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Educating and Working with Children in a Diverse Society

  • Year 2 - 15 CATS - OPTIONAL module
  • Year 3 - 15 CATS - OPTIONAL module
  • Year 4 (intercalated degree) - 15 CATS - OPTIONAL module

What is this module about?

Diversity refers to the differences, similarities, and related tensions that exist in any mixture.” (Roosevelt, 2005). As it is suggested that there is a link between diversity and educational achievement (e.g. Knowles, 2011) the module aims to highlight the way cultures, family lives, parenting practices, health and well-being, ability, professional understandings, perspectives on children and childhood, and beliefs about work and play can all influence children’s learning and development.

In keeping with the focus of this degree on education, you will develop an understanding of the responsibilities of an educational professional whilst gaining an insight into the roles of other agencies with whom they might be expected to collaborate.

Topics covered:

- To build upon your existing knowledge of learning and development in children.

- To explore the roles and responsibilities of a range of professionals working with children.

- To examine the range of backgrounds and social identities for children in the UK today and the intersections between them.

- To explore theories around the existence of social and cultural differences.

- To apply theories that examine the effects of these differences on the learning and development of children.

To look at theories that advise how such effects might be handled by professionals working with children.

Learning outcomes:

  • Critically examine the ways in which the diverse backgrounds of children influence their adaptation to and acceptance into mainstream educational settings and society as a whole.
  • Interrogate traditional and progressive pedagogies and services for children and critically analyse their adequacy to meet the needs of children from diverse backgrounds in the light of relevant theory.

  • Identify such practices that may exclude children from certain backgrounds, serve to alienate and to cause failure.

  • Develop professional skills in ways of working with children from diverse backgrounds which encourage success rather than failure, from the earliest years of life.

  • Interrogate personal beliefs and experiences that may affect our own practice.

  • Draw on appropriate evidence to argue for a common professional understanding of diversity in Britain today.

Contact time:

The module will consist of 10 x lectures and 10 x seminars to a total of 30 contact hours.

Assessment:

The module will be assessed by one 3000 word assignment which will include a 500 word model school policy statement on equality and diversity and a 2,500 word essay.
OR
A Three hour exam

Sample reading list:

Bolton, G. (2010) Reflective Practice: Writing and Professional Development. London: SAGE Publications Ltd.

Brownhill, S. [ed]. (2014) Empowering the Children’s and Young People’s Workforce: Practice Based Knowledge, Skills and Understanding. Oxon: Routledge.

Knowles, G. & Lander, V. (2011) Diversity, Equality and Achievement in Education. London: SAGE Publications Ltd.

Olsen, K. (2014) The Invisible Classroom: Relationships, Neuroscience & Mindfulness in School (The Norton Series on the Social Neuroscience of Education). New York: W. W. Norton & Company.

Brooker, L. (2002) Starting School — Young Children's Learning Culture. Buckingham: Open University Press.