PSYC218 DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY I
| Course Code: | 3710218 |
| METU Credit (Theoretical-Laboratory hours/week): | 2 (2.00 - 0.00) |
| ECTS Credit: | 4.0 |
| Department: | Psychology |
| Language of Instruction: | English |
| Level of Study: | Undergraduate |
| Course Coordinator: | |
| Offered Semester: | Spring Semesters. |
Course Objectives
- The definition, basic theories, concepts, terminology and principles of developmental psychology as a scientific sub-discipline of psychology– both in pure and applied sense. The applied sense will give weight to educational aspects as per the needs of GPC undergraduate students.
- The ethics of study, research and practice of developmental psychology with some emphasis of practices in education, child development etc.
- The scientific methodology used in developmental psychology research and how this is applied to practice, e.g., education, counselling.
- Basic mental processes and relevant behaviour in the contexts of various different areas of practice of developmental psychology.
Course Content
For course details, see https://catalog2.metu.edu.tr.Course Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, the students should have a general knowledge of:
- The definition, basic theories, concepts, terminology and principles of developmental psychology as a scientific sub-discipline of psychology– both in pure and applied sense. The applied sense will give weight to educational aspects as per the needs of GPC undergraduate students.
- The ethics of study, research and practice of developmental psychology with some emphasis of practices in education, child development etc.
- The scientific methodology used in developmental psychology research and how this is applied to practice, e.g., education, counselling.
- Basic mental processes and relevant behaviour in the contexts of various different areas of practice of developmental psychology.
Students, who passed the course satisfactorily, should be able to:
- Define and understand the basics of developmental psychology with its fundamental concepts and principles.
- Identify critical theories, theoreticians and their main historical contributions to the field of developmental psychology. As well, students should be able to have a strong awareness of the current psychological issues that pertain to developmental psychology as they are linked to their historical pretexts as well as current issues, e.g., migration, education, counselling, etc.
- Understand and perceive the key ethical issues in psychological research and practice with humans and non-humans in the context of human development.
- Have a basic understanding of how developmental psychologists design research, collect and analyse data from a general point of view as well as what research designs they use that are widely used in developmental psychology, e.g., longitudinal designs. It is also aimed that students have a full grasp of how this knowledge gained from research is put into practice thus a crucial understanding of research-practice link.
Program Outcomes Matrix
| Level of Contribution | |||||
| # | Program Outcomes | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 1 | Solid background in basic theories and approaches in psychology | ✔ | |||
| 2 | Skills to follow both national and international publications and developments in the discipline and to obtain and interpret new information in the light of acquired theoretical knowledge | ✔ | |||
| 3 | Awareness of the value of continuing educational practices such as in-service trainings, seminars, and conferences to keep career-relevant knowledge and skills up-to-date | ✔ | |||
| 4 | Skills to conduct research based on basic knowledge related to testing and measurement, research methods, and statistics as well as the ability to present and disseminate research findings both orally and in writing | ✔ | |||
| 5 | Knowledge and skills about conducting research and practice by adhering to ethical guidelines | ✔ | |||
| 6 | Skills in oral and written communication both in Turkish and English as well as preferably learning a third language | ✔ | |||
| 7 | Skills to work in teams that involve disciplinary and interdisciplinary projects | ✔ | |||
| 8 | Critical thinking skills in following the psychological literature together with the psychology-related information appearing in popular media | ✔ | |||
| 9 | Skills to generate practical and culture-sensitive solutions to problems | ✔ | |||
| 10 | Awareness of societal, environmental, and economic factors in professional practice and research | ✔ | |||
| 11 | Skills to lead and pioneer in the profession of psychology, either in academia or professional practice | ✔ | |||
| 12 | Skills in independent and team work | ✔ | |||
0: No Contribution 1: Little Contribution 2: Partial Contribution 3: Full Contribution