DEVELOPMENTAL AND EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY 2

The course aims to promote knowledge of the core content of developmental and educational psychology, outlining its classical and contemporary methodological and theoretical aspects, with a focus on applied implications and the psychological processes that come into play in educational contexts.

Upon completion of the course, students should understand the core content and application areas of the discipline, including their application to the professional practice of psychologists, and be able to understand data emerging from studies in the field. Students should also be familiar with the specific terminology of developmental and educational psychology.

Knowledge and Understanding (DD1)

• Know the theoretical constructs, investigation and research models, as well as the specific fields of application of the discipline.

Applied Knowledge and Understanding (DD2)

• Connect the theoretical and methodological content learned by contextualizing it in different psychological fields and approaches.

• Be able to design and/or carry out, under supervision and coordination, research aimed at developing psychological interventions in the field of developmental psychology and education.

• Ability to use national and international databases to generate knowledge and operational interventions.

Making independent judgments (DD3)

• Ability to critically process learned content, including in relation to other psychological fields of knowledge.

• Ability to summarize the different approaches present in developmental and educational psychology.

• Ability to appropriately adopt psychological vocabulary.

Communication skills (DD4)

• Ability to communicate and share the complexity and internal articulations of psychological issues related to the different approaches of developmental and educational psychology.

• Ability to adequately express learned content with appropriate use of specialized terminology.

Learning skills (DD5)

• Ability to identify study topics, research findings, and potential methodological developments, as well as the impact on other disciplines.

• Ability to integrate learned content into the body of psychological knowledge and integrate information drawn from various texts. Develop flexible approaches to the subject matter based on the different specific content.

The course covers some of the objectives set out in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, namely: ensuring Goal 3: Health and Well-Being: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages; Goal 4: Equitable and Inclusive Quality Education; and Target 4.7: Ensure that students acquire clinical and interpersonal skills to work with diverse individuals, developing listening skills, understanding, and respect for cultural and psychological diversity.

Lectures will be held in person and according to the schedule established on the official website. Exercises, seminars, and workshops may be included.

Lesson attendance is strongly recommended.

The course aims to provide knowledge of the main theories in developmental and educational psychology, focusing on the complex processes related to individual development in different life contexts. It will focus on the following topics:

1) Developmental and educational psychology: distinctive characteristics

2) Theories of child development:

- Psychometric approach

- Psychoanalytic approach

- Behaviorism

- Jean Piaget's theory

- The historical-cultural perspective

- Human Information Processing approach

- Attachment theory

- Evolutionary approach and other recent approaches

3) Research methods in developmental and educational psychology and the main developmental issues

4) Prenatal development

5) Perceptual/motor development

6) Language and communication development

7) Cognitive development and the main mental functions

8) Social, emotional, and moral development

9) Self-development and identity

10) Adolescence and quality of life

11) Main topics in educational psychology: self-efficacy, procrastination, resilience, psychological well-being, school adjustment, special educational needs (SEN), learning disabilities (LD), etc.

Students must choose one of the following "blocks" of texts, which cannot be modified, by prior arrangement with their supervisor. Both blocks allow them to achieve the same body of knowledge.

Block 1
1) Santrock J.W.,Deater-Deckard K., Lansford J.E., Rollo D., Psicologia dello sviluppo (V edizione), McGraw HillEducation, Milano, 2024.
2) Commodari E., L’abbraccio che crea: lo sviluppo socio-cognitivo tra teoria e prassi, Franco Angeli, 2022,
3) Di Nuovo S. Alunni speciali, bisogni speciali. Il Mulino, Bologna.

Block 2
1)  Santrock J.W., Deater-Deckard K., Lansford J.E., Rollo D., Psicologia dello sviluppo (V edizione), McGraw Hill Education, Milano, 2024.
2) Sagone E. (2020), Carpe diem. Procrastinazione e correlati psicologici nel ciclo di vita, FrancoAngeli, Milano.
3) Sagone E., Indiana M.L. (2024), Qualità di vita in adolescenza: traiettorie di sviluppo ed esperienze positive, Franco Angeli, Milano.

The final assessment is oral and it may benefit from the results of individual or group exercises, planned by the instructor and participation in which is not mandatory.

If blended or distance learning will be active format, any necessary changes to the previously stated information may be made in order to comply with the planned program and reported in the syllabus.

To ensure equal opportunities and in compliance with applicable laws, interested students enrolled in CINAP can contact the professor via email or during the lessons to plan any compensatory and/or dispensatory measures based on their learning objectives and specific needs. They can also contact the CInAP (Center for Active and Participated Integration — Services for Disabilities and/or DSA) contact instructor in their department (https://www.cinap.unict.it/content/referenti).

The evaluation criteria used for the exam are as follows:

Adequacy of expression regarding content and method

Broadness of thematic awareness and lexical accuracy

Ability to critically analyze topics

Ability to make interdisciplinary connections

Ability to rework knowledge

Ability to transfer knowledge to operational contexts

Based on these criteria, the grade will be expressed in thirtieths according to the following scheme:

• Fail:

Knowledge, awareness, understanding, and lexical accuracy in the presentation of topics: significant deficiencies and inaccuracies

Ability to analyze, synthesize, delve deeper, and rework: irrelevant, with inappropriate generalizations and inadequate connections and analyses

Ability to transfer knowledge to operational contexts and make interdisciplinary connections: inadequate, with inappropriate connections and transfers

• 18–20

Knowledge, awareness, understanding, and lexical accuracy in the presentation of topics: barely sufficient, with extremely basic knowledge and imperfections Clear

Analysis, synthesis, in-depth analysis, and re-elaboration skills: barely adequate

Ability to transfer knowledge to operational contexts and make interdisciplinary connections: barely adequate and at an extremely basic level

• 21–23

Knowledge, awareness, understanding, and vocabulary correctness in presenting topics: slightly more than adequate

Analysis, synthesis, in-depth analysis, and re-elaboration skills: slightly more than adequate

Ability to transfer knowledge to operational contexts and make interdisciplinary connections: slightly more than adequate

• 24–26

Knowledge, awareness, understanding, and vocabulary correctness in presenting topics: fair, with adequate vocabulary correctness

Analysis, synthesis, in-depth analysis, and re-elaboration skills. Fair analytical and synthesis skills, topics are presented coherently.

Ability to transfer knowledge to operational contexts and make interdisciplinary connections: Fair/good, interdisciplinary connections and transfer to appropriate fields of application.

• 27–29

Knowledge, awareness, understanding, and vocabulary correctness in the presentation of topics: very good with minor imperfections.

Ability to analyze, synthesize, delve deeper, and re-elaborate: very good with high analytical skills. Ability to transfer knowledge to operational contexts and make interdisciplinary connections: very good, with interdisciplinary connections and transfer to fully appropriate and in-depth application fields.

• 30–30 with honors

Knowledge, awareness, understanding, and vocabulary correctness in the presentation of topics: excellent.

Ability to analyze, synthesize, delve deeper, and re-elaborate: excellent.

Ability to transfer knowledgeto operational contexts and establish interdisciplinary connections: excellent with a high level of depth in transferring knowledge to applied fields and establishing interdisciplinary connections.