Psychology

This Term, Year 12 have considered the topic of eyewitness memory. We have discussed cases in which false convictions have resulted from inaccurate eyewitness accounts and what the impact of this is on individuals and on society. Students have learnt about the impact that anxiety, leading questions and post-event discussion can have on the ability of eyewitnesses to provide accurate testimony. Students finished this topic by considering how psychological research has been used to develop the police interviewing technique: the cognitive interview.

In addition, Year 12 have continued developing their knowledge of research methods. They have been looking at how to conduct self-report and observational research and they have had a go at conducting their own small scale observations, to test their inter-rater reliability.

Students in Year 13 are working hard towards preparing for their final exams. They are now studying some of the final content of the course, including the topics of gender and aggression. These two topics require them to draw together their understanding of the approaches in psychology they have considered throughout the course, their research methods knowledge and their knowledge of issues and debates in psychology, in order to demonstrate that they can think critically about the theories they are learning about. They have demonstrated a fantastic understanding of psychology in class discussions and it is always a pleasure to see the progress in knowledge and skills students have made since the start of Year 12. These final topics present a great opportunity for students to show their full potential.

Super Curricular

Whilst our year 7-11 students do not have the opportunity to study Psychology, they can get involved with the subject via the super curricular fortnight activities. In the most recent supercurricular fortnight we encouraged students to focus on the biological approach and to learn more about their brain. It is always wonderful to see younger students embracing the opportunity to develop their understanding of a subject that they might study in the future – why not have a look at what psychology activity you can get involved in during the next super curricular fortnight!

How I can help my child learn in Psychology?

✓ Discuss with them the topics they are learning about – they should be able to give you examples of how their learning can be applied to our everyday lives.

✓ Encourage them to use the resources available on firefly for revision.

✓ Test, test, test! Testing improves memory and allows students to understand their strengths and weaknesses – testing can be in the form of flashcards, or practice exam questions.

What are KS4 and 5 students learning in..

Key

Stage 4

Our Year 9 students have made a fantastic start to their study of sociology this year. They are currently focusing on the sociology of the family and it is always exciting to see our students develop a more critical understanding of the role of the family in society. We have had discussions on topics such as, whether the nuclear family is really necessary in society, why UK families are more diverse than ever and whether the child-centered nature of society today is really because it benefits the children or