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EDUC3401: Education, Mental Health and Wellbeing

Please ensure you check the module availability box for each module outline, as not all modules will run in each academic year. Each module description relates to the year indicated in the module availability box, and this may change from year to year, due to, for example: changing staff expertise, disciplinary developments, the requirements of external bodies and partners, and student feedback. Current modules are subject to change in light of the ongoing disruption caused by Covid-19.

Type Open
Level 3
Credits 20
Availability Available in 2024/2025
Module Cap None.
Location Durham
Department Education

Prerequisites

  • None

Corequisites

  • None

Excluded Combinations of Modules

  • None

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

Subject-specific Knowledge:

  • 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).

Subject-specific Skills:

  • 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.

Key Skills:

  • 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., an 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

ActivityNumberFrequencyDurationTotalMonitored
Lectures10Fortnightly1 hour10Yes
Seminars10Fortnightly2 hours20Yes
Preparation, reading, asynchronous learning activities and class blog170 
Total200 

Summative Assessment

Component: Class Blog & Critical CommentaryComponent Weighting: 100%
ElementLength / DurationElement WeightingResit Opportunity
Essay2500 words50No
Class BlogParticipation in online class blog - 6 entries in total (max 300 words each) and peer feedback / interaction with other's blog posts50No

Formative Assessment

Class blog formative feedback via peer feedback and interaction on the class blog, with tutor input and feedback (whole class) as required (in th blog space and within teaching sessions). For the essay, students will submit a one-page plan and an annotated bibliography for written feedback from the module team.

More information

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