A Guide To Teaching Developmental Psychology

Part of the Blackwell Series on Teaching Psychological Science, this practical, hands-on guide shares ideas, tips, and strategies for effectively teaching lifespan developmental psychology to undergraduates. Provides a unique wealth of concrete suggestions and a clear roadmap for successfully teaching developmental psychology Links chapters to major areas of a lifespan development course, including Research Methods, Teaching Infant Development, and Teaching Adolescent Development Offers practical, hands-on tips for novice teachers and experienced instructors alike Includes sample syllabi and lecture outlines, reading quizzes, critical thinking assignments, and references for helpful videotapes and websites

The importance of high quality early childhood education is now universally recognised, and this quality crucially depends upon the practitioners who work with our young children, and their deep understanding of how children develop and learn. This book makes a vital contribution to this understanding, providing authoritative reviews of key areas of research in developmental psychology, and demonstrating how these can inform practice in early years educational settings. The book′s major theme is the fundamental importance of young children developing as independent, self-regulating learners. It illustrates how good practice is based on four key principles which support and encourage this central aspect of development: - secure attachment and emotional warmth - feelings of control and agency - cognitive challenge, adults supporting learning and children learning from one another - articulation about learning, and opportunities for self-expression. Each chapter includes: - typical and significant questions which arise in practice related to that area of development - an up-to-date review of key research, including insights from observational and experimental work with young children, from evolutionary psychology, and from neuroscientific studies of the developing brain - practical exercises intended to deepen understanding and to inform practice - questions for discussion - recommended further reading. This book provides an invaluable resource for early years students and practitioners, by summarizing new research findings and demonstrating how they can be translated into excellent early years practice. David Whitebread is Senior Lecturer in Developmental Psychology and Early Years Education in the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge.

This major new undergraduate textbook provides students with everything they need when studying developmental psychology. Guiding students through the key topics, the book provides both an overview of traditional research and theory as well as an insight into the latest research findings and techniques. Taking a chronological approach, the key milestones from birth to adolescence are highlighted and clear links between changes in behaviour and developments in brain activity are made. Each chapter also highlights both typical and atypical developments, as well as discussing and contrasting the effects of genetic and environmental factors. The book contains a wealth of pedagogical features to help students engage with the material, including: Learning objectives for every chapter Key term definitions Over 100 colour illustrations Chapter summaries Further reading Suggested essay questions. A Student’s Guide to Developmental Psychology is supported by a companion website, featuring a range of helpful supplementary resources including exclusive video clips to illustrate key developmental concepts. This book is essential reading for all undergraduate students of developmental psychology. It will also be of interest to those in education, healthcare and other subjects requiring an up-to-date and accessible overview of child development.

Most new psychology instructors enter their first undergraduate classrooms with little or no formal preparation for their role as a teacher. The goal of this book is to review the body of teaching research that is available as well as some of the well-accepted lore, so as to make the first foray into teaching psychology a positive experience. Teaching Psychology outlines the major problems and issues confronting psychology teachers. It presents an overview of the "nuts and bolts" of teaching psychology including dealing with troubled and troubling students, choosing and using technology, developing evaluation instruments, and selecting methods for self-evaluation. Written by two award-winning psychology professors with over 50 years of combined teaching experience, the book offers a wide range of down-to-earth suggestions and immediately usable materials intended to help psychology teachers teach better and help students learn more. The chapters are organized to roughly parallel the sequence of tasks that new psychology teachers face, beginning with goal setting and ending with evaluation of one's teaching. Each chapter is chockfull of helpful tools including checklists, sample lecture notes, writing assignments, and grading criteria. To make it easier to customize this material, these tools are available on an accompanying CD along with a rating sheet for choosing a textbook, a student grade-record sheet, a sample statement on academic integrity and a pool of less-than-perfect test items to hone item-writing skills. This book offers guidelines for teaching such as: setting goals in line with 10 basic principles of effective teaching planning the basics including choosing a text, writing a syllabus, and creating a grading system setting a positive tone in the classroom providing tips on asking and answering questions, promoting critical thinking, and evaluating student performance. Intended for psychology graduate students who are learning to teach, faculty who train psychology instructors, and new psychology faculty at institutions ranging from high schools to universities, as well as experienced faculty wishing to hone their teaching skills.

Developmental and Educational Psychology for Teachers brings together a range of evidence drawn from psychology to answer a number of critical educational questions, from basic questions of readiness – for example, when is a child ready for school, through to more complex matters, such as how does a teacher understand and promote good peer relationships in their classroom? The answers to these and other questions discussed draw here on the interplay between a teachers’ craft expertise and their knowledge of evidence and theory from developmental and educational psychology. Presenting a range of classic theories and contemporary research to help readers understand what the key issues are for teachers and other professionals, this book aides informed educational decisions in situations such as: inclusion, ability grouping, sex differences, developing creativity, home and peer influences on learning, and developing effective learners. Teachers in early years, primary and secondary settings are routinely faced with questions regarding the development of children. This not only relates to the planning and delivery of lessons, but also to the mental and physical wellbeing of the children and adolescents that they teach. The pedagogical features of this book are accessible and clearly presented, including focus questions that direct the reader’s attention to key issues, activity posts that point the reader to meaningful and relevant research and show the practical applications of material covered, and extension material that gives depth to many of the topics covered. This book aims to inform the practice of both in-service and trainee teachers, addressing issues that are relevant to their practice. With no other detailed and accessible text presenting this evidence and theory specifically for an audience of practicing and trainee teachers currently on the market, this book will be of essential reading to practicing and trainee teachers for early years, primary and secondary education and other related educational contexts such as educational psychologists, counsellors, paediatric and child doctors and nurses.

Developmental Psychology includes issues such as the extent to which development occurs through the gradual accumulation of knowledge versus stage-like development, or the extent to which children are born with innate with innate mental structures versus learning through experience. This book provides the Psychological Science and this practical, hands-on guide shares ideas, tips, and strategies for effectively teaching life span Developmental Psychology to under-graduates. It provides a unique wealth of concrete suggestions and a clear roadmap for successfully teaching developmental psychology.

This comprehensive guide offers a rich introduction to research methods, experimental design and data analysis techniques in developmental science, emphasizing the importance of an understanding of this area of psychology for any student or researcher interested in examining development across the lifespan. The expert contributors enhance the reader’s knowledge base, understanding of methods, and critical thinking skills in their area of study. They cover development from the prenatal period to adolescence and old age, and explore key topics including the history of developmental research, ethics, animal models, physiological measures, eye-tracking, and computational and robotics models. They accessibly explore research measures and design in topics including gender identity development, the influence of neighborhoods, mother-infant attachment relationships, peer relationships in childhood, prosocial and moral development patterns, developmental psychopathology and social policy, and the examination of memory across the lifespan. Each chapter ends with a summary of innovations in the field over the last ten years, giving students and interested researchers a thorough overview of the field and an idea of what more is to come. Conducting Research in Developmental Psychology is essential reading for upper-level undergraduate or graduate students seeking to understand a new area of developmental science, developmental psychology, and human development. It will also be of interest to junior researchers who would like to enhance their knowledge base in a particular area of developmental science, human development, education, biomedical science, or nursing.

A complete and comprehensive guide to why kids behave and think the way they do-and how to bring out the best in them. In the U.S., more than 10% of children are diagnosed with psychiatric disorders, while countless others remain undiagnosed. Defining what is "normal" and what is not is of great concern to anyone who works with, guides, nurtures, teaches, or parents children. With new discoveries in mental disorders that affect children, Child Psychology & Development For Dummies provides an informational guide to cognitive development at every stage of a child's life, as well as how to diagnose, treat, and overcome the cognitive barriers that impede learning and development. How to identify and treat mental disorders Covers behavior disorders, autism, attention deficit disorder, reading disabilities, bipolar disorder, and more Guidance on helping a child control impulses, develop self esteem, and have good relationships An essential guide for parents, teachers, and caregivers, Child Psychology & Development For Dummies provides a detailed overview of an average child's cognitive development, how to detect abnormalities, and what to do next.