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Supporting Pupils' Psychological Wellbeing at School - EDU00101M

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  • Department: Education
  • Module co-ordinator: Dr. Beth Bell
  • Credit value: 20 credits
  • Credit level: M
  • Academic year of delivery: 2024-25

Module summary

This module will provide you with in-depth critical understanding of the current approaches to supporting the social and emotional development of children and adolescents in schools. You will be critically examining the relationship between academic research, policy and practice in the area of wellbeing in both primary and secondary schools.

Professional requirements

none

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Semester 1 2024-25

Module aims

This module aims to provide students with a critical understanding of current strategies, approaches and programmes used to support the wellbeing of children and adolescents in schools and the evidence-base that underpins them. Students will be encouraged to compare and contrast these approaches with current policy recommendations and real-world classroom practice. They will be encouraged to identify gaps in current policy, research and practice in order to develop new ways of improving the wellbeing of children and adolescents in schools.

Module learning outcomes

Subject content

By the end of this module students will be able to:

  • Explain current wellbeing strategies, approaches and programmes applied in schools to support wellbeing of children and adolescents.
  • Critically examine the links between the strategies, approaches and programmes implemented in schools, underlying research and relevant education policy.
  • Effectively communicate their knowledge of wellbeing approaches in schools and their underlying evidence base to a range of audiences.
  • Critically consider how existing approaches to supporting students’ wellbeing might be further advanced in order to improve wellbeing provision in schools.
  • Understand how researchers, policy makers and educators collaborate in supporting the wellbeing provision of pupils in schools.

Academic and graduate skills

Students will have learned how to:

  • Engage in critical evaluation of research, policy and practice
  • Present complex ideas to a wide range of audiences
  • Perform comprehensive literature searches
  • Synthesise and analyse information and research evidence from different sources
  • Formulate reasoned arguments
  • Engage in, and advocate for, evidence-based practice

Module content

Indicative content includes:

  • Youth wellbeing and mental health
  • The role of schools
  • Mindfulness
  • Social and emotional learning
  • Curriculum-based approaches / Mental health literacy
  • Targeted interventions
  • Designing and evaluating complex interventions

Assessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
Case study of a wellbeing intervention in schools		 N/A 30
Essay/coursework
Critical comparison report on mental health/wellbeing programmes		 N/A 70

Special assessment rules

None

Reassessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
Case study of a wellbeing intervention in schools		 N/A 30
Essay/coursework
Critical comparison report on mental health/wellbeing programmes		 N/A 70

Module feedback

Individual written feedback reports for summative assessments, with follow-up tutor meeting if necessary. The feedback is returned to students in line with university policy. Please check the Guide to Assessment, Standards, Marking and Feedback for more information.

Indicative reading

Indicative reading:

Dray, J., Bowman, J., Campbell, E., Freund, M., Wolfenden, L., Hodder, R. K., ... & Small, T. (2017). Systematic review of universal resilience-focused interventions targeting child and adolescent mental health in the school setting. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 56(10), 813-824.

Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis of school-based universal interventions. Child development, 82(1), 405-432.try, 56(10), 813-824.

The Children’s Society (2021, August 26). The Good Childhood Report 2021. https://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/information/professionals/resources/good-childhood-report-2021

Public Health England (2021). Promoting children and young people’s emotional health and wellbeing. A whole school and college approach. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/promoting-children-and-young-peoples-emotional-health-and-wellbeing


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University is constantly exploring ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary by the University. Where appropriate, the University will notify and consult with affected students in advance about any changes that are required in line with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.