PP0421 - Children, Families and Schooling

You will be able to learn in a wide variety of ways on this module. You will have a structured programme of lectures and seminars, along with directed and independent learning. Seminars will provide you with an opportunity to discuss and develop your thinking; group discussions and debates will help you to consider how others view the key ideas and concepts of this module and the other areas of study. You will also engage in an observational exercise which will offer you the opportunity to gain valuable insights into contemporary spaces of schooling and childhood in a particular format and to develop skills in observation.

Tutors will support your learning through a variety of ways on this module. They will provide a programme of lectures which relate to the learning outcomes for the module; these lectures will help you to apply theory to the study of childhood, families and schooling. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to work in smaller groups on specific activities which will support you to generate material, debate ideas and discuss your developing views of key concepts. Material generated during these activities will be made available via the eLP site, and in some cases will form the basis for later discussions. Appropriate technologies will be used to support your learning both in scheduled classes and in tutor-guided independent learning. Contact details for module tutors will be available in module handbooks and on the Electronic Learning portal (eLP).

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. Online reading lists (provided after enrolment) give you access to your reading material for your modules. The Library works in partnership with your module tutors to ensure you have access to the material that you need.

Knowledge & Understanding:

1. Demonstrate knowledge of the diverse socio-cultural contexts of home and
schooling and the potential influence that these can have upon children’s
development, learning and life pathways.

2. Become familiar with, and participate in contemporary socio-political
debates.

Intellectual/Professional skills & abilities:

3. Develop the research skills of observation and enquiry.

Personal Values Attributes:

4. Recognise the interplay between child and context.

Summative assessment is in the form of an individual academic blog. Your academic blog will be composed of 4 posts submitted as one component. Each blog post will be worth 25% of your total mark for the module, totalling 100%.

In blog post 1, you will evaluate one theory of the child in context (500 words) MLO4
In blog post 2, you will select an aspect of either homes or schools and discuss how this aspect influences children's experiences (500 words) MLO1
In blog post 3, you will outline a key socio-political debate relevant to childhood, families and schooling (500 words) MLO2
In post 4, you will report and reflect on your observational fieldwork in schools (500 words) MLO3


You will submit formative assessment early in the semester to allow you to gain feedback that you can inform your summative assessment. Module tutors will support and encourage you to offer feedback to your peers, so that all students can benefit from both tutor and peer feedback on their blog posts.

You will also benefit from informal feedback (from tutors, peers and self) throughout the module as you undertake a carefully structured sequence of learning activities and tasks threaded throughout.

Formal feedback, in the form of tutor-written comments, will be provided on the work you submit for assessment.

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Teaching and Learning in this module is related to research, and you will be encouraged to link your understanding of socio-cultural perspectives to robust research evidence. You will develop knowledge of the underlying concepts and principles associated wth the study of childhood, families and schooling, and an ability to evaluate and interpret these within the context of that area of study.You will develop an ability to present, evaluate and interpret qualitative and quantitative data, in order to develop lines of argument and make sound judgements in accordance with basic theories and concepts of their subject(s) of study. Typically, you will be able to evaluate the appropriateness of different approaches to solving problems related to the area(s) of study and/or work. You will be able communicate the results of your study/work accurately and reliably and with structured and coherent arguments. Your observation offers you a valuable opportunity to analyse contemporary spaces of schooling and childhood in a particular format and to develop skills in observation to be able to interpret, analyse and make sense of your understanding, Your learning on this module can thus be identified as research tutored, research led and research orientated.