Zoe Fletcher TMA01 1
H7683706
Perspectives of children and childhoods
Part One: Exploring your motivations for study and demonstrating understanding of module
content.
a. Describe your own particular interest in children and childhoods that motivated you
to study this module. Your interest might be professional, personal or more general.
I am interested in studying children and childhoods, firstly, because I have two children of my
own. Being a mother, it comes naturally to me to want the best for them both, and by taking on
this module I am hoping it will make me understand them deeper, and help me to support
them physically, emotionally, socially, and mentally. I need to be able to meet their needs and
provide guidance and support throughout their childhoods. I feel that this module will provide
me with the knowledge I need to be the best mother I can be to my children. I also have
interests in children and childhoods on a professional level, although I have never worked in a
child-focused setting, I have always found it an interesting subject. I have always wanted to help
children, especially those from a disadvantaged background. Since studying this module I have
found a particular interest in educational psychology. It really appeals to me to help children
who struggle to learn at school or children who find it difficult to talk to and understand others.
Teaching is another professional career that interests me, however, as much I like the thought
of educating children, I feel that being an educational psychologist would give me that deeper
understanding of the troubles some children can face in an educational setting and the idea of
working alongside families, SENCO and teachers to help develop a child's educational needs
really attracts me to that career.
Word count: 246 words
b. For the interest you described in (a) above, explain which of the two major
perspectives on children and childhoods presented in block one connects with this
interest, and how it connects.
, Zoe Fletcher TMA01 2
H7683706
The major perspective on children and childhoods which connects with my interests is child
psychology. Child psychology is the scientific study of children's cognitive, social, and physical
development, it aims to explain these changes and to support children who experience delays
(Gjersoe, 2020). The three main psychological disciplines are developmental psychology, which
studies how people develop over their lifetime, educational psychology, which centres on
children's learning and clinical psychology for the work on mental health (The Open University,
2020). Educational psychology reflects upon my interest in supporting children in an
educational setting by helping me to understand learning from both a cognitive and a
behavioural point of view, and I am hoping to learn more about this throughout the module.
The developmental approach connects to my interests by focusing on the physical, mental, and
social/ emotional development of children, this will aid me in building my general knowledge of
children and how they grow, it will also support me as a mother, and in a child-focused career.
Beyond the two broad perspectives on childhood, there are four core perspectives. The two
that link to my interests in child psychology are ‘A developmental perspective’ and ‘A political
and economic perspective’. The former focuses on the structure of children's physical, mental,
social, and emotional development and their vulnerability at this early stage of life, whilst the
latter uses educational intervention to support the development of disadvantaged children who
are at a critical development stage (Woodhead, Martin,2006). This is done to equalise
educational opportunities for all children, no matter their background. This connects to my
interest in working with disadvantaged children and children with learning needs, and how I
strive for all children to have equal opportunities in education.
Word count: 286 words
c. Drawing on the module materials, explain how the other perspective on children
and childhoods that is presented in block one might contribute further to your
developing understanding of children and childhoods.
Childhood studies is the other major perspective which will add to my developing knowledge of
children and childhoods. Childhood studies is the study of children by sociologists and social
