| CODE | EDS1004 | ||||||||||||
| TITLE | Child Development throughout the Primary School Cycle | ||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 01 - Year 1 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Education Studies | ||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit focuses on the physical, cognitive, emotional and social development of the primary-aged child from late toddler-hood to middle and late childhood (age 4+ to 10+ years). It will guide students through the various stages of development of the primary school child and enable them to understand the various ways in which the different aspects of development influence each other. There will also be an emphasis on contextual development in terms of environmental influences on children's development, particularly that of the child's family, community and school. Since this study-unit represents the first stage in the formation of prospective educators working in primary school settings, it is essential that graduates of this bachelor programme have an informed understanding of the various aspects of child development and the factors that influence and affect it, which provides them with a sound basis if they wish to pursue the MTL in Primary Education and qualify as professionally trained primary teachers. Study-Unit Aims: The aim is to provide students with the required knowledge, understanding and skills to critically examine and appraise the role and impact of the primary-aged child's physical, cognitive, emotional and social development and how these influence the child's educational journey over the primary cycle. Particular emphasis will be placed on the central role that parents/guardians and educators play in facilitating the child's development in all its facets. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: • appraise the purpose and nature of the study of child development; • outline the importance of theories of development; • critically reflect on the theoretical aspects of child development; • demonstrate an understanding of the holistic development of the primary-aged child as they embark on, and throughout, the primary schooling years; • calculate at which stage of cognitive development children may be and the implications this has on their educational experiences; • appreciate the role and impact of the environment as the child goes through the various stages of development. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: • outline the importance of theories of development; • apply an informed understanding to the primary-aged child's experiences; • critically apply developmental theory to reflect on and evaluate the child's learning experiences at school as well as the environments where learning takes place; • identify those conditions or issues that constitute a barrier to the child's holistic development, including family and community situations; • appreciate the range of difficult family circumstances and their impact on the child's holistic development and learning. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: Levine, L.E, & Musch, J. (2022). Child Development: An Interactive Approach 4th Ed. Thousand Oaks, CA.: Sage. Supplementary Readings: Charlesworth, R. (2017). Understanding Child Development 10th Ed. Boston MA.: Cengage Learning. Feldman, R.S. (2011). Child Development 6th Ed. London: Pearson. Keenan, T., Evans, S., & Crowley, K. (2016) 3rd Ed. An Introduction to Child Development. Thousand Oaks, CA.: Sage. Meadows, S. (2017). Understanding Child Development: Psychological Perspectives and Applications 2nd Ed. London: Rutledge. Santrock, J.W. (2020). Child Development: An Introduction 15th Ed. U.S.A: McGraw-Hill Education. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Mark Borg |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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