Psychology, adolescence, development

This course is not a systematic introduction to the developmental psychology or sociology of adolescence. Instead, it aims to provide preliminary insights into the psychology of young people and their life world that might be of interest to prospective teachers. Attention is directed towards the kind of youngsters that teachers with a university training will work with, i.e., adolescents properly speaking (grades 9-12; aged 14 to 18) and late adolescents or young adults (in higher education; aged 18 to 22).
In line with skills and attitudes for teachers as determined by decree, this course aims to provide supporting knowledge on adolescents that adds to several basis competencies for teachers (see also final competencies).

After first defining adolescence as a period of life, the psychological consequences of the major changes in the biological, social and cognitive realms that take place during adolescence (12-22 years) are described. As a result of these changes, young people discover new possibilities in several important domains of development. The main trends in development are described in detail for three of these domains (sexuality, identity and moral development).
In separate chapters the psychosocial development of adolescents will be examined, including changing relationships with parents and peers.
Next, problems that teachers might be confronted with are discussed, including both internalizing problems and externalizing problems (drug use and delinquency).
Finally, themes that relate to various aspects of adolescents' life world and youth cultures (e.g., norms and values, or popular music) are discussed.

This course supposes the competences as obtained after having followed the bachelor and master of science.

The insight in and application of following basic competences are pursued, as determined by decree:

• Being able to determine the starting position of individual and the group of learners.
• Selecting and defining learning objectives
• translating content into learning tasks that are related to the daily world of learners, their language background, motivation and capacities
• Developing a powerful learning environment that considers classroom heterogeneity
• Developing learner attitudes to prepare them for individual development and participation in society.
• Coping in an adequate way with learners with social-emotional and/or problematic behaviour
• Communicating with parents/care takers about their children at school
• Having conversations with parents/care takers about school and education

Cost: 35.0 EUR
De Wit, J., Slot, N. W., & van Aken, M. (2004/2006). Psychologie van de adolescentie: Basisboek (23ste geheel herziene druk). Baarn : HB. (ISBN 978 90 55 74 2103) .
Syllabus through Minerva.

• de Wit, J., Slot, N.W., & van Aken, M. (2004). Psychologie van de adolescentie: Basisboek (23ste geheel herziene druk). Baarn: HB.
• De Witte, H., Hooge, J., & Walgrave, L. (2000). Jongeren in Vlaanderen gemeten en geteld: 12- tot 18-jarigen over hun leefwereld en toekomst. Leuven: Universitaire Pers.
• Seifert, K., & Hoffnung, R. J. (2000). Child and adolescent development (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.
• Steinberg, L. (2002). Adolescence (6th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
• Feldman, R. S. (2008). Adolescence. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.

Interactive support using Minerva.
Feedback available shortly after exam period.

Lectures. The student-teachers - teachers in training - in a LIO-trajectory have to realize the above-mentioned goals and competences through an alternative portfolio-trajectory. The assignments are elaborated in a manual. There are a number of contact-moments, intervision and appropriate coaching moments, e.g. individual and group supervision. A candidate with a LIO-trajectory of less than 250 hours (this corresponds to a teaching assignment of less than 7h per week) is not admitted to the portfolio-trajectory. The student then has to follow the normal learning-trajectory.

Periodical evaluation.
Students who eschew the evaluation for the course unit concerned may be failed by the examiner.

Written exam; with multiple choice questions.