recent Psychology graduates are pursuing:

Therapist assistant
Residential social care worker
Special Needs teaching assistant
Teaching assistant.

You will need an undergraduate degree (minimum 2.1) in Psychology, or an allied discipline (supported by relevant experience of working with children) or other recognised equivalent qualification. Allied disciplines include childhood studies, behavioural sciences, education, social sciences and speech or language therapy.

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Subjects

  • Child Psychology
  • Psychology
  • Psychology of Childhood
  • Social
  • Development in Children
  • Cognitive Development
  • Research skills
  • Data Gathering
  • Gathering techniques
  • Data handling

Course programme

You will complete an extended essay on a relevant topic of your choice and an empirical research project, both under the supervision of a research active member of staff.


Child in Context

This module aims to challenge understandings of child development that have emerged within the discipline of psychology. It will examine the range of ways by which knowledge and understanding of the psychology of childhood has been developed, referring to the social construction of childhood from contemporary, historical and cross-cultural frameworks. It will assess critically the consequences of this knowledge and understanding and consider different methodological approaches to understanding the child in context. The module challenges traditional approaches to understanding a range of issues related to children.

At the heart of the module is the assumption that an inclusive approach to education systems, policy and an understanding of difference is crucial for overcoming the challenges often faced in childhood.

Social and Cognitive Development in Children

The module will consider the importance of social and cognitive explanations for understanding, and critically explaining, children’s development within different education settings. The module will consider aspects of social and cognitive developmental psychology within an applied educational setting and aims to challenge some of the traditional approaches to understanding a range of issues related to children within the school context. At the heart of the module is the recognition that social and cognitive explanations need to be integrated to provide better understanding of educational development in children.

Specifically, the module will focus on examining key concepts in social development, such as the importance of peer relationships, school exclusion, victimisation and bullying alongside cognitive explanations for language and literacy and the development of mathematical and scientific thinking.

The module will examine the development, and integration of, social and cognitive explanations for understanding children’s development both within (and beyond) different educational settings.

Research Skills for Working with Children

The module aims to introduce you to the quantitative and qualitative research methods that are typically used to study child and adolescent psychology. In doing so the module aims to facilitate a critical understanding of the field and explore research methodology that leads to applied initiatives in child and adolescent development.

The module’s content intends to provide you with a grounding in the approaches used by researchers in child and adolescent psychology. The content is likely to include discussions of the practicalities and ethics of working with children, designing surveys, secondary data analysis, questionnaire design, qualitative methods and developing experimental studies for use with young participants.

The main methods of analysis that will be introduced include, qualitative analysis, bivariate regression, multiple regression, and analysis of variance.

Observational Methods

This module will provide you with a knowledge of, and practical skills in, observational methods. More specifically the module aims to:

  • Develop understanding of the use of different observational methods to address psychological questions.
  • Demonstrate the processes involved in the coding and analysis of observational data.
  • Enable students to conduct a piece of observational research.
  • Allow students to appraise critically the quality of observational designs and address issues concerning relating to reliability and validity.
  • To develop students’ abilities to handle observational data.
  • To further develop students’ abilities to report, present and evaluate observational designs and data.
  • The module aims to provide specialist training in observational methods.

Topics may include:

  • Observational research designs (the use of structured and un-structured observations).
  • Quasi-experimental techniques.
  • Data gathering techniques.
  • Advantages and disadvantages of observational designs.
  • Data handling, organisation, and management techniques.
  • Developing valid and reliable coding schemes and the application of these coding schemes to analyse video material.
  • Reliability and validity.
Developmental Profiles of Language and Learning

The module will consider current theory and research to explain a range of developmental profiles around language and learning. Alongside exploring current perspectives on language and learning ability in children, several types of distinct profile may be covered (e.g., specific language impairment, dyslexia, and downs syndrome).

Psychological and Behavioural Difficulties in Childhood

The module is designed to extend knowledge and encourage reflection on psychological and behavioural difficulties that children may experience, and are likely to be identified and managed within clinical settings. The module will consider contemporary approaches to understanding clinical aspects of children’s behaviour. The topics will focus on both emotional and behavioural difficulties across clinical settings.

Career Focus and Development

This module will offer the opportunity to reflect on the key professional skills necessary to enhance employability and access to further training courses and ensure you are equipped to best present yourself to prospective employers. Specific overall aims include:

  • The opportunity to develop an application for a position of your choice.
  • Encouraging you to reflect on your own abilities and experiences in relation to the workplace.
  • Application of the principles of communication to different settings and audiences.
Child Psychology Independent Research Project

This module will enable you to develop and demonstrate professional psychological research skills appropriate to the discipline by designing (including addressing ethical issues) and undertaking an extended independent research project in psychology, using an advanced research method, under the guidance of an appropriate supervisor.

The module content will depend on the your choice of topic. Regular supervision will be provided to guide your research projects. Supervisory support will be provided as you plan and prepare their project proposals (e.g., advanced research skills and use of specialist equipment) and at regular intervals afterwards.

Applied Child Psychology - MSc

Price on request