PY3AEP: Applied Educational Psychology

Module code: PY3AEP

Module provider: Psychology; School of Psych and Clin Lang Sci

Credits: 20

ECTS credits: 10

Level: 6

When you’ll be taught: Semester 2

Module convenor: Mr Kai Hao Chong, email: kaihao.chong@reading.edu.my

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2026/7

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: No

Last updated: 26 March 2026

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module offers an applied overview of the psychology of learning and teaching, examining how psychological theories can inform effective and inclusive educational practice. It aims to develop students’ understanding of key learning theories, learner differences, instructional planning, and assessment strategies, with a strong emphasis on their practical application in real-world teaching contexts. Through this module, students will acquire foundational pedagogical knowledge as well as transferable skills in critical analysis, lesson planning, and evidence-based decision-making.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Analyse learner differences and the corresponding learning needs.
2. Apply psychological theories to the design of appropriate and inclusive teaching strategies for addressing learning difficulties.
3. Design a coherent teaching session plan that demonstrates informed consideration of linguistic, cultural, emotional, and environmental factors.
4. Critically justify instructional and assessment decisions with reference to relevant psychological theories and empirical evidence.

Module content

This module will incorporate BPS core content in the following areas: Individual Differences, Cognitive Psychology, and Social Psychology. It places strong emphasis on applying psychological theories to inform effective and inclusive educational practice.

Students will explore a range of learning differences and disabilities (e.g., ADHD, communication disorders, emotional or behavioural difficulties) alongside key theories of learning and teaching (e.g., behaviourism, cognitivism and constructivism). Students will also learn to develop inclusive teaching strategies that consider various linguistic (e.g., bilingual and multilingual learner), cultural (e.g., ethnic and racial discrimination), emotional (e.g., motivation, curiosity, anxiety), and environmental (e.g., classroom discipline) factors.

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

The module comprises 10 2-hour seminars involving lectures, discussion and interactive activities; and 4 1-hour workshops on targeted assessment support.

In addition to the hours listed below, you will be required to complete an additional 40 hours of study, taking the total number of study hours to 240 for this module. This is to comply with the Malaysian Qualification Agency (MQA).

Study hours

At least 24 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 40% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each calendar day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three calendar days;
• where the piece of work is submitted up to three calendar days after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in you Individual Learning Plan), the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three calendar days after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three calendar days after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three calendar days of the deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three calendar days after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

Where a piece of work is submitted late after a deadline which has been revised owing to an extension granted through the Assessment Adjustments policy and process (self-certified or otherwise), it will be subject to the maximum penalty (i.e., considered to be more than three calendar days late). This will also apply when such an extension is used in conjunction with a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Students will engage with sample case studies and teaching session plans during workshops, receiving formative feedback from peers and group discussions.

Instructors will also provide verbal feedback on selected sections of student work during Q&A workshop sessions.

Reassessment

Additional costs