Unit DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY

Course
Primary teacher education
Study-unit Code
GP004458
Curriculum
In all curricula
Teacher
Andrea Baroncelli
Teachers
  • Andrea Baroncelli
Hours
  • 48 ore - Andrea Baroncelli
CFU
8
Course Regulation
Coorte 2023
Offered
2023/24
Learning activities
Base
Area
Psicologia dello sviluppo e psicologia dell’educazione
Academic discipline
M-PSI/04
Type of study-unit
Obbligatorio (Required)
Type of learning activities
Attività formativa monodisciplinare
Language of instruction
Italian
Contents
Introduction to developmental psychology from a life cycle perspective, with attention both to traditional theories and to the most recent ecological theories. The study of development and the various models to explain the interactions between hereditary factors and the environment. Prenatal development, birth, physical, motor, and perceptual development. Processes concerning cognitive and socio-emotional development, with attention to the dynamics of typical development and atypical development. The addressed topics will be declined in an operational way to facilitate the development of kindergarten and primary school teachers' skills.
Reference texts
1) Santrock, J. W., Deater-Deckard, K., Lansford, J., & Rollo, D. (2021). Psicologia dello Sviluppo (IV edizione). McGraw Hill. ISBN: 9788838697074.

2) Selected passages from Vygotskij, L. S. (1934). Pensiero e linguaggio (we reccomend the italian edition by Angiola Massucco Costa). Giunti. ISBN: 9788809041165.

3) Slides or other materials provided by the professor on Unistudium are study materials.
Educational objectives
KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING: the course aims to provide a knowledge on: a) theoretical aspects of developmental psychology from a life cycle perspective, with reference to both typical and atypical development, and with a particular attention to the aspects of interest to a future kindergarten and primary school teacher; b) developmental psychological mechanisms that regulate biological, cognitive, and socio-emotional processes; c) ability to recognize risk factors, protective factors, needs and resources concerning individuals and groups.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING: the course aims to provide future teachers with the necessary skills to understand the processes of psychological development of individuals and groups, in order to act from their professional position with greater awareness, and to know how to collaborate with the professional figure of the psychologist in prevention, evaluation or intervention activities, in accordance with one’s specific professionalism.

MAKING JUDGMENTS: promotion of a critical reflection that goes beyond the notional knowledge of the topics.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS: promotion of a technical language to communicate clearly with specialist and non-specialist interlocutors.

LEARNING SKILLS: stimulate interest in discipline and in-depth study.
Prerequisites
-
Teaching methods
Frontal lessons, individual exercises, and/or group exercises. Also the frontal lessons encourage students’ discussion and active participation.
Other information
In case a student intends to anticipate his/her exam in a year preceding the one it is scheduled in his/her curriculum, it is recommended to anticipate as well the attendance of the lessons and to schedule the exam in the first useful session after the lessons have been concluded.
Learning verification modality
Written examination.

The exam consists of open questions (or requests), with a maximum time of 90 minutes. There are five questions: three require a short and concise answer, while two require a more extensive and articulated answer. Specifically, four questions (short answer type) will be proposed, and the student will have to choose three of them. Each question will be evaluated with a maximum of 10 points, and the three evaluations will be added to obtain a maximum score of 30 points. In addition, three questions (extensive answer type) will be proposed, and the student will have to choose two of them. Each question will be evaluated with a maximum of 30 points. The final evaluation derives from the average of the above-mentioned evaluations.

The examination aims to ascertain the level of knowledge and understanding achieved by the student on the theoretical and methodological contents indicated in the program. Questions or requests that require a short and punctual answer are mainly aimed at this aim. The examination also aims to verify the ability to communicate what has been acquired with method and language properties, and to highlight interconnections between the topics under study with a personal and critical reworking of what has been learned, showing independence of judgment. Questions or requests that require an extensive answer are mainly aimed at this objective.

Students with disabilities, learning disabilities, or special needs are invited to consult https://www.unipg.it/disabilita-e-dsa/studenti-con-disabilita
Extended program
- Introduction to developmental psychology from a life cycle perspective.
- Typical development and atypical development.
- Theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of human development; traditional theories and ecological theories.
- Prenatal development, birth, physical, motor and perceptual development.
- The main questions about cognitive development.
- The constructivist perspective and the contributions of Piaget and Vygotskij.
- From behaviorism to information processing theory.
- Social learning theory and Bandura's sociocognitive theory.
- Language development, reading and writing skills, the comparison between Piaget and Vygotskij about the development of thought and language.
- Intelligence, intellectual disability, specific disorders.
- Emotional development and emotional competence.
- The Self, identity, relationships in the life cycle.
- Moral development, empathy, aggression and bullying.
- Attachment theory.
- The complexity of the teaching profession from the point of view of psychological processes.

ATTENTION: The extended program will result in specific thematic lessons (frontal lessons, individual exercises, and/or group exercises), organized in a calendar, and shared on Unistudium at the beginning of teaching. The final program actually carried out will be uploaded to Unistudium at the end of the teaching.
Obiettivi Agenda 2030 per lo sviluppo sostenibile
Good health and well-being.
Quality education.
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