Abstract
The current study empirically tested the effectiveness of a modular approach to integrating professional development across an undergraduate psychology curriculum. Researchers conducted a two-group, between-subjects experiment on 269 undergraduate psychology students assessing perceptions of professional preparedness and learning. Analysis revealed those participating in the modular approach had a higher understanding of and investment in the psychology major, a higher awareness of professional development opportunities, higher knowledge of career options with a background in psychology, and better knowledge of professional development activities. Quiz scores indicate that students learned about professional development from the modules. Overall, the results imply that a modular approach to professional development can be effective and beneficial to students. Psychology programs should consider utilizing similar approaches in their curricula.
In 2010–2011, approximately 101,000 individuals earned undergraduate degrees in psychology (U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2013). A survey conducted by the Chronicle of Higher Education (2003) to assess public opinion about higher education reported that 92% of respondents expected college to prepare students for a career and 90% also expected college to lead to better job positions. Likewise, undergraduates expect that college will lead to better jobs and career training (Hurtado & Pryor, 2006). Clearly, professional development is a key part of fulfilling those expectations. However, undergraduate psychology programs have the dual task of preparing a minority of students for graduate school (approximately 17,000 students apply and enroll in psychological postgraduate study per year) while preparing the remaining majority for the job market (Kohout & Wicherski, 2010). Further complicating the task of preparing students for their futures is that the undergraduate degree is not designed to prepare students for a particular occupation but rather prepares graduates for a vast number of potential career paths (Landrum, Davis, & Landrum, 2010).
Most psychology programs offer both breadth and depth of content as well as a variety of employable skills. In addition, psychology programs should promote knowledge needed for professional and personal growth (Hogan, 1991). Although the ultimate goal of a psychology undergraduate degree is to prepare students to become professionals in a psychology-related field, many curricula underemphasize professional development, providing little guidance in how to make the transition from student to young professional. With that in mind, psychology programs need to provide students with opportunities to determine their specific career goals and help students develop the necessary skills and experiences to achieve them. Additionally, students need practice in marketing their knowledge and skills to potential employers and graduate programs as well as presenting themselves in a professional manner. The goal of liberal arts institutions is not to focus on a particular career (Chen, 2004). Therefore, liberal arts students, in particular, need to learn to identify and market their skills instead of emphasizing their degree on the job market. In fact, alumni indicate that there was much faculty could do to better prepare students for the workforce, suggesting that professional development is a much needed part of psychology curricula (Landrum, Hettich, & Wilner, 2010).
The American Psychological Association (APA) encourages career planning and development in their guidelines for the undergraduate major (2013). The APA stresses that undergraduate psychology majors should know how to apply their knowledge, skills, and values to careers in the field. While it outlines learning outcomes to support this goal, it does not suggest how to address this goal on a curricular level, leaving psychology programs to decide how to fulfill this goal. Programs may use a variety of techniques for providing career information to students such as faculty advising, psychology clubs, department websites and handbooks, career days, or specific courses that introduce students to the major or career opportunities (Brewer, 1998). Instructors may also utilize individual projects for professional development. Such projects assist students in learning more about careers related to psychology (Maynard, Maynard, & Rowe, 2004) and determining their career paths (Larkin, Pines, & Bechtel, 2002).
Students also benefit from courses that introduce them to the psychology major (Landrum & Mulcock, 2007) as well as courses that focus on career development (Thomas & McDaniel, 2004). However, only about 34% of psychology programs offer an introduction to the major or a career course (Landrum, Shoemaker, & Davis, 2003). The creation and sustainability of a full course on career development may be too taxing on many departments, limiting its offering.
As undergraduate students progress in the major, they should continue to learn specialized content in psychology and practice their skills set (e.g., critical thinking, communication, collaboration, etc.), but they also need guidance in how to develop professionally. Career exploration is part of this multifaceted process. Students need to identify potential careers that will utilize their backgrounds in psychology. From there, students should self-assess and identify the experiences and skills they need to pursue a particular career upon graduation. Beyond this, they need guidance in developing a plan of action throughout their academic career. This includes making curricular choices and finding applied experiences to assist in career goals.
Beyond career exploration and planning, students need to learn about applying to and interviewing for jobs and graduate school. Research suggests that the skill of interviewing can be critical to obtaining a job. Recruiters allow interviewing skills to have a greater influence on their assessments of a job candidate than background or experience (Goldberg & Perry, 1998). Professional development also includes networking and leadership skills through involvement in student groups and other experiences outside the classroom. Involvement in student groups also helps with personal development and learning outside the classroom (Astin, 1985), while internships and other work-related experiences help students build networks, establish responsibility, expand work skills, improve self-organization and self-confidence, and identify their strengths and values (Casella & Broughman, 1995). Importantly, students need to be able to identify the skills they have received in the psychology major as well as learn how to market their knowledge and skills in a professional environment (Cawsey, Deszca, & Mazerolle, 1995).
Our goal was to facilitate a multifaceted approach to professional development in a modular format. Specifically, we designed three modules of curriculum to embed into courses required for the major at the 200, 300, and 400 levels. This modular design allowed us to approach career-related issues without the need to take a full course on the topic and to match professional development topics with the students’ developmental stage within the major. We also created the modules to be highly flexible to accommodate various course schedules and teaching styles across the included courses. Collectively, the modules included information and accompanying activities on being a psychology major, career exploration, career preparation and planning, utilizing applied experiences, involvement in student groups, skill marketing, resume writing, graduate record exam (GRE) preparation, selecting and applying to graduate school, interviewing, and managing an online reputation.
The Present Study
The current study explores the effectiveness of putting three short professional development modules into an undergraduate psychology curriculum. We designed each module to introduce students to appropriate levels of professional development, given their stage as a psychology major, to better prepare them for entry into the professional world. We implemented the modules alongside the usual curriculum of research methodology courses at the 200, 300, and 400 levels. We were interested in how students’ perceptions (indirect learning) about career development would change through exposure to the modules as well as their direct learning of professional topics.
We were also interested in how the modules might generally influence the students who participated. We speculated that participation in the modules would increase students’ understanding of what it meant to be a psychology major, much like introduction to the major courses (Landrum & Mulcock, 2007). We also thought the modules might help students confirm their commitment to the discipline of psychology. Higher commitment correlates with both remaining a psychology major and ultimately completing a college degree (Landrum & Mulcock, 2007). Finally, we believed that the modules might increase the students’ level of investment in gaining the full experience of being a psychology major. Therefore, we tested the following hypotheses:
Method
Participants
Participants included 269 undergraduate psychology majors (40 men, 228 women, and 1 unreported). Students were 18–68 years old, with 95.2% of the sample ranging from 18 to 24 years of age (M = 21.15 years). We recruited the sample from a private liberal arts university in the northeast, specifically from a variety of psychology courses. A signed letter of consent was collected prior to administering the surveys. Primarily, the sample self-identified as European American (81.8%), while 9.7% identified as Hispanic, 3% identified as African American, 0.7% identified as Asian American, 1.5% identified as Muslim American, and 3.3% identified as multiethnic.
Materials
Modules
The goal of Module 1 was to introduce students to being a well-rounded psychology major. In all, this module introduced students to six topics relevant to being a psychology major, including information about the major and introductions to applied experiences, student involvement, careers, and the GRE. Five learning activities accompanied these topics. See Table 1 for more information. The aim of Module 2 was to have students think about plans for after graduation. This module continued the topics of careers and introduced students to resumes and graduate school requirements. This module included five topics and four learning activities. The intent of Module 3 was to prepare students for success after graduation. The module focused much more on marketability of skills and experiences. It also introduced students to interviewing, curricula vitae, and how to manage their online reputations. This module included five topics and five learning activities.
Contents of Professional Development Modules.
Note. GRE = graduate record exam; BA = bachelor of arts; CV = curriculum vitae.
Psychology major and career survey
A 15-item survey adapted from Landrum and Mulcock’s (2007) and Thomas and McDaniel’s (2004) work was used to assess student understanding and commitment in psychology as a major. These items were answered on a scale ranging from 1 (not at all) to 5 (a great deal).
We assessed three subscales within this survey. The Certainty and Commitment to Psychology subscale consisted of 3 items, and a sample question was “I am committed to the psychology major.” The subscale was tested and had acceptable psychometric properties (α = .86). The Knowledge of Career Options subscale consisted of 6 items, and a sample question was “I have a clear understanding of the kinds of work done by different types of psychologists.” This subscale also had acceptable psychometric properties (α = .76). The third subscale was the Understanding Psychology Discipline subscale, and it contained 4 items, such as “I understand some of the disciplines related to psychology.” This subscale also had acceptable reliability (α = .84).
Module-specific questionnaires
For each module, we created a survey to assess whether students reported a change in their level of understanding of the psychology field and a change in their professional development behaviors as prompted by the career module. Also, multiple-choice questions assessed students’ learning of the material presented in the career module.
Module 1
The first module survey assessed students’ investment in gaining the full experience of being a psychology major (6 items; α = .87; a sample item is “I am interested in volunteering in a position related to psychology”) and whether they were prompted to take an active role in planning their future course schedules (2 items; r = .61). Also included in the Module 1 survey was a subscale measuring their knowledge about student involvement opportunities within the psychology major (5 items; α = .86), applied experiences such as internship placements (5 items; α = .81), and study abroad programs (2 items; r = .65). Finally, students’ knowledge about the GRE process was assessed (3 items; α = .87; a sample item is “I know whether or not I need to take the GRE as a next step toward my career”).
Module 2
The second module survey assessed students’ interests in exploring postgraduate opportunities (5 items; α = .83), how to create a resume (5 items, α = .83), and knowledge about graduate school opportunities (9 items; α = .91). Although we generally assessed everyone in the study about career opportunities, we also developed a more specific assessment for this module to examine the impact of career exploration emphasized in this module. The modular-specific assessment examined their knowledge about career opportunities with an undergraduate degree in psychology (10 items; α = .87).
Module 3
The third module survey assessed whether students knew how to prepare for and deliver a formal research presentation (4 items; α = .92), their preparedness to apply for graduate school should that be their desire (5 items; α = .86), and self-perceptions of their professional development skills (e.g., “I know how to manage my online reputation”; 10 items; α = .77).
Multiple-choice tests
At the end of each career module, a 9- to 10-question multiple-choice test was given to students to assess their mastery of the content presented in each career module. We coded students’ incorrect responses as 1s, and correct responses were coded as 2s. An average score was calculated for each student. A Module 1 sample question includes “which of the following makes up the largest component of the Psychology Subject Graduate Record Exam (GRE)?” A Module 2 sample question is “when listing personal skills on a resume, you should.…?” A Module 3 sample question includes “an interviewer asks you about your religious beliefs. How should you respond?”
Design
The current study is a two-group, between-subjects experimental design. The treatment group included students from classes that taught the career modules, and the control group included students from classes at the same level that did not teach the career modules. The independent variable was exposure to the career modules in designated classes, and the dependent variables included understanding, commitment, and interest in the major; knowledge of career opportunities with a background in psychology; awareness of professional development opportunities and activities; and knowledge about professional development topics.
Procedure
Students were exposed to the career modules in three research methodology courses (a 200-level course, a 300-level course, and a 400-level capstone course). We selected these courses because they are part of a required sequence of courses within the psychology major, thereby ensuring that every student receiving the modules was a major. We selected the topics within each career module for the specific level in the major (see Table 1). We exposed students in the 200-level research course to the first career module, students in the 300-level research course to the second career module, and students in the 400-level capstone research course to the third career module. We did not standardize how instructors utilized the modules. We purposely created the modules to be flexible, thereby accommodating a variety of teaching styles and class schedules. Our only instruction was to have students complete the modules and all of the associated learning activities before the end of the semester. Students could complete the modules inside or outside the class at any point during the semester.
At the end of the semester, a researcher asked students to complete a survey about what they perceived to have learned, their comfort with professional development, behaviors associated with professional development, and a short quiz to assess direct learning from the modules. The same surveys and tests were administered to psychology majors enrolled in courses that did not include the career modules into the curriculum (specifically a 200-level child psychology course, a 300-level theories of personality course, and a 400-level introduction to neuroscience course). We eliminated any students from the control group who were dual enrolled in experimental and control group classes. During a subsequent semester, we gathered additional control data from majors in a 200-level research course before introducing the modules. Participants also completed a brief demographic questionnaire. The surveys took approximately 20 min to complete.
Results
Descriptive analyses indicate that the majority of the students who participated in the career module curriculum perceived the exercises to be effective. Sixty-three percent of students had an average score rating above neutral on the overall module effectiveness subscale (Median = 3.6). The following analyses compared students in the classes without career module curriculum to students in the classes who did receive the career module curriculum.
In Hypothesis 1, we expected students exposed to the career modules would have higher commitment to psychology as a major, a perceived better understanding of psychology as a discipline, and higher investment in the full experience of being a major than students who were not exposed to the career modules. Results of independent sample t tests indicate that the professional development modules did cause a higher understanding of psychology as a discipline, t(250) = 5.90, p < .001, d = .75 (M module = 4.09, SD = .61; M control = 3.55, SD = .83), compared to students who did not complete the modules. Also, students who completed Module 1 reported higher investment in being a psychology major, t(74) = 2.51, p = .01, d = .58 (M module = 4.13, SD = .55; M control = 3.70, SD = .85), than did students who were not exposed to the modular curriculum. Contrary to our expectations, those exposed to the modules did not have a higher level of certainty and commitment to psychology than those not exposed to the modules, t(250) = .14, p = .89, d = .02 (M module = 4.35, SD = .71; M control = 4.32, SD = .84). Additionally, students who completed Module 1 and students who were not exposed to the modular curriculum reported similar levels of being prompted to take an active role in planning their future course schedules, t(74) = −.31, p = .74, d = .07 (M module = 3.33, SD = 1.07; M control = 3.41, SD = .97).
In Hypothesis 2, we expected students exposed to the modules to report being more aware of professional development opportunities within the major than students who did not complete the career modules. We conducted independent sample t tests comparing students exposed to Module 1 with students not exposed to the professional development modular curriculum. As expected, students who completed Module 1 reported more knowledge about student involvement opportunities within the psychology major, t(73) = 2.22, p = .03, d = .52 (M module = 3.03, SD = 1.12; M control = 2.49, SD = .98), and about applied experiences such as internship placements, t(74) = 5.99, p < .001, d = 1.40 (M module = 3.24, SD = .92; M control = 2.12, SD = .70), compared to students who did not complete the modular curriculum. Contrary to our expectations, both groups of students reported similar knowledge about study abroad programs offered for psychology students, t(74) = .50, p = .62, d = .12 (M module = 2.79, SD = 1.37; M control = 2.94, SD = 1.29).
In Hypothesis 3, we expected students exposed to the modules to report more knowledge of career options in psychology than students not exposed to the modules. As expected, independent samples t test results indicated that the professional development modular curriculum was effective in raising students’ awareness of career options in psychology. Students who completed the modules reported higher perceived knowledge of career options, t(250) = 7.81, p < .001, d = .99 (M module = 3.66, SD = .75; M control = 2.87, SD = .78). Students who completed Module 2 reported significantly higher rates of knowledge about career opportunities with an undergraduate degree in psychology, t(109) = 3.77, p < .001, d = .72 (M module = 3.92, SD = .06; M control = 3.50, SD = .10), than students who did not complete the module.
In Hypothesis 4, we expected students exposed to the career modules to report higher knowledge of professional development activities, such as resume writing, applying to graduate school, GREs, and presenting, than those not exposed to the career modules. Results of independent t test analyses indicate that students who completed Module 1 had more perceived knowledge of the GRE process than those not completing the module, t(73) = 5.41, p < .001, d = 1.27 (M module = 3.60, SD = .81; M control = 2.44, SD = 1.01). Those completing Module 2 had more perceived knowledge about graduate school opportunities than students who did not complete the modular curriculum, t(109) = 6.50, p < .001, d = 1.25 (M module = 3.38, SD = .87; M control = 2.25, SD = .65). Additionally, students who completed Module 2 felt more skilled in resume creation than students who did not complete the modular curriculum, t(109) = 4.67, p < .001, d = .90 (M module = 3.19, SD = .89; M control = 2.23, SD = 1.00). Students who completed Module 3 felt more prepared to present the skills they acquired in completing a senior research thesis to others than those not exposed to the module, t(79) = 5.54, p < .001, d = 1.25 (M module = 4.31, SD = 1.51; M control = 1.56, SD = 1.11). Students who completed Module 3 also self-reported higher preparedness to apply for graduate school, t(79) = 5.54, p < .001, d = 1.25 (M module = 3.77, SD = .78; M control = 2.30, SD = 1.17).
In Hypothesis 5, we expected students exposed to the career modules to have higher levels of objective learning than students who did not participate in the career module curriculum. Participants’ average scores ranged from a possible 1.00 (incorrect response) to 2.00 (correct response). As expected, independent samples t-test results indicate that students’ mastery of the career module curriculum content was higher for those students who participated in each of the three modules when compared to students who did not participate, Module 1: t(74) = 2.11, p = .04, d = .49 (M Module 1 = 1.85, SD = .09; M control = 1.79, SD = .14); Module 2: t(109) = 3.35, p < .001, d = .64 (M Module 2 = 1.77, SD = .13; M control = 1.68, SD = .15); Module 3: t(78) = 2.25 p = .03, d = .51 (M Module 3 = 1.62, SD = .14; M control = 1.52, SD = .13).
Discussion
The current study investigates the effectiveness of a modular approach to providing professional development training to undergraduate psychology students. Students expect that a college education will include career training and ultimately lead them to secure a better job (Chronicle of Higher Education, 2003; Hurtado & Pryor, 2006). To meet students’ needs, undergraduate psychology programs have the dual task of preparing a minority of students for graduate school while preparing the majority for a vast number of potential career paths (Landrum, Davis, & Landrum, 2010). The proposed modular curriculum presents students with professional development activities that are developmentally appropriate for their stage in an undergraduate psychology major while giving undergraduate psychology instructors a maximum level of flexibility in how they integrate these activities into their course curriculum. Results of this empirical study indicate that the modular curriculum was effective in increasing students’ professional development knowledge and skills across multiple domains when compared to the control group that was not exposed to the modules. Additionally, results of the experimental investigation found that students who were afforded the modular professional development curriculum had a higher understanding of psychology as a discipline, were more aware of professional development opportunities within the field, knew more about the career options available to them as psychology graduates, had better mastery of professional development activities, and scored better on learning assessments about professional development than students in the classes who did receive the career module curriculum.
In our first hypothesis, we predicted students exposed to the career modules would have higher commitment to psychology as a major, a better understanding of psychology as a discipline, and a higher investment in gaining the full experience of being a psychology major than students not exposed to the career modules. We did find that the experimental group had more investment in gaining the full experience of being a psychology major and understood psychology as a discipline more than the control group. However, our results did not confirm that students exposed to the career modules were more committed to psychology than students not exposed to the modular curriculum. Given that student commitment to the psychology major empirically relates to student success, including a positive correlation to student retention rates in the psychology major, and to completing their overall college degree (Landrum & Mulcock, 2007), we hoped participation in the modules would increase commitment. Our means for both the experimental (M = 4.35) and the control groups (M = 4.32) revealed that both were equally high in their levels of commitment based on the 5-point scale. Our majors are already quite committed to the major. It is still unclear if the modules could increase commitment at an institution with lower levels of commitment to the major.
Increased investment in the major as a result of exposure to professional development curriculum has been confirmed previously (Landrum & Mulcock, 2007). Specifically, past studies confirm that when students receive classroom-based instruction on professional development curriculum, their investment increases. What is novel to the current empirical investigation is that we incorporated the exposure students received into already existing courses with the modular approach. This finding is particularly helpful for psychology programs that may not have the resources to incorporate a course devoted to these professional development topics into its major’s curriculum.
Contrary to our expectations, students who completed Module 1 did not take a more active role in planning their future course schedules when compared to students not exposed to the modular curriculum. The average response to how likely students were to plan their future schedules, regardless of whether they were in the control group or the modular curriculum group, was relatively high (M module = 3.33, M control = 3.41; on a scale of 1–4). It is possible that a ceiling effect occurred as students already recognized the importance of planning their courses and do not need the additional curricular emphasis.
In our second hypothesis, we expected students exposed to the career modules to be more aware of professional development opportunities within the major than students who did not complete the career modules. As predicted, students exposed to the modular professional development curriculum knew more about student involvement opportunities within the psychology major and about applied experiences, such as internship placements, when compared to students who did not complete the modular curriculum. This finding is particularly important, given that student involvement opportunities positively correlate with personal development and learning outside the classroom (Astin, 1985). Likewise, exposure to work environments, such as internships, has a number of positive professional implications (Casella & Broughman, 1995).
Contrary to our expectations, both groups of students had similar knowledge about study abroad programs offered for psychology students. Given the empirical evidence confirming the positive skills and experiences students gain from participation in global study abroad programs (Dwyer & Peters, 2004), it is disappointing that students did not gain higher awareness of the program offerings. This may warrant investigation into more effective promotion tactics other than the topic being included in a modular professional development curriculum. Also, it is possible that the information would be better received if placed in a different module so that students are presented with the information at a different stage in their psychology major careers.
In our third hypothesis, we predicted that students exposed to the career modules would have more knowledge of career options in psychology than students not exposed to the career modules. The professional development modular curriculum was effective in raising students’ awareness of career options in psychology, with students who completed the modules reporting knowing more about career options available to them. As noted previously, an undergraduate psychology degree provides students with a wealth of knowledge and also provides them with skill sets that apply widely to a variety of career paths (Landrum & Davis, 2009). The APA stresses that psychology majors need to know how to apply their knowledge, skills, and values to future careers (APA, 2013), and an important first step in this process is raising their awareness of the various career opportunities that may match their knowledge and skill set.
Identifying and developing skills are critical piece to securing a job postgraduation (Cawsey et al., 1995). Therefore, we hoped the modules would help students develop skills through professional development activities. As such, Hypothesis 4 predicted that students exposed to the professional development modules would report higher knowledge of professional development activities, such as resume writing, applying to graduate school, GREs, and presenting than those not exposed to the career modules. More so than students who did not complete the modular professional development curriculum, students exposed to the modules had more knowledge of the GRE process and knew more about graduate school opportunities. They also felt more prepared to present the skills they acquired in completing a senior research thesis to others, felt more prepared to apply for graduate school, and felt more skilled in resume creation than students who did not complete the modular curriculum
Finally, we expected that students exposed to the professional development modules would have higher levels of direct learning than students who did not participate in the modules. Students who completed the professional development modular curriculum scored higher on multiple-choice tests, assessing students’ mastery of the factual information provided in the curriculum. This was true for students completing each of the modules, showing that all three of the modules were effective in teaching students’ professional development information. It is important to have direct assessments of the modular professional development curriculum to know that students increased their knowledge base in the topics covered by each module, in addition to confirming that students perceived themselves to be more proficient in professional development domains.
Limitations and Future Directions
The current study provides empirical evidence that professional development curriculum can be provided effectively to students in a modular fashion. This evidence is particularly promising, given the effectiveness of the modular curriculum even with the flexibility afforded to instructors in how they incorporated the modules into their course curriculum. We know that instructors varied their implementation strategies (e.g., using laboratory time for the students to complete the activities in groups, assigning the professional development activities as homework, etc.). Therefore, we were unable to control the time it took to complete the modules or to ensure they were indeed completed. This lack of standardization should have introduced more error into our empirical assessment, making it more difficult to find statistical evidence of effectiveness. Despite this, results provide evidence that the modules were effective while simultaneously fitting into a variety of teaching styles and dedication. The successful implementation of the modules, despite the varied approaches to using them implies they can be flexible and useful for any psychology program.
To systematically introduce the professional development modules into our curriculum, we selected our sequence of methodology courses within the major for implementation. This allowed us to be sure every major received professional guidance that was developmentally appropriate. However, due to this method of implementation, we cannot rule out the potential for systematic error, given faculty introduced the modules in research methods courses and did not do so in the survey courses that served as our control group. There may be something systematically different about enrollment in a methodology class that influences one’s knowledge of professional development. In particular, the outcomes we used to assess Hypothesis 1 about commitment, investment, and understanding of the major may be the result of mere exposure to research methods classes, although we did not find a difference in commitment to the major in our study. However, we can confirm that professional development issues, such as knowledge of professional development opportunities and activities and career options, were isolated to the teaching of the modules within the experimental group research classes. These topics were not addressed elsewhere in experimental group courses and were unlikely the influence of simply taking a methodology course. We expect similar beneficial outcomes from the implementation of the professional development modules in any type of course that best meets the needs of psychology programs at other institutions.
The effectiveness of the professional development modules is promising, given that we assessed students’ indirect and direct learning after the first administration. To date, students have only received one module of professional development (i.e., Module 1 or Module 2 or Module 3). Given that we found empirical support for the effectiveness of each module, the department will continue to implement the professional development modules throughout the required psychology curriculum. Thus, students will eventually receive all three modules by the time they graduate from the psychology major. The expanded exposure to professional development topics 3 times throughout the psychology major curriculum may be increasingly beneficial for students.
Although we examined the immediate impact of the professional development modules, we did not examine the impact of exposure to all three modules as a student moves toward graduation. Likewise, the long-term impact of the modules is still unknown. While we were able to compare exposure to the modules versus no exposure, this study fails to compare the effectiveness of the modules compared to other forms of teaching professional development. Future investigation into whether one implementation strategy (e.g., modules vs. career class) over another is more effective would be beneficial. We also do not know whether there were any context-dependent effects in the implementation of the modules based on the varied ways in which faculty executed them across the curriculum. Our research goal was to examine the effectiveness of exposure to the modules, so we did not assess the impact of the various ways in which instructors chose to teach the modules. Future research could also examine the most successful way to teach the modules.
Conclusion
The purpose of this study was to determine the effectives of adding professional development modules across a psychology curriculum. Assessments revealed that students learned more about professional development from participating in the modules. The modules also increased students’ perceived awareness of professional development opportunities and knowledge of career options and professional development activities. In addition, the module led to higher levels of understanding and investment in the psychology major. Overall, the modular approach was an effective method for teaching professional development. Given the success and flexibility of this option, psychology programs should consider implementing similar instruction personalized to their program, thereby assisting students with the career training they expect during their college education (Hurtado & Pryor, 2006).
Footnotes
Declaration of Conflicting Interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Funding
The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.