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Introduction to childhood studies and child psychology

What influences children’s development? How is childhood changing? How important are society and culture in understanding this change? This introductory module offers a fascinating insight into the lives of children and young people. It brings together approaches from anthropology, sociology and psychology, to provide a complete account of some of the complex influences that shape children’s experiences. You will investigate topics central to the lives of children and young people, from birth to 18 years, and explore their emotional, physical, intellectual, social and cultural development. You’ll be introduced to these thought-provoking topics through audio, video and interactive online materials.

Modules count towards OU qualifications

OU qualifications are modular in structure; the credits from this undergraduate-level module could count towards a certificate of higher education, diploma of higher education, foundation degree or honours degree.

Browse qualifications in related subjects

Education, Childhood & Youth qualifications
Health & Social Care qualifications
Psychology & Counselling qualifications

Module

Module code: E102
Credits: 60
Study level
Study method: Distance Learning
Module cost: See Module registration
Entry requirements: See Am I ready?

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Module details Am I ready? Module registration Study materials

What you will study

This online module will be attractive to anyone with an interest in, and concern for children and young people, including those who work with children and who want to learn more about contemporary theories and research in this area. The module offers an inter-disciplinary approach to study the lives of children and young people, drawing on research and theories from childhood studies and child psychology. This inter-disciplinary perspective is broader than mainstream psychology modules and is designed to introduce you to different ways of understanding childhood and children’s lives. The content is divided equally between sociology, anthropology, psychology, social policy and core study skills. There are four blocks, each comprising 6 weeks of supported study.

Block 1 introduces an interdisciplinary approach to the study of childhood by comparing the different perspectives from childhood studies and child psychology. The units will consider some of the complex influences that shape children’s lives and the role of educational research with children.

Block 2 considers early social and emotional development with a focus on supporting the lives of children. There is a particular focus on policies around parenting and families, protecting and supporting children in a digital world and on promoting the welfare of children in today’s challenging society.

Block 3 addresses issues around diversity and examines how children’s lives are shaped by particular social and cultural ideologies. These units will introduce you to a range of core issues which include ethnicity, religion, international childhoods and disability and how these factors can impact on the lives of children and young people.

Block 4 discusses some of the tensions involved in becoming an adult and some of the obstacles that many children face during this transitional period. These units include the effects of commercialisation in the teenage years, issues around gender and sexuality; supporting young people’s mental health and psychological wellbeing; and the transition into adolescence.

In addition to the set text, there is a range of interactive online activities throughout the module to support your learning and to develop your understanding of policy issues. These focus on responses to critical issues in children and young people’s lives and discuss topics around children’s rights, safeguarding children, parenting practices, children’s psychological wellbeing and mental health. The audio and video resources support the set text in a number of ways. They will provide further background to some of the theoretical issues raised within the module as well as providing personal accounts from experts, parents, children and young people themselves on a range of important topics.

Teaching and assessment

Support from your tutor

You will have a tutor who will help you with the study material and mark and comment on your written work, and who you can ask for advice and guidance. If you are new to the OU, you will find that your tutor is particularly concerned to help you with your study methods. There will be 18 hours of face-to-face tutorial support and 8 hours of online tutorial support for this module. Where we offer group tutorials or day schools, you are encouraged, but not obliged, to attend. Where tutorials are held will depend on the distribution of students taking the module.

Assessment

The assessment details for this module can be found in the facts box above.

You must use the online eTMA system to submit your tutor-marked assignments.

Future availability

The details given here are for the module that starts in October 2017. This module is expected to start for the last time in October 2021.

Regulations

As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the academic regulations which are available on our Essential Documents website.

Course work includes:; 4 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs)
: No examination
: No residential school

Entry

This is an OU level 1 introductory module in childhood studies and child psychology and is designed to be accessible to students from a wide range of academic backgrounds.

For this module you do not need any:

previous knowledge of childhood studies or child psychology,
experience of working with children or young people in any professional capacity
access to children or young people during your studies

This introductory module enables you to use your general knowledge and interests, and develop appropriate study skills for University-level study. You will develop key study skills such as time management, note taking, reading and academic writing skills. You will also have the opportunity to build up your own learning journal to help you to reflect on your learning and progress on the module. This OU level 1 module will provide core subject knowledge and study skills needed for both higher education and distance learning, and help you progress to modules at OU level 2.

If you are studying towards a BA (Hons) Childhood and Youth Studies, we recommend that you take this module at the beginning of your student experience.

If you have any doubt about the suitability of the module, please speak to an adviser.

Preparatory work

If you would like to learn more about childhood studies, we highly recommend reading Kehily, M. J. (Ed.). (2015) An Introduction to Childhood Studies Open University Press. This book gives an excellent and very accessible summary of the field of childhood studies.

Register

Start	End	England fee	Register
07 Oct 2017	Jun 2018	£2864.00	Registration closes 14/09/17 (places subject to availability) Register
This module is expected to start for the last time in October 2021.

Additional Costs

Study costs

There may be extra costs on top of the tuition fee, such as a laptop, travel to tutorials, set books and internet access.

If you're on a low income you might be eligible for help with some of these costs after your module has started.

Ways to pay for this module

Open University Student Budget Account

The Open University Student Budget Accounts Ltd (OUSBA) offers a convenient 'pay as you go' option to pay your OU fees, which is a secure, quick and easy way to pay. Please note that The Open University works exclusively with OUSBA and is not able to offer you credit facilities from any other provider. All credit is subject to status and proof that you can afford the repayments.

You pay the OU through OUSBA in one of the following ways:

Register now, pay later – OUSBA pays your module fee direct to the OU. You then repay OUSBA interest-free and in full just before your module starts. 0% APR representative. This option could give you the extra time you may need to secure the funding to repay OUSBA.
Pay by instalments – OUSBA calculates your monthly fee and number of instalments based on the cost of the module you are studying. APR 5.1% representative.

Employer sponsorship

Studying with The Open University can boost your employability. OU courses are recognised and respected by employers for their excellence and the commitment they take to complete. They also value the skills that students learn and can apply in the workplace.

More than one in ten OU students are sponsored by their employer, and over 30,000 employers have used the OU to develop staff so far. If the module you’ve chosen is geared towards your job or developing your career, you could approach your employer to see if they will sponsor you by paying some or all of the fees.

Your employer just needs to complete a simple form to confirm how much they will be paying and we will invoice them.
You won’t need to get your employer to complete the form until after you’ve chosen your module.

Credit/debit card

You can pay part or all of your tuition fees upfront with a debit or credit card when you register for each module.

We accept American Express, Maestro (UK only), Mastercard, Visa/Delta and Visa Electron.

Mixed payments

We know that sometimes you may want to combine payment options. For example, you may wish to pay part of your tuition fee with a debit card and pay the remainder in instalments through an Open University Student Budget Account (OUSBA).

For more information about combining payment options, speak to an adviser or book a call back at a time convenient to you.

Please note: your permanent address/domicile will affect your fee status and therefore the fees you are charged and any financial support available to you. The fees and funding information provided here is valid for modules starting before 31 July 2018. Fees normally increase annually in line with inflation and the University's strategic approach to fees.

This information was provided on 27/06/2017.

What's included

A printed full-colour set text, online activities, study skills, and policy/practice study weeks with different versions for students in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic, alongside a compilation of audio and video materials.

Computing requirements

You will need a device with internet access to study this module as a web browser is used to access learning materials and activities. Any other computer-based activities you will need to carry out, such as word processing, using spreadsheets, taking part in online forums, and submitting files to the university for assessment, are specified in the module materials. If any additional software is needed for these tasks it will either be provided or is freely available. You may need administrative privileges to install the software.

Suitable devices are:

A Windows desktop or laptop running Windows 7 or later operating system
A Macintosh desktop or laptop running OS X 10.8 or later operating system.

Some software will not run on Linux, iOS or Android devices.

A netbook, tablet, smartphone or Linux computer that supports one of the browsers listed below may be suitable. However, these devices may not be suitable for some activities. If you intend to use one of these devices please ensure you have access to a suitable desktop or laptop device that uses the Windows or OS X operating system in case you are unable to carry out all activities on your mobile device.

Recent versions of the following browsers are suitable for carrying out web-based activities:

Safari
Chrome
Firefox
Edge

Or Internet Explorer 9 and above.

Using a browser upgraded to the latest version will maximise security when accessing the internet.

Using company or library computers may prevent you accessing some internet materials or installing additional software.

To be able to talk and listen in our online discussions you will need both a microphone and speakers/headphones.

Devices with small screens may make it difficult to view the material provided and carry out the activities. However, a device that has a resolution of at least 1024 pixels horizontally and also at least 768 pixels vertically should be adequate.

See our Skills for OU study website for further information about computing skills for study and educational deals for buying Microsoft Office software.

If you have a disability

Written transcripts of any audio components and Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) versions of printed material are available. Some Adobe PDF components may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader and musical notation and mathematical, scientific, and foreign language materials may be particularly difficult to read in this way. There are a range of alternative formats available (e.g. Daisy Talking Book, ebook, Kindle) but you will need to be connected to the internet to complete the interactive activities and submit the assessments. Other alternative formats of the study materials may be available in the future.

The module includes use of a website, ebooks and online forums; if you use specialist hardware or software to assist you in operating a computer or the internet and have concerns about accessing these types of materials you are advised to contact us about support which can be given to meet your needs.

If you have particular study requirements please tell us as soon as possible, as some of our support services may take several weeks to arrange. Find out more about our services for disabled students.

Introduction to childhood studies and child psychology

Modules count towards OU qualifications

Browse qualifications in related subjects

Module

Student Reviews

What you will study

Teaching and assessment

Support from your tutor

Assessment

Future availability

Regulations

Course work includes:

Entry

Preparatory work

Register

Additional Costs

Study costs

Ways to pay for this module

Open University Student Budget Account

Employer sponsorship

Credit/debit card

Mixed payments

What's included

Computing requirements

If you have a disability

The Open University

OU Community

OU Students Community

Support

Study

Policy

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1	7	4

What you will study

Teaching and assessment

Support from your tutor

Assessment

Future availability

Regulations

Course work includes:

Entry

Preparatory work

Register

Additional Costs

Study costs

Ways to pay for this module

Open University Student Budget Account

Employer sponsorship

Credit/debit card

Mixed payments

What's included

Computing requirements

If you have a disability

Where do you live?