PSYCHOLOGICAL INTERVENTION IN THE COMMUNITY FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD
cod. 1005546

Academic year 2023/24
1° year of course - First semester
Professor
Ada CIGALA
Academic discipline
Psicologia dello sviluppo e psicologia dell'educazione (M-PSI/04)
Field
"psicologia dello sviluppo e dell'educazione"
Type of training activity
Characterising
42 hours
of face-to-face activities
6 credits
hub: PARMA
course unit
in ITALIAN

Learning objectives

The course is designed to promote knowledge of the different theoretical perspectives to analyze the contexts of early childhood and the developmental processes that unfold in these contexts, with a particular attention to the relationships among peers, between children and adults and between adults. Moreover, at the end of the course, the students will achievement some skills of applicative comprehension regard to some instruments to assess the preschoolers’ socio-emotional-relational abilities, and certain methods of intervention in these areas, with particular attention to observational methods. Finally, trough the arguments proposed, the course aims to provide students some relevant competences: the skills to learning, the ability of independent judgment with respect to theoretical and methodological issues and the ability to communicate about the aspects they have discussed and learned

Prerequisites

Advanced knowledge of developmental psychology and the basic knowledge of the observational method

Course unit content

The course aims to analyze some topics related to psychological processes and the types of psychological intervention that characterize the community for childhood. Specifically, in the course the following topics will be discussed: the method of observation in education, the assessment of social and emotional abilities of preschool children, the typologies of individualized and group intervention, the methods of research action in the educational and therapeutic context

Full programme

In the initial part of the course are presented the theoretical perspectives for the analysis of communities for early childhood, particularly nursery and kindergarten: by psychodynamic approaches to those constructivists. After some relational critical processes such as the “welcome” and the “reunification” will be treated.
Moreover, the course propose the observational method in the fields of education, with a specific attention to some operational tools.
The second part of the course will be dedicated to some instruments of psychological assessment of social and emotional abilities of preschool children. Will be treated also some methods of intervention in the communities for early childhood, with the presentation of specific and different intervention projects aimed at children or adults: individualized intervention, group intervention, action research and training programs.

Bibliography

TESTI OBBLIGATORI PER TUTTI
-BONICHINI S., MOSCARDINO U. (2010) La valutazione psicologica del bambino: metodi e strumenti per l'età prescolare e scolare. Brescia: Carocci.
-MAIDA S., MOLTENI L., NUZZO A. (2009) Educazione e osservazione: teorie, metodologie e tecniche. Roma: Carocci
-CIGALA A. (2011) “Se io fossi te.”. Imparare il punto di vista dell’altro alla scuola dell’infanzia. Brescia: Editrice Vannini.
-VENTURELLI, E., CIGALA, A. (2017). Lo sviluppo dei bambini tra continuità e cambiamento: le sezioni sperimentali zero-sei anni. Verso un sistema educativo integrato. Azzano San Paolo: Junior, Spaggiari.

UN TESTO A SCELTA TRA:
-ONGARI B., TOMASI F., ZOCCATELLI B. (2007). Bambini a disagio nel nido e nella scuola dell'infanzia: un percorso di formazione all'osservazione e all'intervento individualizzato. Azzano S. Paolo: Junior.
-BASTIANONI P., TAURINO A. (2009). Le comunità per minori. Modelli di formazione e supervisione. Roma: Carocci Faber.

Teaching methods

The course takes place in the presence of the teacher, the lessons will also be available in streaming in asynchronous mode on the Teams platform. The slides of the lessons and some materials will be uploaded on the Elly platform.
Frontal lesson and individual insights will be proposed in order to encourage the acquisition of theoretical knowledge. To promote the active participation in the course by all students, will be proposed different activities both individual and small group, in the classroom and through the use of resources present in Elly, such as discussion forum.
All these methodologies will be very useful to facilitate the acquisition of the following skills: learning, application of knowledge in real life, independent judgment and communication.

Assessment methods and criteria

At the end of the course there is an oral exam. The oral exam consists of a presentation about a topic chosen by the student and three other questions. The questions are aimed to assess the knowledge, skills and competence acquired, the autonomy of judgment, and the ability to communicate and apply the knowledge to the context. The answer to each question is evaluated in 30ths according to the criteria presented, and the final vote derives from the average of the scores achieved in the 4 questions. The exam is passed if the student reaches an overall scoring of at least 18.

Other information

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2030 agenda goals for sustainable development

3. Good health and well-being
4. Quality education
16. Reduced inequalities