International Child Studies

Teaching staff: Jenny Driscoll, Dr Hayley Davies, Dr Ann Lorek, expert external speakers
Module code: 7SSEC006
Credit level: 7
Credit value: 30
Semester:  Semester 2 (spring) 
Assessment:  presentation/s 
Case study 4,500 words (global childhood policy) (70%)

Presentation 15 minutes (child studies text) (30%)

The module will take a multi-disciplinary approach to contemporary issues in global childhood, including consideration of cultural and political constructions of childhood; gendered issues; child poverty and associated issues including child labour and child carers; child health, including infant mortality and HIV/AIDS; education; and child protection.

Module code: 7SSEC010
Credit level: 7
Credit value: 30
Semester:  Full-year 
Teaching pattern: Research methodology sessions will be on Thursdays from 14:00 to 18:00.
Dissertation of 16,000 words.

Students undertake a piece of research (which may be empirical or library-based) on a topic of their choice which adopts an international and multi-disciplinary approach to an aspect of child welfare. Dissertations are 16,000 words and the topic must be approved by a member of the programme team. Recent topics have included:

• International adoption law and practice
• A comparative study of residential child care for adolescents in Europe
• Infanticide
• The rights of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in Norway and the UK
• The inclusion of physically disabled children in Kenyan schools

Teaching staff: Teaching staff: Jenny Driscoll, Dr Ann Lorek, expert external speakers.
Module code: 7SSEC007
Credit level: 7
Credit value: 30
Semester:  Semester 1 (autumn) 
Assessment:  coursework 
6,000 word essay from a choice of at least 3 titles.

The aim of the module is to provide students with a knowledge and understanding of the significance and application of children’s rights in relation to the professional practice of all disciplines involved in working with children, in an international context. Part of the module is taught jointly with Child Studies. The content will cover the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child as well alternative children’s rights covenants and charters (such as the African Charter on the Rights and Well-being of the Child) and the European Convention on Human Rights. Children’s rights in a variety of contexts will be considered, including health and well-being, education, youth justice and immigration.

Teaching staff: Dr Ann Lorek, expert external speakers
Module code: 7SSEC002
Credit level: 7
Credit value: 30
Semester:  Semester 1 (autumn);  Semester 2 (spring); 
Assessment:  coursework 
6,000 word essay from a choice of at least 3 titles

Pregnancy and birth; neonatal care; genetics; child development (physical, emotional and psychological); attachment and resilience; pervasive developmental disorders; anti-social behaviour; physical health (including obesity); mental health (including eating disorders and self-harm).

Teaching staff: Jenny Driscoll, Dr Hayley Davies, Dr Ann Lorek, expert external speakers
Module code: 7SSEC003
Credit level: 7
Credit value: 30
Semester:  Semester 2 (spring) 
Assessment:  coursework 
6,000 word essay from a choice of at least 3 titles.

Vulnerable families (including poverty, parental drug use, domestic violence, bullying); children 'in need'; inter-agency co-operation and information sharing; child maltreatment, including recognition, assessment and management; child protection investigations and emergency intervention; care and supervision proceedings; 'looked after' children

Teaching staff: Professor Justin Dillon and David Pepper.
Module code: 7SSEM061
Credit level: 7
Credit value: 30
Semester:  Semester 2 (spring) 
Assessment:  coursework 
One 6,000 word assignment.

What can you learn from comparing education systems, schools or teachers? International comparisons have recently risen to prominence in the education policy discourse. At its best, comparative education can inform us about learning in different places or times and can provide us with fresh perspectives on ourselves. When we engage in international comparative education, differences are often stark. A world of alternatives opens up to us - with the capacity to challenge and reassure in equal measure. But caution is advisable. When we observe differences, what are the less visible factors we need to account for? When we find trends across countries, do they reflect national consensus or international pressures? What then is the influence of organisations such as the OECD, UNESCO, the World Bank and the EU? The question arises: are policy makers’ interpretations justified or do they merely reflect pre-set political imperatives? In this module, we will: familiarise ourselves with the field of comparative education; consider the relationship between education and aspects of national contexts; evaluate the methodology, contribution and limitations of international comparative education; and, identify international trends in curriculum, assessment and pedagogy. During the module, students will be required to identify a topic for their written assignment. One session will be devoted to short presentations on initial exploration of the topic and formative feedback for the full assignment. Students will benefit from the international perspectives of the tutors, outside speakers, and their fellow students.

Teaching staff: Jenny Driscoll, Dr Anwar Tllili among others.
Module code: 7SSEM060
Credit level: 7
Credit value: 30
Semester:  Semester 1 (autumn) 
Teaching pattern: Research methodology sessions will be on Thursdays from 14:00 to 18:00.
Assessment:  coursework 

• Essay: one analytic report on qualitative research interview dataset (2,500 words)
• Essay: one analytic report on a quantitative dataset (2.500 words)
• Research Proposal (research topic; rationale; research questions/aims/objectives; selecting and justifying methodological approach; data analysis; ethical considerations) (2,000 words)

 

In this module, students will be introduced to the range of research methods available to social scientists. They will be provided with a theoretical and critical understanding of the qualitative and quantitative research paradigms, and of mixed methods, and equipped with methodological skills and analytic techniques with which to formulate research questions and develop a valid and reliable approach to both quantitative and qualitative research design, data collection, data analysis and data representation.

This module will also enable students to identify and address methodological and practical issues that may be encountered in conducting qualitative and/or quantitative research; and to reflect on and address the ethical and political implications pertaining to the collection, analysis and dissemination of research data.