Scheme of Work 2010 / 2011
THINK ACTIVE! WHAT ARE THE LEARNERS DOING?
Module / Unit Title:
A2 Psychology – PSYB3
Course Overview:
Two units are studied at A2 psychology:
 PSYB3 unit: Moral development, schizophrenia and mood disorders
and forensic psychology.
 PSYB4 unit: Perspectives in psychology, issues and debates and
research methods.
Learning Outcomes:
Prepared by:
Lesley Walker
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Lesson Duration:
2 x 1.5 hrs
1 x 2hrs
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Start Date:
13th September 2010
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End Date:
21st June 2011
To introduce students to topic in developmental psychology.
To give students an understanding of methods used in developmental
psychology and options.
To provide students with knowledge of empirical research and its
relationship to theory.
To develop critical and evaluative skills in relations to theory and
research in developmental psychology and options.
To enable an appreciation of practical applications of theories and
research.
To develop an appreciation of how science works in developmental
psychology and options.
To encourage appreciation of the contrasting and complementary
aspects of different approaches in psychology.
To build on knowledge of research methods and statistics acquired in
previous units.
Assessment Details:
Two externally assessed written exams
 PSYB3: 2 hrs duration - 28th January 2011 (AM) (17th June 2011)
 PSYB4: 2 hrs duration - 21st June 2011 (PM)
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EVERY CHILD MATTERS FRAMEWORK:
Being healthy
Staying safe
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Examples in the teaching and learning environment of the classroom for psychology:
o To promote positive attitudes about healthy eating through ensuring that any rewards
of sweets given are healthy.
o Encouraging students to walk the stairs to the classroom rather than take the lifts.
o To promote a positive attitude reflecting anti-drugs and anti-smoking and sexual
health when these opportunities may appear in psychological application, for
example depression and schizophrenia, both which look at the impact of drugs and
their use in the treatment of mental health.
o To maintain college policy of no food and drinks to be taken into the classroom,
however water in a bottle can be brought in for health reasons to help learners.
o Be aware and vigilant in recognising signs of personal stress and helping to develop
strategies to manage it such as being knowledgeable in referring a student to an
appropriate source of help and/or discussing with students their ‘difficulties’ in a
confidential and appropriate manner. Also make it clear when covering the topic of
atypical psychology that teachers are not experts in the field.
o Provide support for students who are concerned about any aspect of their health or
welfare, and particularly address the learning of psychology in the context of how
they should not apply it to themselves in a negative way as some topics can be seen
as threatening, such as Freud’s Oedipus complex which indicates that boys under
the age of 5 who are deprived of a father in later life can become homosexual.
o Adopt college procedure that clearly demonstrates an ethos of zero tolerance to
bullying and harassment and effectively deal with any indications in classroom.
o Adopt college procedure for dealing with anti-social behaviour and adequate security
to prevent it.
o Ensure all students wear their lanyard ID cards.
o Record and report any serious incidents occurring in the classroom.
o Chase up attendance which can be an indication of problems at college and/or home.
o Be fully aware of fire evacuation procedures and ensure clear display of procedure is
in the classroom.
o Ensure that vulnerable students are identified and the named member of staff to be
contacted is known.
o Ensure that consent forms and risk assessment are undertaken for any psychology
trips/events taking place outside of the classroom.
Enjoying and achieving:
Making a positive contribution:
Achieving economic wellbeing:
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o Ensure appropriate usage of the internet and that students are aware of the risk of
internet grooming.
o Ensure that the success of students work is recognised, such as posters displayed
on the walls.
o Support learners with poor behaviour and attendance through, this can be achieved
through liaising with their tutor.
o Plan and monitor learner’s personal and academic development, examples of this
can be achieved by comprehensive feedback of work, ILP, reports and evaluation.
o Meet the needs of potentially underachieving groups; an example of this can be
achieved through buddying-up system and ALS and diagnostic tests.
o Encourage psychology students from different blocks to link with each other.
o Buddying-up system for A2 to AS students.
o Consulting students about key decisions that affect them and take into account their
views, this can be demonstrated by finding out what they want from their psychology
course.
o Psychology lessons to help develop the skills and behaviour needed for economic
well-being such as skills to ensure effective studying or working life and examples of
this are ensuring punctuality, attendance, and generic study skills in the classroom.
o Provide understanding of access to higher education advice and up-to-date
knowledge in the area of psychology of careers and university course in order to help
facilitate this.
o Support students in their applications to university in the area of psychology.
o Establish links with higher education institutions to promote progression in the area of
psychology.
Date
What topic(s) and
learning objectives
will be covered?
What will learners do?
What resources are needed?
How will learning be
checked?
31.01
Recap on AS research
methods
Advance understanding on
hypothesis
Explain the concept of
probability and significance
levels
Demonstrate understanding of AS research
methods
Formulate hypothesis: directional and nondirectional
Identify and apply the levels of data: nominal,
ordinal or interval
Assess whether or not raw data from research
is significant by comparing the results (value)
obtained from a statistical test against the
critical values on a statistical table
Explain Type I and Type II errors and identify
when they occur
Name the eight statistical tests
Explain the factors affecting when to use a
statistical test: level of data and experimental
design
Make a distinction between parametric and
non-parametric tests
Explain the criteria for using a parametric test:
interval data, normal distribution and
homogeneity of variance
Identify positive, negative and zero
correlations
Discuss the limitations of sampling techniques
and generalisation issues
Evaluate the strengths and limitations of
different methods of investigation
Evaluate the strengths and limitations of
qualitative and quantitative data
Identify and apply the concept of reliability
Identify and apply the concept of validity
Identify ethical issues and how to control them
Application of research understanding to stem
questions
Previous AS research methods notes
Powerpoint
Workbook
Group discussion and building a
mind map
Activities
Powerpoint
Workbook
Application stems
Timer
Statistical book
Past exam questions
Activities
Application to research
Powerpoint
Workbook
Application stems
Statistical book
Past exam questions
Activities
Application to research
Powerpoint
Workbook
Application stems
Past exam questions
Activities
Application to research
Powerpoint
Workbook
Application stems
Workbook
Application stems
Past exam questions
Activities
Application to research
Past exam questions
Parametric and nonparametric tests
Criteria of when to use
statistical tests
07.02
Strengths and limitations of
research methods used by
psychologists
Issues in research
Application of research
methods to stems
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14.02
Issues and Debates in
Psychology
Define the issues and debates in psychology:
freewill-determinism; nature-nurture;
reductionism-holism; idiographic and
nomothetic (at this point only an understanding of the
Powerpoint
Workbook
Application stems
Past examination questions
Essay question
Activities
Powerpoint
Workbook
Application stems
Past examination questions
Essay question
Activities
Video: psychosexual stages
Past examination questions
Essay question
Activities
terms is required so that they can be applied to all the key
approaches to be covered)
Psychodynamic approach
Psychodynamic approach
21.02
28.02
Post Freudian – Jung
Post Freudian – Erikson
Psychodynamic approach
07.03
Behaviourist approach
Behaviourist approach
Cognitive approach
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Explain the assumptions of the
psychodynamic approach
Explain the structure of personality and
dynamics
Explain unconscious mental processes
Explain the psychosexual stages
Discuss the psychodynamic use of case
studies
HALF TERM
Explain Jung’s post-Freudian theory:
Powerpoint
collective unconscious
Workbook
Discuss similarities and differences with Freud Application stems
Explain Erikson’s post-Freudian theory:
Powerpoint
psychosocial stages
Workbook
Discuss similarities and differences with Freud Application stems
Discuss strengths and limitations of the
Powerpoint
psychodynamic approach
Workbook
Outline the role of stimulus and response.
Powerpoint
Explain classical conditioning and apply to
Workbook
examples including generalisation and
Application stems
discrimination
Explain operant conditioning and apply to
examples including types of reinforcement
Discuss the strengths and limitations of the
Powerpoint
behaviourist approach
Workbook
Explain the idea that thoughts influence
Powerpoint
behaviour
Workbook
Discuss how information processing applies to Application stems
human behaviour and thought and the use of
computers in the analogies of understanding
behaviour
Discuss the strengths and limitations of the
cognitive approach
Past examination questions
Essay question
Activities
Past examination questions
Essay question
Activities
Past examination questions
Activities
Past examination questions
Essay question
Activities
Past examination questions
Activities
Past examination questions
Essay question
Activities
14.03
Social learning theory
Social learning theory
21.03
Humanistic approach
Humanistic approach
Biological approach
18.03
Biological approach
Eclectic approach
Freewill and determinism
04.04
Nature-nurture debate
Reductionism and holism
debate
Idiographic and nomothetic
debate
11.04
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Outline SLT as a bridge between traditional
Powerpoint
behaviourism and the cognitive approach.
Workbook
Explain the role of meditational processes in
Application stems
learning, motivation and performance of
behaviour
Explain observational learning and the role of
vicarious reinforcement
Discuss the strengths and limitations of social Powerpoint
learning theory
Workbook
Discuss the person-centred approach of
Powerpoint
Rogers and Maslow
Workbook
Explain the importance of: valuing individual
Application stems
experience, promoting personal growth, the
concept of freewill and holism and rejection of
traditional scientific approach and
experimentation
Discuss the strengths and limitations of the
Powerpoint
humanistic approach
Workbook
Outline the role of the central and autonomic
Powerpoint
nervous system in behaviour
Workbook
Explain the genetic basis of behaviour
Application stems
Discuss the strengths and limitations of the
Powerpoint
biological approach
Workbook
Compare the key approaches and the extent
Notes on perspectives
to which they overlap/complement each other
Topic sheets
Discuss freewill and determinism in the
Notes on perspective
context of the approaches and explanations of Topic sheets
human behaviour
Discuss nature and nurture in the context of
Notes on perspective
the approaches and explanations of human
Topic sheets
behaviour
Discuss reductionism and holism in the
Notes on perspectives
context of the approaches and explanations of Topic sheets
human behaviour
Discuss idiographic and nomothetic in the
Notes on perspective
context of the approaches and explanations of Topic sheets
human behaviour
Apply idiographic and nomothetic to research
methods used by the key approaches
EASTER HOLIDAYS
Past examination questions
Essay question
Activities
Past examination questions
Activities
Past examination questions
Essay question
Activities
Past examination questions
Activities
Past examination questions
Essay question
Activities
Past examination questions
Activities
Past exam questions
Activities
Past exam questions
Activities
Past exam questions
Activities
Past exam questions
Activities
Past exam questions
Activities
18.04
25.04
Psychology as a science
Psychology as a science
Application of approaches
to human behaviour and
topic areas
02.05
09.05
16.05
23.05
30.05
06.06
13.06
Application of issues and
debates to human
behaviour and topic areas
Revision
Revision
Revision
Mock exam
Revision
Revision
Revision
Mock exam
Revision
Revision
Revision
Revision
Mock exam
Revision
Revision
Revision
Revision
20.06
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Define terms: paradigm, role of theory,
hypothesis testing, empirical methods,
representation and generalisation
Distinguish between overt behaviour vs
subjective, private experience
Explain the role of peer review in validating
research
Discuss whether psychology is a science
Application of key approaches to topic areas
and examples of human behaviour
Explain how an approach would investigate
topic areas and human behaviour
Application of issues and debates to human
behaviour, key approaches and topic areas
Past examination questions
Essay question
Activities
Past examination questions
Essay question
Activities
Past examination questions
Essay question
Activities
Past examination questions
Essay question
Activities
Past examination questions
Essay question
Activities
Past examination questions
Essay question
Activities
Past examination questions
Past examination questions
Essay question
Essay question
Activities
Activities
Use of note, past exam papers, mark schemes, quizzes, mind-map, flash cards. 1:1 sessions in class.
MAY HALF TERM
Use of note, past exam papers, mark schemes, quizzes, mind-map, flash cards. 1:1 sessions in class.
21st June 2011 – PSYB4 EXAM