466-415 CDS4A Evaluating Developmental Theories

Credit Points

HECS Band

Coordinator

Prerequisites

At least 120 points of Child Development Studies or approved equivalent.

Semester

Contact

Content

An in-depth and critical appraisal of selected key theories of child development. The approach will be interdisciplinary, so literature from a number of disciplines will be used in the evaluation of theories. Analyses will be made of the complexity of the processes of child development and of the impact of various child development theories on practice in early childhood settings. The issues of deciding between theories and of whether one can be eclectic in choice of theories will be addressed. Topics to be considered may include cognitive development, including neo-Piagetian and neo-Vygotskian approaches; ethological, social learning and systems approaches to child development; the impact of implicit or naive psychology; the study of a child's development of a 'theory of mind'; Gilligan's suggestion of gender specificity in Kohlberg's study of moral development.

Assessment

A 4000 word assignment and a seminar presentation and a 1000 word abstract.