NCEA Level 2 Psychology
2ZPSY Course DescriptionHead of Faculty - Kaihautuu: Mr B. Silk, Mrs E. Reynolds.
Recommended Prior LearningIt is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED that students taking Psychology have a good English ability and an inquisitive mind. Psychology at Level 2 relies heavily on understanding Scientific research, reading and writing. An ability to think for themselves and apply knowledge to scientific theories and concepts is also a must.
Psychology is the study of how people think, feel, and behave. In this course, you’ll learn about three key approaches to psychology and how to use them to explain behaviour. You’ll also carry out your own research, look at how a big debate in psychology has changed over time, and learn about ethics by studying an experiment that went too far.
There is a lot of reading and writing in this subject. You’ll need to be ready to read about theories and studies, and write clear explanations using evidence. To do well, you must attend at least 90% of classes, as each lesson builds on the last and all lesson notes are written by hand.
Psychology helps you build skills in understanding others, thinking critically, and communicating clearly. You’ll also learn how to look at research and use facts to back up your ideas.
This course is a great start for future careers in areas like counselling, social work, teaching, marketing, and human resources. It also helps you grow personally by learning more about yourself and the people around you.
Course Overview
Term 1
91844 – Examine different psychological approaches used to explain a behaviour (6 credits) 7 weeks
Term 2
91846 - Conduct psychological research with guidance (4 credits) 10 weeks
Term 3
91845 – Examine how a Psychological debate has changed over time (3 credits)
91848 with an exploration of Ethical issues in psychological research (3 credits)
Term 4
91848 Examine Ethical issues in psychological practise (3 credits)
Assessment Information
Research and report writing required in all standards
Interest in Psychology is on the up and places for tertiary courses are very competitive (especially for specialised areas such as clinical psychology). This course would start your journey in psychology and allow you to gain a foundational knowledge of what future tertiary courses will entail.
Contributions and Equipment/StationeryA personal laptop is essential for this course. If obtaining one is a barrier, please contact Ben Silk, the Kaihautu/Head of Social Sciences, at [email protected].