Session 11

• Mathematics
• Further Education (Key Stage 5)

Element 7 - Child Development

T - Level in Education and Early Years 

Session 11 

ZE30801 

[e-mail]

Learning Objectives 

By the end of the session, all learners will be able to: 

1. Recap and recall the impact of positive friendships and impact this can have on children and young people. 
2. Understand and explain the difference between expected and unexpected transitions and how this could have a positive and negative affect on children. 


3. Explain the social learning theory of Albert Bandura to establish clear grounds on how PSED and behaviour can be influenced. 

Starter activity

Mind map how friendships can have a positive and negative impact on social and emotional well being. 

Expected transitions 

A transition is a term used to describe when a change or disruption occurs in someone's life.

Some transitions will have an indirect affect on children's learning and development even if they are expected.

Expected transition: 

This is a transition that the child has been made aware of, often parents will share this with the child. 

- Changes in the family 

- Transitioning to a reception class

-Moving home

Unexpected transitions: 

This is a change in a child's life that occurs that are not planned. Often this form of transition can be stressful for the child. 

For example: Bereavement

Research task 

For this task, you have been allocated groups to complete research on either expected or unexpected transitions. 

The group has been divided in to 2 different research allocations. 

Research agenda: 

You will research different examples of transititions either expected or not expected. 

Provide examples & describe support strategies that can be put in place by an Early years Educator. 

Consider the implications transitions can have on social and emotional development for children .

Reflecting on your placements, provide an example of a transition you have seen a child go through?

Strategies to support transitions

Understanding the right strategies to support children during transitions is very important specifically for different age ranges.

For example: supporting transitions to school can be supported by adding uniform in the home corner or visits to a local school. this is beneficial as it provides children a real life experience of what they may expect during the transition.

Have you seen examples of how practitioners in your setting may have supported transitions for children?

Strategies to support transitions

There are many strategies practitioners can use to support children going through different transitions.

Informing the child of the transition if expected.

Opportunities to discuss feelings and ask questions.

Involving children in the transition process. For example: drawing a picture of a new home.

Buddy system or having a mentor 

Supporting settling in's during room transitions.

Working in partnership with parents and professionals.

Role play activities to support transitions to school.

Which one of the following is an example of an unplanned transition?

1. Starting swimming lessons
2. Going on holiday
3. Starting school
4. Sudden death of a parent

Albert Bandura - Social Learning Theory (1977)

A social learning theory was created by Bandura after the he researched how observing and modelling certain types of behaviour can cause a variation to our own attitudes and emotion responses. 

Social learning theory  is often the ‘bridge’ between traditional learning theory (behaviorism) and the cognitive approach.

This is because it focuses on how mental (cognitive) factors are involved in learning.

For example: If a child witnesses a form of behaviour in early years they are more likely to copy it. 

Albert Bandura 

The experiment - Bobo Doll theory 

You will now be allocated a specific number of( 1, 2 or 3). The number you receive will reflect the article you will be reading to establish clear knowledge of the bobo doll experiment conducted by Albert Bandura. 

You will transcribe your findings on Padlet Sandbox. To access this head to google classroom, Element 7 and open this feature.

https://www.simplypsychology.org/bobo-doll.html. (1)

https://www.verywellmind.com/bobo-doll-experiment-2794993. (2)

https://www.britannica.com/event/Bobo-doll-experiment. (3)

Albert Bandura 

The experiment - Bobo Doll theory 

The bobo doll experiment was initially started in 1960's, Bandura conducted controlled experiments with children using bobo dolls. The experiments consisted of two different approaches. (1 x non aggressive approach & 1 x aggressive approach).

Children were exposed to mild aggressive behaviour, such as pushing the dolls. They watched an adult demonstrate this behaviour on a bobo doll. 

Shortly after the child enters the room with the bobo doll, their behaviour resulted in copying the adult they have just watched.  

Observations were made on the child during intervals for around 20 minutes per child . Overall 240 responses were recorded. 

Individual application task (exam prep)

In preparation for your summer exams, work on creating a revision resource that will enable  you to effectively revise and recall information about friendships and social learning theory.