Abstract
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of psychotherapy that focuses on identifying and modifying faulty thinking and behavior patterns to enhance mental health. The therapy type has an enormous remit extending beyond depression, anxiety, substance addiction, and trauma therapy. Childhood trauma intervention is particularly proven to be CBT, as it helps to pinpoint and correct drawbacks stemming from the traumatic experiences of individuals. In this discourse, the study will use Bloom’s taxonomy principles alongside adult learning theories, including application and self-directed learning, to teach CBT as an intervention in childhood trauma.
Adult learning is enhanced by focusing on the theories of knowledge for older adults. The basis of learning is to ensure that the student can apply all he concepts of Bloom’s taxonomy to find meaning in concepts learned (Mukhalalati & Taylor, 2019). Therefore, adult learning must be transformational, self-directed, motivating, and promoting experimentation. Through these processes, the learner can maximize the basic learning principles such as evaluation, judgment, critical thinking, and synthesis to enhance their learning outcome (Nakao et al., 2021). Therefore, the paper elaborates an effective adult lesson plan to enable learners to experience better learning outcomes by accurately using Bloom’s taxonomy as a framework for understanding the complexities and specificity of knowledge.
Literature Review
In developing my research, I came up with a lesson plan aimed at teaching students about how childhood trauma can be treated through CBT, while also equipping them with CBT techniques to process their own traumatic experiences. The result was a unique lesson plan that sought to help students comprehend how CBT can effectively deal with their trauma (Saikia et al., 2020). Through interactive exercises such as process evaluation, case study analysis, and application tests, the learner can understand the intervention’s efficacy (Saikia et al., 2020). The learning process promotes the thorough application of higher-order thinking skills (HOTS).
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a contemporary psychological approach that focuses on restructuring negative thoughts that trigger emotions and behaviors. CBT’s central constructs include cognitive restructuring, identifying and converting negative thoughts and attitudes (Saikia et al., 2020). Through cognitive restructuring, people learn to apprehend and challenge irrational thoughts, replacing them with more adaptive ones (Saikia et al., 2020).
The intervention is one of the most empirically supported types of psychotherapy. A large body of research has determined that CBT is effective in treating several psychological disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and substance use problems (Saikia et al., 2020). Through such evidence, the idea of exploring the efficacy of the intervention through analysis is undeniable. It helps apply the skills of scrutinizing its application.
The study narrowed down from a larger perspective of contemporary therapy strategies applied for different traumatic experiences to an evidence-based approach. The focus is now on the efficacy of CBT in the treatment of childhood trauma (Gouthro, 2019). To put a stronger emphasis on advanced thinking, I decided to concentrate on how CBT methods help children deal with their traumatic occurrences.
A study by Baldwin et al (2021) indicates that CBT helps deal with specific traits of depression through restructuring. This idea could help learners evaluate how trauma-focused CBT helps with self-assurance and emotional regulation, aiding in improving their general mental well-being. By applying the evaluation skills, the learner can uncover further research into whether positive psychology and mindfulness could improve CBT’s usefulness.
The application of CBT can be traced in various scholarly articles, which enhances its efficacy. A case study by Lowell & Renk (2018) provides a methodological application of CBT on a child with depression. This journal supports the idea that the therapy intervention is effective. Students will use this case study as an example to determine the efficacy of the counselling modality (Gouthro, 2019). They will demonstrate how each exercise has been used to challenge distorted core beliefs. In addition, they will evaluate the benefits of this intervention.
Learning Objectives
- Explain the core principles of CBT that are unique from any other intervention.
- Analyze different case studies and explore the efficacy of the intervention.
- Evaluate the benefits of CBT as a counselling modality.
Description of Active Learning Strategies
Think-Pair Share is an educational technique that encourages active participation from all students, whereby they contemplate on a particular subject or inquiry before exchanging it with their peers and then relaying it back to everyone, thus my students can engage with the course material in a collaborative and interactive manner through this highly effective teaching approach (Gouthro, 2019). This activity aligns with the learning objective, focusing on understanding CBT’s core principles. Such activity is supported by the class document “Bloom’s taxonomy and Anderson and Krathwohl’s revision of Bloom,” which highlights synthesis as a crucial aspect in the study process.
One way for students to gain a deeper understanding of academic material is to engage in discussions that allow them to critique their peers’ arguments. By employing this technique within my lessons, students get a chance to put the concepts into practice, thus building their decision-making skills (Gouthro, 2019). This process complements the learning objective on proper evaluation and comprehension of the basic components of CBT. The approach is supported by classwork ideas such as evaluation, which enables the students to detect inconsistencies highlighted in research.
For adult learning, the process of knowledge acquisition depends on specific theories, such as practical application, which enhances the process. Encouraging teamwork through active learning methods, such as problem-based learning, gives students the opportunity to solve problems together and deepen their understanding of the materials (Gouthro, 2019). The learning approach will support my learning objective of helping the students understand the counselling strategy, and also stresses the idea of evaluation, which is a level of Bloom’s taxonomy.
HOTS to Be Implemented
The study will focus on implementing HOTS, including evaluation, synthesis, and critical thinking. These skills are integral in enhancing the quality of the learning process, considering that the techniques employed help structure the expected results (Gouthro, 2019). The topic lends itself to higher-order thinking skills by enabling the student to evaluate and apply the techniques learned for the benefit of knowledge acquisition.
Elements of Andragogy to Be Implemented
Adult learning is guided by three integral principles that include self-directed learning, application, and motivation. The study will incorporate the adult learning theory to ensure that the strategy is more engaging and beneficial to the learners (Gouthro, 2019). The reason is that adults exhibit different styles of learning as compared to children, and this forms the basis of adult learning theory, as theoretical perspectives indicate that adults tend to be goal-driven and independent learners (Gouthro, 2019). They have a greater chance to take responsibility for their studying process and be inspired by intrinsic rewards, as they actively search for relevant learning opportunities that connect with different aspects of their lives, including personal needs and interests.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the lesson, learners will be able to:
- Describe the various principles of CBT.
- Explain the role of CBT as remediation for childhood trauma.
- Discuss the efficacy of CBT as a counseling modality.
- Analyze the impact of CBT as an intervention.
Time
60 minutes.
Resources and Materials
PowerPoint slides, whiteboard, markers, and handouts.
Process
Introduction
Duration: 10 minutes.
Interactional teaching strategy to enhance familiarization. The introduction phase will encompass various strategies to promote learning. The reason is that adult learning should focus on involving the team members in the planning, delivering, and executing the lesson to enhance engagement (Mukhalalati & Taylor, 2019). The introduction stage will include familiarization through turn-taking, whereby members introduce their names and specific interests in the lesson to enhance active participation.
In the next phase, learners will be prompted to provide an overview of the topic, whereby the instructor introduces a glimpse of the topic by mentioning the core principles of the lesson, and the learners respond to questions (Ulum, 2022). Additionally, the introduction will highlight the objectives of the study to encourage the learner to realize what is expected at the end of the study.
CBT Lesson
Duration: 20 minutes.
Brief introduction of the topic through analysis of CBT’s core components. At the beginning of the lesson, the members will be tasked with general questions about CBT as an intervention. Impromptu questions between discussions will help the learners investigate why the remediation strategy is frequently used compared to other treatment options. This direction will enable the participants to engage in critical thinking and analysis that demonstrates active learning strategies (Mukhalalati & Taylor, 2019).
The lesson will proceed by encouraging the parties to explain the components of CBT, including cognitive restructuring, behavioral activation, and exposure therapy, using a think-pair share strategy (Mukhalalati & Taylor, 2019). This activity will enable the team members to propose their thoughts about the intervention for trauma in children. This strategy will enable them to draw ideas from whatever they learned into a greater context, enhancing active learning.
Another activity in this phase will include asking the participants to describe the actual application of CBT in treating childhood trauma. This question will enable learners to explore the step-by-step approach to the intervention, which will enable them to understand the process (Ulum, 2022). The evaluation-based learning helps the learner figure out how certain principles work to enable them to outline the concept’s strengths and weaknesses and the problems encountered when analyzing the process (Mukhalalati & Taylor, 2019).
This strategy employs the rule of critical thinking whereby each learner is challenged to explore how the concept works in specific situations (Ulum, 2022). The session will end with members explaining how CBT can be used as a counseling modality to enable children with traumatic experiences to recover from their condition. This stage is crucial, considering it will support evidence-led inquiry and discussion, promoting procedural knowledge and a learning approach that sponsors critical thinking skills.
Experimentation and Evaluation
Duration: 15 minutes.
Case study analysis to promote team engagement. The stage will encompass a session where learners will demonstrate their understanding of applying the theory. The learners will be divided into small groups to discuss a case study to demonstrate their understanding of CBT (Lowell & Renk, 2018). During this time, the instructor will focus on the learning processes, such as students demonstrating skills in synthesizing information and analysis, which helps illustrate their comprehension and critical thinking skills.
For this stage, the learners will examine a case study of a child and his mother, who were constantly exposed to domestic violence and were treated for post-traumatic stress disorder using cognitive-behavioral therapy (Lowell & Renk, 2018).
The study emphasizes the significance of building trust between the client and therapist and the practical application of various techniques like psychoeducation, cognitive restructuring, and relaxation training to facilitate the healing process and overcome their traumatic experiences (Nakao et al., 2021). In treating PTSD in kids and their families, the verdict is that CBT is effective in treating trauma. The activity will enable the team members to evaluate and judge the efficacy of the intervention in the treatment of trauma.
Self-Reporting Session
Duration: 15 minutes.
General class discussion, which will be initiated by a self-reporting session. This approach will focus on asking the participants about their attitudes, feelings, and beliefs about the intervention. The approach helps incorporate andragogy, which is integral in enhancing adult learning experiences (Lowell & Renk, 2018). The strategy will enable the learner to apply their experiences to solving complex problems, and this will enhance understanding.
The process will also encourage self-motivation practices, which enable the participant to be intrinsically energized to participate in lessons and gain knowledge through interaction (Lowell & Renk, 2018). The self-reporting activity will be guided by questions such as:
- How can you apply the CBT concepts to a child?
- What are the ethical considerations when applying the technique?
- What are the unique elements of CBT?
The questions above will help the learners apply the concepts learned during the discussion and approaches to relate how the diverse principles can be applied concurrently to bring out a specific outcome (Nakao et al., 2021). The session will enable the learners to figure out concepts independently through self-directed research and critical thinking, which helps retain knowledge (Ulum, 2022). For instance, the learners will be expected to highlight the crucial attributes of CBT in a table format after a phase of research and inquiry. Such activities help promote analysis using the theory in mind, which is crucial for enhancing comprehension.
Conclusion
Duration: 5 minutes.
Students will engage in a general discussion summarizing what they have learned. The conclusion will summarize the lesson’s main points through active participation in question-and-answer sessions. This task will allow the instructor to assess the learners’ comprehension level and their abilities to utilize the different aspects of the Bloom taxonomy in analyzing a specific theory (Ulum, 2022). The last phase includes inviting questions and feedback to assess the confidence level and appreciating the participants for their engagement in the activities. The lesson plan will enable the instructor to use all active learning strategies to enhance learning outcomes.
References
Baldwin, G. (2021). A Case Study of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for social anxiety & depression. Annals of Clinical Case Studies. 3(1038). Web.
Gouthro, P. A. (2019). Taking time to learn: The importance of theory for adult education. Adult Education Quarterly, 69(1), 60-76. Web.
Lowell, A., & Renk, K. (2018). Cognitive-behavioral treatment of PTSD with a young boy and his mother following the experience of chronic domestic violence. Clinical Case Studies, 17(3), 166-187. Web.
Mukhalalati, B. A., & Taylor, A. (2019). Adult learning theories in context: A quick guide for healthcare professional educators. Journal of Medical Education and Curricular Development, 6(2). Web.
Nakao, M., Shirotsuki, K., & Sugaya, N. (2021). Cognitive–behavioral therapy for the management of mental health and stress-related disorders: Recent advances in techniques and technologies. BioPsychoSocial medicine, 15(1), 1-4. Web.
Saikia, P., Gujar, N. M., & Ali, A. (2020). A case study of a person with depression: A cognitive behavioral case work approach. International Journal of Indian Psychȯlogy, 8(3). Web.
Ulum, Ö. G. (2022). Is the revised Bloom’s taxonomy revisited in the EFL/ESL reading textbooks?OPUS Journal of Society Research, 19(45), 170-177. Web.