Professional Focus Paper
Course: Psychology
1.
Level: National 5
Who is this paper for and what is its purpose?
This paper is for teachers and other staff who provide learning, teaching and support as learners work towards
Psychology National 5.
Curriculum for Excellence is a unique opportunity to raise achievement and to ensure that all learners are better
prepared than they have been in the past for learning, life and work. This is because the new curriculum gives real
scope to build learning 3–18 in a joined-up, seamless way. As a result, progression in learning can be much
stronger with a clear focus on attributes and capabilities, skills (including higher-order thinking skills), and
knowledge and understanding. These are delivered through the experiences and outcomes of the 3–15 Broad
General Education (BGE) and, at the senior phase, through programmes that build directly on the BGE leading to
qualifications. Because of a strengthened focus on the nature and quality of learning experiences, self-motivation is
likely to be increased and learners consequently more engaged and enthused. To ensure continuity and
progression, qualifications at the senior phase have been designed to embrace this unambiguous focus on highquality learning.
Curriculum for Excellence has the flexibility to meet the needs of all learners in their local circumstances, enabling
each to achieve their very best. For example, some centres may take the opportunity to offer qualifications over two
years which might involve learners bypassing qualifications at a given level, whereas others may enable learners to
work towards qualifications within one year. In both cases, the advice in this paper is relevant to the learning and
teaching approaches that learners will encounter. This paper, then, is intended to stimulate professional reflection
and dialogue about learning. It highlights important features of learning which are enhanced or different from
previous arrangements at this SCQF level.
How will you plan for progression in learning and teaching, building on the Broad General Education?
2.
What’s new and what are the implications for learning and teaching?
Psychology National 5 consists of three Units.
 Psychology: Research
 Psychology: Individual Behaviour
 Psychology: Social Behaviour
To achieve Psychology National 5, learners must pass all three Units, along with an assignment and question
paper, which assess the added value of the course. Staff should note that there is mandatory content in all three
units.
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What are the key aspects of Psychology National 5?
Psychology provides learners with opportunities to find out some of the ways that thoughts and emotions can affect
how we feel and behave, and how interaction with others shapes social behaviour. The content is more unified in
National 5 than in the current Intermediate 2, therefore learning and teaching approaches should facilitate clearer
links between learning. Learning and teaching approaches should ensure a strong focus on the development of
skills for learning, skills for life and skills for work. Links should be promoted between the ethical implications of
research and responsible citizenship. Learners should be provided with opportunities to consider how
psychological knowledge of individual and social behaviour can support personal and professional relationships.
Learners should have the opportunity, throughout the course, to develop research skills and to investigate and
explain human behaviour in an area of particular interest.
Psychology National 5 encourages learners to develop an understanding of their own and others’ mental,
emotional, social and physical well-being within the context of a scientific study of the human mind and behaviour.
Allied to this is the focus on the research cycle in terms of both the process and ethical implications. A mandatory
topic focusing on sleep and dreams has been introduced in the Individual Behaviour Unit as well as a mandatory
topic examining conformity in the Social Behaviour Unit. Personalisation and choice is introduced within topic areas
and skills are more explicitly integrated within and across the Units
Integrated approach to skills development.
Learning experiences can develop a range of transferable skills in learners. These skills include: the ability to use
thinking skills when explaining and applying knowledge and understanding of psychology in terms of psychological
approaches and theories; awareness of the role of research evidence in explaining human behaviour; basic
investigation skills to select, organise and interpret information; awareness of ethical and scientific standards in
psychological research; and basic communication and numeracy skills in psychology and explaining topics relating
to individual and social behaviour in terms of both the theories and observable behaviour.
While each Unit has different outcomes and assessment standards for assessment purposes, the above skills
underpin all learning experiences. Teachers should therefore use imaginative approaches to learning and teaching
which foster the development of the skills across all of the respective Units. Learners will develop a breadth of
knowledge across the Unit areas covered within the context of understanding and explaining the human mind and
behaviour. Higher-order thinking skills can be promoted effectively as learners are encouraged to make links
across the Units, especially between the Research Unit and the other two Units. They will then more readily make
explicit connections, for example, in the context of applying the theories of research evidence to human behaviour
in the context of real life.
Personalisation and choice is readily facilitated by study in the Individual Behaviour and Social Behaviour Units,
respectively, as learners may select topics of most interest to them. This could be done either individually or by
groups of learners as they examine different topics in social behaviour, for example. The assignment offers further
opportunities for greater depth and application of learning; staff should support learners by allowing them to select
an area of study which they are motivated to pursue independently. Appropriate examples of real-life behaviours
should be used regularly by teachers to deepen learners’ understanding of the findings of research. This is relevant
across all three Units.
Wider range of evidence of learning
There is a new emphasis on learning that will give rise to naturally occurring evidence and combined assessments.
Teachers can make use of a wider range of forms of learning, which will lead to this evidence including, for
example, through digital or oral presentations, recorded DVD/video, written work, podcasts, academic posters,
information leaflets and wall displays. Teachers should consider imaginative and well researched approaches to
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learning and teaching which will best reflect the depth and application of learning, thereby ensuring that the
richness of learning experiences leads naturally to the evidence required to meet the respective outcome and
assessment standards.
Learning and teaching approaches must ensure that learners are fully involved in identifying assessment
opportunities. Evidence can be gathered in a wide variety of ways giving learners personalisation and choice.
Hierarchy of Units/Progression
Programmes of learning should be planned to encourage learners to aim for the highest level of achievement they
can. Teachers will discuss with young people their suitability for entry into this course. It is likely that young people,
in most cases, will progress from one of the following:
 People and Society National 4 or relevant component units
 Biology National 4 or relevant component units
 Social studies or science courses or relevant component units at SCQF level 4.
With there being no Psychology National 4, when learners opt to take National 5, teachers should be aware of the
literacy demands of National 5 as well as the need for the learner to have a level of maturity and the capacity to
engage in independent thought. A holistic Broad General Education containing appropriate emphasis on health and
well-being experiences and outcomes will also be a good foundation for Psychology National 5.
The hierarchy of Units in psychology allows for a flexible approach to be adopted by teachers, enabling learning to
be tailored to individual needs. Careful planning will be required for any movement between National 5 and Higher
so that learners complete all of the necessary outcomes and assessment standards.
Added value
Learners will also be required to demonstrate added value in the form of an assignment and a question paper.
Learners will draw on, extend and apply the skills, knowledge and understanding gained from across the breadth of
their learning. The assignment provides an excellent opportunity for learners to demonstrate their abilities and
develop a deeper understanding of the issue they have chosen to explore. Considerable flexibility exists in the way
information is gathered for the assignment. Where possible, teachers are encouraged to give learners opportunities
to observe real-life human behaviour outside the classroom to facilitate their understanding of human behaviour.
For example, observing behaviour in a busy school dining hall or in a shopping centre could provide valuable
insights and promote relevant contexts for learning. Given that the assignment will focus on learners using their
skills, knowledge and understanding to investigate a topic in psychology, learners could be encouraged to keep a
learning log from the start of the course that would reflect their progress.
What are the key features of learning in Psychology National 5?
Active learning
Learners are encouraged to think independently and apply their knowledge and understanding to real-life
behaviours and the theories of psychology. These aspects of human behaviour might range, for example, from
social relationships to altruism or to the nature of aggression. Appropriate outside speakers – for example, a clinical
psychologist – can add interest to learning experiences. Teachers should work closely with learners in devising
stimulating programmes of work and engaging lessons that allow for personalisation and choice at all levels. In
psychology, learners can be actively involved in this process through, for example, class debates, staff-led
questioning, peer assessment and co-operative learning strategies.
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Learning independently
Learning experiences will enable all learners to continue to develop skills in learning independently, either working
individually or in groups. Learners can develop confidence and self-motivation through activities that offer a choice
of approaches which promote independence. Learners will be expected to make links between the theories of
psychology and real life behaviours by referring to examples of what is being studied from their own lives or the
lives of others. Sometimes high profile media personalities will be useful examples.
The assignment provides scope for learners to gain skills in effective self-management as they research a
psychological topic. The process of doing this will require learners to be resourceful in their approach and aware of
their own learning needs. Staff could, for example, support learners by framing pertinent questions about their
chosen topic. Some learners may choose to engage with external organisations, for example, by arranging an
interview with an expert in their field of study, such as a clinical psychologist.
How will you ensure that learners have opportunities to engage with a broad and challenging range of sources of
evidence?
Responsibility for learning
Learners need to be encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning. Teachers can promote this by
regularly asking learners to engage with understanding human behaviour outside of the classroom including, for
example, watching relevant documentaries on aspects of psychology or appropriate clips from movies. In addition,
psychology allows learners to develop an increased awareness of themselves as learners – for example, in the
topic area of memory, learners become aware of the importance of rehearsal in learning new ideas and can
transfer this skill across their curriculum. Learners should be asked for regular feedback on their classroom
experiences so that lesson content can be adapted to take account of the learners’ comments. A suitable pace of
lessons with appropriately demanding tasks will engage learners and encourage them to take responsibility for their
learning. Learners should be involved at all stages in monitoring their own progress including, for example, by
maintaining a record of the progress of their assignment.
How will you support learners to take responsibility for, and plan, their own learning?
Collaborative learning
Staff should promote collaborative working, independent thinking and learning through interdisciplinary links,
building from the BGE in terms of experiences and outcomes. Teamwork approaches lend themselves readily to
learning and teaching in psychology. For example, role-play activities on peer pressure in the context of conformity,
mock interviews in the context of research or academic posters on aspects of sleep and dreams, could all lend
themselves to teamwork approaches. This could be done, for example, by adopting co-operative learning practices
or a critical-skills approach, which require every learner to be involved. Ensuring that responsibility is a shared
process across learning will help learners to develop a willingness to address challenges set by staff
collaboratively, while also encouraging progression in their inter-personal skills and autonomy of learning. An
example of such learning that sits well with psychology is co-operative learning which makes use of positive
interdependence, face-to-face interaction, individual accountability, interpersonal and small group skills, and group
processing.
How will you ensure that learners have the confidence to take on appropriate roles and responsibilities in
collaborative tasks?
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Applying learning
Staff should look to embed thematic approaches to learning and teaching wherever possible to promote effective
learning and skills development across the areas studied. This could be done, for example, with regard to research
into conformity for example, which spans the Research and Social Behaviour Units.
Psychology demands a competent level of literacy. Examining research evidence will help learners to develop
further their critical-thinking skills. They might do this by examining how research evidence can be quite diverse in
terms of supporting or rejecting theories of human behaviour. The assignment will also allow for considerable
scope in the development of learners’ writing skills. Learners will be expected to interpret basic descriptive statistics
in psychological research. This information will be dealt with in a critical manner to enable learners to make
accurate observations about the conclusion of the research.
Links with a range of curriculum areas such as mathematics, English and other social subjects, are essential to
help learners apply and make connections in their learning. This will help to ensure that their skills are reinforced
and transferrable.
How can you ensure that learners can access opportunities to apply their learning in different curriculum areas?
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3.
Qualification information
The SQA website provides you with the following documents:
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Assessment Overview
Course Specification
Unit Specification
Support Notes
Course Assessment Specification
Unit Assessment Support Packages
Full information on arrangements for this qualification is available at the SQA website:
Psychology National 5: http://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/47401.html
4.
What other materials are available on the Education Scotland website which staff
could use?
Approaches and Methods in Psychology
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/resources/nq/a/nqresource_tcm4228477.asp?strReferringChannel=nationalq
ualifications&strReferringPageID=tcm:4-716508-64
Cognitive Psychology
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/Images/7112psyc2_tcm4-123960.pdf
Developmental Psychology
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/Images/6544psyc2_tcm4-124015.pdf
The Psychology of Individual Differences
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/Images/5936psyc2_tcm4-124092.pdf
Appendix to Individual Differences
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/Images/7111psyc2_tcm4-123959.pdf
Social Psychology
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/resources/nq/s/nqresource_tcm4228479.asp?strReferringChannel=nationalqu
alifications&strReferringPageID=tcm:4-716508-64
Support materials have been produced over the last year to support Curriculum for Excellence and further support
materials and events are planned. This downloadable list is updated quarterly with the most up-to-date details
available from the page below.
Published and planned support for Curriculum for Excellence:
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/publishedandplannedsupport
T +44 (0)141 282 5000 E enquiries@educationscotland.gov.uk W www.educationscotland.gov.uk
Education Scotland, Denholm House, Almondvale Business Park, Almondvale Way, Livingston EH54 6GA
© Crown copyright, 2012
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