The course will introduce the student to the characteristics and developmental issues in adolescent development. Theories of adolescent development as well as social and contemporary issues which explain adolescent behaviour will be discussed.
The course provides extensive coverage of key theories ranging from the psychoanalytic and humanistic to behaviourist and trait theories, biological and socio-cultural factors that interactively influence personality development and their concomitant adjustment and maladjusted tendencies are examined. Major therapeutic techniques for correcting maladjustment as well as current research findings in the area will also be discussed.
This course intends to improve the understanding and ability of students to handle developmental as well as instructional issues associated with learners in educational environments. It exposes students to the theoretical explanations of developmental phenomena involving the structure, process and dynamics of changes that occur in human ontogeny. It also discusses the behavioural concomitants of such changes and the role of psychologists, teachers, parents and society in ensuring human quality.
This course will expose students to the theories, methods and processes in Social Psychology that enable a greater understanding of the factors that influence group dynamics in educational delivery in Ghana. It discusses practices in education as a social institution and their influences in shaping the motivation, achievement and success of teachers and students. It thus focuses on the school social influences that impinge on the structural and process quality of education in Ghana, using a participatory approach involving panel discussions, debates, and seminars alongside lectures.
The goal of the programme is to provide individuals with in-depth knowledge in educational psychological theories and models, principles and practices in the school and other social settings. Such individuals should be able to teach in tertiary institutions as well as provide educational psychology services in relevant institutions.
The graduate will acquire:
A successful applicant would be offered a probationary admission as a Postgraduate Research Student [PRS] for the first year. Students may progress to the second year after having satisfied the following conditions:
A non- research master’s degree candidate seeking admission to the MPhil Programme must:
The goal of the programme is to provide individuals with in-depth knowledge in educational psychological theories and models, principles and practices in the school and other social settings. Such individuals should be able to teach in tertiary institutions as well as provide educational psychology services in relevant institutions.
The graduate will acquire:
A successful applicant would be offered a probationary admission as a Postgraduate Research Student [PRS] for the first year. Students may progress to the second year after having satisfied the following conditions:
A non- research master’s degree candidate seeking admission to the MPhil Programme must:
Individual guidance and direction in the choice of a problem area is provided by an assigned supervisor. The student is involved in reviewing literature, collecting and analysing data and presenting a final report.
This course focuses on several aspects of psychological testing. It deals with the historical evolution of psychological tests and the identification and measurement of traits. The item design, strengths and limitations, use, interpretation and adaptation to local, administration and analysis of psychological tests is covered. Aptitude tests, intelligence tests such as Stanford-Binet and Wechsler Intelligence Scales and personality tests such as the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), and Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) are treated. For each of the tests, the construction, strengths and limitations, use, interpretation and adaptation to local conditions are discussed.
This course examines generalizability theory and the application to the practice of assessment. The course covers generalizability designs (crossed, nested, random and fixed effects) and coefficients and the contributions of the theory to performance assessment and expansion of classical reliability theory. There is a demonstration of how generalizability theory is used for validation studies. A generalizability study will be conducted to determine magnitude of sources of error and results applied to improve measurement designs within an applied assessment practice context.
This course provides the basics of item response theory and examines the use of Item Response Theory (IRT) models for test construction and ability estimation. Concepts, models and features are discussed. The item characteristic curve and the estimation of parameters, test characteristic curves, ability estimation and item and test information functions are treated. Assessment of model fit and efficiency functions are described. Models for tests with dichotomous items are covered and discussions include advantages and disadvantages of IRT relative to Classical Test Theory. Models for tests with polytomous and mixed items are covered. Other topics include the detection of differential item functioning (or item bias), and the role of IRT in Computer Adaptive Testing (CAT). The various approaches to assessment of item fit and a discussion of their strengths and weaknesses is made. The identification and comparison of the various software packages currently available for IRT applications are made. Use is made of at least two different packages and the outputs interpreted.
