Stand Alone Module

The Adolescent in Society

30 Credits

Duration:: 15 Weeks
Start Dates:: September or February
Attendance:: One study day per week
Venue:: High Wycombe
Cost:: Available on request

Key Contact:: Jane Wright
Tel:: 01494 522 141
Email:: jane.wright@bucks.ac.uk

Is this course suitable for me?

This short 30 credit module will be of interest to people working with adolescents in a variety of settings such as family planning, education, police, youth workers and voluntary sectors.

Overview

This module will explore the concept of the adolescent in modern society. The module aims to contextualise the development of the concept of adolescence and consider individuals and groups who work with them across different sectors; health, education and social care. The young people’s agenda will be considered, exploring issues pertaining to their health and development.

Content

The following issues will be critically explored:

Adolescence as a social construct
Physical, Intellectual, Emotional, Language and Social development
Effective communication with adolescents
Ethical dilemma’s: Consent and confidentiality
Risk taking behaviour: substance misuse; crime; truancy; self harming behaviour
Gender issues; sexuality; stereotypes
Transitions: dealing with loss, trauma, gaining independence; adulthood
Family dynamics; parenting teenagers, teenage parents
Achieving the five outcomes from Every Child Matters: be healthy, stay safe, enjoy and achieve, achieve economic well being and make a positive contribution
Self-esteem; coping strategies; depression and suicide
Aspects of culture and diversity in relation to adolescence

What will I learn?

On successful completion of the module, you will be able to:

Demonstrate a systematic understanding of the principles, theory, concepts and issues around the developmental needs of adolescents in the context of modern society.
Critically analyse current research in relation to adolescence, recognising the ambiguity and limits of knowledge and the application to practice.
Critically evaluate the skills and knowledge required by practitioners across different sectors to work and communicate effectively with adolescents
Communicate information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialist and non-specialist audiences to improve understanding of adolescent behaviour.

Teaching and learning

Teaching and learning strategies that will assist you to achieve the learning outcomes and develop the key skills will include: Lectures seminars and workshops; plenary class discussions; practice-based learning;small group work; student presentations and the use of the virtual learning environment. The Lecture will provide theoretical, methodical and other factual information relevant to adolescence. These lectures will invariably be supported by discussion, student led seminars and small group work.

The varied assessment strategy includes a wide range of formative and summative elements to enable you to demonstrate acievement of the learning outcomes. The work based project is designed for you to apply the theoretical underpinnings of the the module to the practice setting while the presentation will enable you to critically reflect on your work-based project in the light of the relevant theoretical models. The presentation will enable you to disseminate your findings to your peers and lecturers: the information will need to be clear and unambiguous to demonstrate your ability to communicate practices to non-specialists.

Entry requirements

Working in a practice area with minimum 6 months experience in an appropriate setting is required

120 level 5 credits (or equivalent)
Support of your manager
Opportunity to work outside usual practice area, if necessary, to gain specific clinical competence

How to make an application

Please contact the Enquiries Team on 01494 603 171 or email ask@bucks.ac.uk

We hope to have a fully on-line application system shortly, but in the meantime, to apply for a course, please download and print these forms, completing them fully and posting back to the address below.

Mike Thomson

Student Recruitment Officer

Bucks New University

106 Oxford Road

Uxbridge

UB8 1NA

If you are unable to view the forms, please click here to download a free version of adobe reader.

Alternatively, if you call us on 01494 603 171 or email ask@bucks.ac.uk we can post you a hard copy application pack.

Students funded by the NHS or other employer

If the cost of your course is being funded by your employer, please contact your education lead or manager for guidance as to how they would prefer you to make an application.