Psychology

One of the best reasons to study psychology is to gain a better understanding of how humans think and develop.

During your study at Hockerill, you will learn about different personality types and how they affect the way we think and feel. This knowledge will help you understand and empathise with different perspectives. You will be inspired to generate their own questions in Psychology, and therefore learn about the diverse methods of inquiry through their personal experience.  By fostering curiosity in this way, students learn first-hand the tools that enable them to interpret and evaluate established research.   

Intent 

The IB Psychology Course introduces students to the study of behaviour and mental processes. 

The course adopts an interactionist approach so that students recognise the roles that biological, cognitive and sociocultural influences play in generating the diversity of human behaviour.  In turn, students develop an appreciation of their place as global citizens, and are encouraged to discover and challenge their views pertaining to our collective similarities and differences.

Students learn the contribution that biological, cognitive and sociocultural influences make to their own and others’ behaviour, and having studied these three approaches, are then able to apply their knowledge to specific areas, including abnormal psychology and the psychology of human relationships.  

Implementation  

Students carry out their own psychological research projects, and develop a sense of how new knowledge is generated in resolving these problems. 

As teachers, we support the students in their progress through active questioning, which enables students to develop and then transfer these critical thinking skills to other aspects of their education.  Students develop a profound sense of personal agency in the process of their intellectual development.   

Students are encouraged to form generalised schemes into which they make sense of new information, with this information coming from both psychological texts, as well as popular culture and current affairs. A holistic approach ensures that as students experience the world, they recognise the concepts covered in class in their real-world context, and are thereby provided with the resources necessary to refine their ideas throughout their lives.  

Historical and current issues regarding the ethical treatment of humans and non-human animals in psychological research is extensively discussed.  Classroom discussion and debate is a central component of our teaching methodology and encourages students to listen and understand those of differing viewpoints.  As an outcome, students, both theoretically and in practice, become cognisant of the influences of culture on behaviour, and are considerate of their own potential sources of bias when expressing their opinions.