Abstract
Volume 43, No. 1
Topical Articles
Retention of Information Taught in Introductory Psychology Courses Across Different Accelerated Course Formats
Teaching of Psychology, 43(1), 4–9
The current study is a quasi-experimental examination of the effects of traditional and accelerated course formats on learning retention. The study analyzed data on an end-of-course exam collected from 132 students enrolled in introductory psychology courses across 3 course formats: a traditional 16-week format, a 5-week accelerated format, and an 8-week accelerated format. Results suggest that students in the 8-week format performed better than students in both the traditional 16-week and 5-week formats. No significant differences were found between students in the 5-week accelerated format and students in the traditional format. Overall, our study suggests that accelerated courses produce similar or superior rates of learning retention to those observed in traditional course formats and highlight the importance of assessing different accelerated course formats as they may not produce equivalent outcomes. The results of the current study are discussed in relation to both distributed learning and immersion in course material.
The Flipped Classroom Improves Student Achievement and Course Satisfaction in a Statistics Course: A Quasi-Experimental Study
Teaching of Psychology, 43(1), 10–15
There are but a handful of experimental or quasi-experimental studies comparing student outcomes from flipped or inverted classrooms to more traditional lecture formats. In the current study, I present cumulative exam performance and student evaluation data from two sections of a statistics course I recently taught: one a traditional lecture (N = 19) and the other a flipped class (N = 24). Independent samples t-tests revealed students in the flipped classroom outperformed their lecture peers by more than a letter grade on the final exam. Further, these students were more satisfied with the course overall, a novel finding in this burgeoning area of research. This latter point, I argue, is likely due to the strong cohesion between the in-class and out-of-class content.
The Effects of Service Learning on Student Problem Solving: The Mediating Role of Classroom Engagement
Teaching of Psychology, 43(1), 16–21
Previous research indicated that service learning (SL) is an effective pedagogy to improve students’ problem-solving ability and increase their classroom engagement. However, studies on SL are rare in China. This study examined the effects of SL on the problem solving of Chinese undergraduate students as well as the mechanism through which it worked. Eighty-two students were divided into two groups: the SL group participated in a SL activity during a whole semester; and the contrast group (no-SL group) underwent other comparable learning tasks. The study revealed the differentiated effects of SL on students solving different types of problems and investigated the mediating role of classroom behavior engagement in problem solving. The research findings suggested that teachers should provide students with authentic and ill-structured problems to increase their classroom engagement as well as for transfer.
Students’ Reactions to Course Policy Decisions: An Empirical Investigation
Teaching of Psychology, 43(1), 22–31
Classroom management involves managing students’ requests for course policy changes. Instructors can adhere to the course policies or convey flexibility through making an exception for the student. The current study empirically examines students’ emotional reactions (hostility, guilt, and surprise) and fairness perceptions to course policy decisions. In Study 1 (N = 162), students had negative emotional reactions, but increased procedural fairness perceptions, to policy adherence. Study 2 (N = 341) examined the effects of the instructor’s interpersonal warmth and gender. Study 2 largely replicated the results of Study 1. Although the instructor’s gender had no effect, interpersonal warmth had a main effect on interactional fairness perceptions. Instructors can use policy adherence and interpersonal warmth to promote fairness perceptions.
A Dubious Distinction? The BA Versus the BS in Psychology
Teaching of Psychology, 43(1), 32–37
Previous studies have documented small differences between the bachelor of arts (BA) and the bachelor of science (BS) psychology degrees in their general education core requirements, particularly mathematics and science courses. But are there differences between the BA and BS degrees within the psychology curriculum? Using data from the Undergraduate Study in Psychology, we examined the psychology curriculum of 329 accredited, nonprofit institutions awarding bachelors’ degrees in psychology. We investigated potential differences between BA and BS programs as well as programs awarding both the BA and the BS. Overall, we discovered relatively few differences. The largest contributor to differences in baccalaureate degrees was not the type of degree but the level of the degrees awarded at an educational institution. Implications center on correcting student perceptions, faculty advising, and curricula planning regarding the differences between the BA and the BS in psychology.
Methods and Techniques
Learning to Read Empirical Articles in General Psychology
Teaching of Psychology, 43(1), 38–42
Many students, particularly underprepared students, struggle to identify the essential information in empirical articles. We describe a set of assignments for instructing general psychology students to dissect the structure of such articles. Students in General Psychology I read empirical articles and answered a set of general, factual questions applicable to nearly any empirical article. Students in General Psychology II read empirical articles and wrote two-page summaries based on the question set from General Psychology I. In both courses, student competence on the assignment and confidence in their ability to complete the assignment improved, suggesting that these assignments aid students in learning to dissect empirical articles.
Faculty Forum
A Comparison of Active Student Responding Modalities in a General Psychology Course
Teaching of Psychology, 43(1), 48–52
Research on teaching has shown that incorporating active student responding (ASR) into classroom instruction facilitates learning and should be considered best practice. Nevertheless, few published studies have examined ASR using a within-participant design across a semester. Using a counterbalanced alternating treatment design, a direct comparison of three ASR methods (clickers, response cards, and hand-raising) and a control condition was conducted across four sections of a general psychology course. Students scored almost 5% higher on exams after utilizing an ASR approach than during control conditions. However, no statistically significant differences were found between experimental conditions. These data suggest that meaningful gains in exam performance are most likely due to the presentation of review questions rather than the use of specific ASR modalities.
The Use of Mobile Apps to Enhance Student Learning in Introduction to Psychology
Teaching of Psychology, 43(1), 48–52
The current study examined the impact of mobile applications or apps on student learning in an introduction to psychology course. Students were assigned to complete a learner-centered worksheet activity on the brain and central nervous system using either an interactive 3-D Brain app or their online course textbook. We measured student learning based on the change in performance from pretest to posttest separately on labeling and multiple-choice items and then from a composite (labeling + multiple choice) score. There was a significant increase in performance from pretest to posttest for the app group on all measures; however, there was only a significant increase in the labeling measure for the text group. The app group answered more items correctly than the text group on the multiple choice and composite measures, but there was no difference in the labeling measure. Also, there was no difference in self-reported ratings of enjoyableness between the app and the text conditions on the worksheet activity. The results demonstrate one way in which mobile devices, in general, and mobile apps, specifically, can be effectively integrated in an introduction to psychology class to enhance student learning.
Increasing the Efficiency of Data Collection With a Research Participation Night
Teaching of Psychology, 43(1), 53–58
Data collection can be a frustrating experience for student researchers due to difficulty in scheduling appointments with participants. To increase the efficiency of research project data collection, we organized a Research Participation Night in which volunteers were incentivized to participate in as many experiments as time allowed. By offering course credit, pizza, and other prizes, we attracted 95 participants who completed over 250 experimental sessions, accounting for 35% of the experimental sessions completed during that semester. We have outlined here how to organize such an event, which is particularly suitable for collecting data for a variety of relatively short experiments. It is highly recommended for student researchers struggling to recruit research participants in a short period of time.
Teaching About Disability in Psychology: An Analysis of Disability Curricula in U.S. Undergraduate Psychology Programs
Teaching of Psychology, 43(1), 59–62
Historically, psychology education about disability focused narrowly on psychiatric and cognitive disabilities. Furthermore, disability tends to be viewed from the medical model, rather than the social model endorsed by disability scholars, which describes disability as primarily socially constructed. Course offerings for the psychology departments of 98 top-ranked undergraduate programs in the United States were content analyzed to identify the types of disabilities discussed, and the extent to which they utilized a medical or social model. Courses examining psychiatric disabilities were offered at all departments. However, categories such as physical, sensory, and intellectual disabilities were covered in fewer than 20% of departments. Course descriptions contained significantly more medical than social model content. Results suggest many types of disabilities are underrepresented in psychology programs and the medical model continues to prevail.
Rapid Growth of Psychology Programs in Turkey: Undergraduate Curriculum and Structural Challenges
Teaching of Psychology, 43(1), 63–69
Similar to the other developing countries, undergraduate psychology programs in Turkish universities have rapidly grown in the last two decades. Although this sharp increment signifies the need for psychologists, it has also caused a number of challenges for effective teaching of psychology. The department chairs (N = 42) were interviewed with an online survey, and the course catalogs of 56 psychology departments were reviewed to assess the state of the undergraduate curriculum and the major challenges in teaching of psychology in Turkey. Results indicated that the most commonly offered undergraduate courses in Turkey are similar to the ones in the United States, with the exception of certain capstone courses. The shortage of faculty members seems to be the major challenge for teaching of psychology in Turkey. Although developing countries, such as Turkey, have strong potential to internalize psychology, there is a need for establishing accreditation systems and quality benchmarks.
Chinese College Students’ Perceptions of Excellent Teachers Across Three Disciplines: Psychology, Chemical Engineering, and Education
Teaching of Psychology, 43(1), 70–74
Researchers have found that students from different academic disciplines tend to value different qualities in their teachers, and cultural differences play a role in which qualities students appreciate in their professors. The present/current study employed the Teacher Behavior Checklist as an operationalization of teaching qualities in a comparative investigation among psychology, chemical engineering, and education students in China. Chinese college students’ perceptions of excellent teachers’ qualities differed across the three disciplines. We offer some contextual and cultural explanations for the differences and conclude that student evaluations of instruction should always be interpreted within the context of the evaluation.
Study Abroad in Psychology: Increasing Cultural Competencies Through Experiential Learning
Teaching of Psychology, 43(1), 75–79
Despite the prominence of study abroad programs, few are offered in the field of psychology. The current study sought to investigate the impact of study abroad programs in psychology through a comparison of study abroad and domestic student cultural competencies. Participants included 104 undergraduate students enrolled in either a psychology study abroad program or domestic psychology courses who completed pre–post Cross-Cultural Adaptability Inventory measures. Results indicated greater emotional resilience, perceptual acuity, and cultural adjustment in study abroad students when compared to domestic students. Results suggest that by incorporating the experiential learning of study abroad with psychology’s focus on human behavior, faculty can create high-impact learning environments that foster student cultural competencies.
The Generalist’s Corner
Affective Forecasting: Teaching a Useful, Accessible, and Humbling Area of Research
Teaching of Psychology, 43(1), 80–85
All students, from college freshmen to advanced graduate students, have asked themselves, ‘‘Will this decision make me happy?’’ The vast majority of them have been wrong. Affective forecasting, the process of predicting future feelings, is a topic of great interest to students due to its applicable and highly relatable nature. This article discusses the basic principles behind affective forecasting, explains common errors in forecasting, describes some specific applications derived from the forecasting literature, and discusses and explains the connections between forecasting and happiness. It also discusses areas of application across the curriculum, particularly in the context of research methods, and considers the benefits and challenges of teaching this topic.