With the support of JISC (part of the Higher Education Funding Council of England) www.theFaculties.org has made approximately 300 films of lecturers speaking on themes and topics from the A-level curriculum.

More than 30 of those themes are in Psychology  – see www.thepsychologyfaculty.org  More will follow in the coming weeks. The videos also offer advice to A-level students about where they might study Psychology at University, and about the careers that can follow their degree. .

Although this resource has only just been launched it is promised that in time it will cover the entire UK A-level curriculum. It is possible on the site for Psychology teachers and students to suggest further topics and ways in which the expertise of academic Psychologists can be employed in the secondary school classroom.

www.thepsychologyfaculty.org

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Dear Secretary of State,

Initial Teacher Training and Psychology

We are writing to you today to express our concern about some aspects of your plans for Initial Teacher Training. The recent announcement by the TDA shows that the government is committed to investing in the best quality graduates as trainee teachers. We support this approach but we are extremely disappointed to see that this commitment does not appear to extend to psychology graduates.

According to the information in the ITT plan, psychology is ‘a non-priority’ subject and therefore trainees would not be eligible for a bursary. Future trainees will in effect be penalised for choosing psychology, as they will need to find up to £9000 for fees on top of living expenses in order to train.

Psychology is the only science subject not to have been designated a priority subject, and therefore not to attract a bursary. We are unclear as to why this is the case, especially at a time when the uptake of science subjects by young people in the UK is a concern. It is now the fourth most popular A-level subject with over 56,000 sitting the psychology exam in 2011 (JCQ, Joint Council for Qualifications,www.jcq.org.uk. 2011), compared to just 275 candidates when the exam was first set in 1972.

The European Federation of Psychologists’ Associations (EFPA), to which the European Federation of Psychology Teachers’ Associations (EFPTA) is affiliated, recently hosted a conference at the European Parliament in Brussels. The aim of this event was to demonstrate the importance of the role of psychology in promoting the health and well-being of European citizens, and Professor Robert Roe (President of EFPA) made it absolutely clear to the Members of the European Parliament that psychology teachers make a significant contribution by encouraging young people to explore issues such as understanding how they learn, the importance of healthy life-styles and how to achieve self-regulation. There are clearly significant economic benefits attached to any improvements that can be made in relation to these issues. It is indeed interesting that Finland is referred to in the White Paper as a nation of educational excellence and in that country psychology is a compulsory subject for students aged 16-19.

Despite the small numbers of available places, the role of the PGCE in psychology has been crucial to improving the quality teaching in many schools across the country. It is therefore essential that PGCE courses are able to attract high calibre trainees to ensure that improvements in the subject continue.

We are also puzzled why some other non-National Curriculum subjects, including Classics and Economics, have been designated ‘priority’ subjects when psychology, has not. There is a danger that this “down-grading” combined with a lack of a bursary for those looking to train, may be interpreted in some quarters as a lack of Government understanding of psychology, ahead of the publication of the National Curriculum review proposals.

Your neglect of psychology education in schools is particularly hard to understand, in view of your Government’s own initiative in setting up the Behavioural Insight Team (BIT), whose aim is to find ‘intelligent ways to encourage, support and enable people to make better choices for themselves’. That is precisely one of the aims that psychology teachers in schools and colleges have been quietly pursuing for years. Yet, whilst you invest financially in the application of psychological principles in the form of the BIT, you are withdrawing financial support for psychology education in schools. This makes no sense.

Through high quality psychology teaching students develop essential transferable skills which enhance learning and achievement in other subjects as well as those which can encourage them to make healthier choices of life-style and become critically confident citizens. This is particularly important at a time when the educational performance of our children appears to be falling in relation to those in other countries, and when the effects of health related illness is costing the taxpayer enormous amounts of money.

Children and young people in this country deserve the best quality psychology education and the best quality psychology teachers. We urge you to reconsider this policy and demonstrate that the government believes this too.

We look forward to hearing from you on this matter.

Yours sincerely,
Deb Gajic
Chair of the Association for the Teaching of Psychology

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Follow the link below to book for the Psychology CPD event of the year! Join us  from 6th - 8th July 2012 at Aston University
http://www.bps.org.uk/events/association-teaching-psychology-annual-conference-2012


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We are delighted to announce that Professor Robert Plomin has kindly agreed to be one of our keynote speakers for the 2012 ATP Conference at Aston University.

Robert Plomin is Professor of Behavioural Genetics at the MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry (SGDP) Centre at the Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London.

He is best known for his work on twin studies and his research into the nature-nurture debate. He launched the Twins Early Development Study (TEDs) of all twins born in England and Wales in 1994-96 which focuses on developmental problems in cognition and behaviour.

During the past decade his research has increasingly turned towards harnessing the power of molecular genetics, especially genome-wide association strategies, to identify genes for psychological traits in order to help understand the developmental interplay between genes and environment.

He is an international leader in behavioural genetics and was the youngest President of the Behavior Genetics Association. Professor Plomin has published more than 500 papers and is senior author of the major textbook in the field (’Behavioral Genetics,’ Worth Publishers, 5th edition, 2008) as well as author of a dozen other books including ‘Genetics and Experience: The Interplay between Nature and Nurture’ (Sage Publications, 1994).

(thanks to the Kings College London website for biographical information)

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The ATP annual conference will be held on 6th-8th July 2012 at Aston University, Birmingham.

The ATP Conference 2012  has held prices fo members.

Offering fantastic networking opportunities, the chance to meet with your exam board representatives as well as providing inspiring CPD breakout events and keynote speakers, the ATP Conference offers great value for money.

If the full conference is beyond your budget, the ATP  also offer day rates.

As Aston University is close to Birmingham City Centre it has excellent road and rail links.

Your ATP Needs You

Can you offer a workshop or symposium at Aston ATP conference next July? Do you consistently get good AS results? Do you have lessons that inspire your students? Have you got great ways of teaching the more ‘dry’ topics? Or maybe there is something important that you feel needs airing? If so, then consider sharing your ideas with colleagues.

If you are interested and would like to discuss it further, then email: info@theatp.org. If you are new to presenting, we can offer support and guidance. Remember, you don’t have to go it alone – workshops are often very effective when presented by two or more colleagues.

Meeting your CPD needs

The ATP  want to continue to inspire you and provide you with the best CPD event possible. Is there a workshop that you would love to see on next year’s programme? A burning issue in psychology that you want to debate? Then contact us and we will do our very best to arrange it.

See more here www.atpconference.org.uk

Email: info@theatp.org

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No, this is not a conference for students studying anomalistic psychology – it’s for all psychology students.

Aims to enthuse and educate them about the role of Science in Psychology.

BOOK NOW  full details here

Venues are Bristol (14 Nov), Nottingham (15, Nov), Edinburgh (24 Nov) and London (25 Nov)

Rave reviews from last year ‘Wow, wow and wow!!! What a fantastic day we all had. How to inspire and motivate. You absolutely blew their minds! We all loved it. It was worth the major hassle of trying to get them to stomp up the cash’. “It was a wonderful conference and my students and I are buzzing. It’s what education should be about – broadening horizons and motivating the desire to learn.’

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psychology4students

by Mark Holah on September 12, 2011

in BPS,Conferences,Courses

 

 

 

 

Love and attraction’ and ‘How e-fits help to identify offenders’  are just two of the topics being discussed at the BPS annual event ‘Psychology4students’ on Thursday 1 December at Watford Colosseum and Wednesday 23 November at the University of Central Lancashire.

As well as 5 keynote lectures by established UK Psychologists, attendees will have the opportunity to take part in mini workshops including ‘revision techniques’ and ‘developing evaluation skills’. Students will also have the opportunity to speak to local University students to find out ‘What it’s really like at University?’

This year will see the BPS launch the interactive demonstration fair. Taking place over an extended lunch break, the BPS have invited local Universities and Division’s of the Society to showcase their current research, get the students involved and be available for questions.

It is a great opportunity to give students a glimpse into the exciting world of Psychology.

Tickets are only £16 (including a packed lunch).  For every 10 places booked the BPS provide one free tutor place.

For more information about the speakers and how to book please visit:

www.bps.org.uk/p4sn (North)

www.bps.org.uk/p4ss (South)

Email: p4s@bps.org.uk

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Oxford Blog Forum

by Mark Holah on September 12, 2011

in aqa,blogs,OUP

 

 

 

 

The blog for the Complete Companion which provides extra stuff that they cannot squeeze into their books as well as providing extra resources, updates on research and answers to questions, now has a forum.

The forum allows further discussion of AQA A related issues; especially important as we are seeing much change in the specifications.

Check it out here

http://www.oxfordschoolblogs.co.uk/psychcompanion/blog/community/

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Assessment only route to QTS – Manchester Metropolitan University

September 11, 2011

  MMU have just launched an assessment only route to QTS for experienced teachers. This will be particularly suitable for psychology teachers who are currently classified as unqualified in schools, because they hold a post 16 teaching qualification, such as QTLS. See link below for further details or contact MMU. http://www.psychexchange.co.uk/resource/7555/  

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Glyndwr University’s Distance Learning MSc in Teaching of Psychology

July 29, 2011

A new, and unique, oportunity to study a MSc Teaching of Psychology.  The course will be delivered primarily through e-learning combined with an optional two-day residential workshop on selected modules. This programme provides excellent CPD for practising teachers of post-16 Psychology who wish to obtain a Masters level qualification to maximise progression through the teaching profession. [...]

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