Module EDUC3401: Education, Mental Health and Wellbeing

Department: Education

EDUC3401: Education, Mental Health and Wellbeing

Prerequisites

Corequisites

Excluded Combination of Modules

Aims

• To introduce students to research that focusses on mental health and wellbeing in relation to education.
• To introduce students to educational and psychotherapeutic theory that is relevant to exploring mental health and wellbeing in relation to education.
• To facilitate students in developing a critical and reflective approach to exploring mental health and wellbeing in relation to education.

Content

• Conceptualising the scope and significance of mental health and wellbeing in education.
• Exploring different ways of conceptualising wellbeing in the context of education.
• Exploring links between educational and psychotherapeutic theory and practice.
• Exploring psychotherapeutic ideas with relevance to education from a diverse range of schools and that are applicable in a range of different educational settings, for example humanistic, psychoanalytic, gestalt.
• Examining research evidence and policy in relation to mental health and wellbeing in the context of education (e.g., mental health policy and guidance in different phases of education).
• Exploring approaches to mental health and wellbeing in different education contexts, and in educational research through current case studies at different phases of education.

Learning Outcomes

• Develop knowledge and understanding of the significance of intersections between education, mental health, and wellbeing.
• Identify and explain the implications of intersections between educational and psychotherapeutic practice, theory, and research.
• Develop knowledge and understanding of policy in relation to mental health and well-being in education contexts.
• Develop knowledge and understanding of different disciplinary approaches to mental health and wellbeing (examples might include educational psychological, sociological, medical humanities).

• Critically engage with the research, practice, theory, and policy presented in the module.
• Critically evaluate conceptualisations of wellbeing in relation to education.
• Problematise how wellbeing is defined and applied, with reference to current examples and debates in education.
• Critically appraise and interpret current issues in education, mental health, and wellbeing with reference to relevant research, theory, policy, and practice.
• Engage in the asynchronous learning activities reflectively and with reference to relevant theory and concepts that are introduced in the taught sessions.

• Ability to be reflective in your learning on the module.
• Ability to develop your reflective and academic writing through formal and more informal writing.
• Develop your study and research skills.
• Participate in debate and discussion relevant to the module both in class and online.
• Ability to work in a group and collaborate with others both in class and online.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• The module approach to teaching and learning is blended, there will be a mixture of self-directed and in-class learning activities. Students will participate in in-class sessions (lectures and seminars) and self-directed activities (e.g structured activities and class blog) on alternate weeks (i.e., a in-class week followed by a self-directed week).
• The in-class teaching in the module will be a combination of lectures and seminars, all teaching sessions will rely on student interaction, discussion, and collaboration in relation to the key ideas and content presented by the tutor. Interaction, discussion, and collaboration (e.g., in group work) will enable students to develop their ideas in relation to the module learning.
• Students will be encouraged to think critically and to make links between research, theory, policy, and practice. Students are expected to complete reading and directed tasks before and after teaching session. Students are expected to engage in their own independent learning in the module. Independent learning will facilitate developing understanding of taught content and inform choices that students will make in relation to their formative and summative assessment opportunities.
• The self-directed learning activities will focus on tutor-directed prompts and tasks, as well as individual wider reading and study on the module. These activities will allow students to build on and develop the in-class material as well as facilitate reflective thinking and their own independent learning in the module. Self-directed activity will scaffold and support student contributions to the class blog and support participation in in-class teaching.
• As directed by the tutor, students will contribute to an online class blog which will facilitate both peer and tutor feedback as students develop their ideas and learning in the module.
• The assessment below provides a range of opportunities, both in-class and self-directed, to allow students to demonstrate their work towards the learning outcomes of the module. Students are afforded opportunities to demonstrate their learning both individually and whilst working collaboratively. The assessment facilitates opportunities for students to critically engage with, and explore at depth, different aspects of the module content.
• Teaching in alternate weeks with a self-directed week in-between each in-class teaching week, where students will develop their learning with structured self-directed activities and contribute to the class blog as directed by the tutor.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Class blog – formative feedback via peer feedback and interaction on the class blog, with tutor input and feedback (whole class) as required. Critical commentary – whole class formative feedback will be provided via peers and the module tutors via the class blog. For the critical commentary, which will be directly linked to the class blog entries, for individual formative feedback students will submit a one-page plan and an annotated bibliography for written feedback from the module team.

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University