Course aims:

To Identify the main educational groups and to analyze the behavior of students - and other educational actors - in psycho-social context
To describe the main in-group and out-group processes
To design educational actions taking into account elements of group dynamics
To apply the knowledge about social cognition in didactic activity (including classroom management and counselling)
To identify the social factors that influence learning

Course Entry Requirements:

N/A

Course contents:

1. Educational groups 2. Group identity in school context 3. Competition and cooperation 4. Social perception and construction of social identity at school ages 5. Stereotypes and discrimination 6. Attitudes within groups (change and joint action) 7. Applications in school

Teaching methods:

Lecture, conversation, exemplification, debate, case studies

Learning outcomes:

• conducting the teaching and learning process in preschool and primary school • counselling and psycho-pedagogical support for various educational groups • cooperation in interdisciplinary teams in order to carry out programs and projects in education

Learning outcomes verification and assessment criteria:

Written paper – 60%; Continuous assessment – 40%.

Recommended reading:

Myers, D., Psychology (8th ed.), Worth Publishers, New York, 2007, xx.
Robert A Baron, Nyla R Branscombe, Social Psychology (13 ed), Pearson, New York, 2014, xx.
Eliot R. Smith, Diane M. Mackie, Heather M. Claypool, Social Psychology, Taylor and Francis, New York, 2014, xx.
Cook, S. W., Experimenting with social issues: the case of school desegregation, American Psychologist, 35, 1985, 151-175.
Tajfel, H., Billig, M. G., Bundy, R. P., & Flament, C., Social categorization and intergroup behavior, European journal of social psychology, 1, 2, 1971, 149-178.