Abstract
Volume 47, No. 2
A National Survey of Teaching and Learning Research Methods: Important Concepts and Faculty and Student Perspectives
REGAN A. R. GURUNG and ROSALYN STOA
Teaching of Psychology, 47(2), 111–120
In this study, we assessed instructor and student attitudes and knowledge toward research methods (RM). Instructors (N = 62) answered questions about course format, topic importance, and resources. Students (N = 166) of some of those instructors answered questions regarding attitudes toward research. Five major factors organize topics that instructors find most important. Only ratings of statistics importance varied by rank. Associate and full professors rated statistics as being more important than other instructors. There were significant relationships between attitudes toward and knowledge of RM together with the higher perceived utility of some course components. Requiring students to conduct their own research was not a significant predictor of attitudes or RM knowledge.
Keywords
research methods, undergraduate training, educational resources, psychology, curriculum
What Do Undergraduate Students Learn From Participating in Psychological Research?
LESLEY ZANNELLA, ZAHRA VAHEDI and STEPHEN WANT
Teaching of Psychology, 47(2), 121–129
Researchers often rely on undergraduate students to participate in psychological studies and so ethical guidelines state that there must be educational value to their participation. In previous studies that have asked undergraduates whether they felt they learned something new from participating in research, students have generally said yes. However, we know relatively little about what specifically they are learning. The current study aimed to extend previous research by asking undergraduate participants (N = 479), who had all taken part in at least one psychology study, to indicate whether and what they learned about the research process, themselves, or other people as a result of their participation. Participants were also asked to recommend ways to make participating in studies more educational. Our findings suggest that the majority of participants are learning from their participation, most often about the design or process of research but also sometimes about their own psychology or that of other people. Based on students’ feedback, we provide specific recommendations for further improving the educational potential of studies.
Keywords
undergraduate students, research participation, educational value
The Neglected Intelligence Course: Needs and Suggested Solutions
JARED Z. BURTON and RUSSELL T. WARNE
Teaching of Psychology, 47(2), 130–140
Intelligence is a well-studied construct in psychology that has correlational relationships with many educational, employment, and health outcomes. However, prior research indicates that incorrect beliefs about intelligence are widespread. In an effort to discern the degree to which the psychology curriculum is responsible for these inaccuracies, we collected course descriptions and catalog information from 303 American colleges and universities. We found that college courses dedicated to mainstream intelligence science are rare. Because the lack of intelligence education within psychology is a plausible contributor to incorrect beliefs about intelligence, we present an outline for a college-level course on intelligence. We also provide advice for implementing a course, including course readings and advice for handling controversies.
Keywords
human intelligence, psychology curriculum, course design
Methods & Techniques
Escape the Evil Professor! Escape Room Review Activity
JESSICA A. LAPAGLIA
Teaching of Psychology, 47(2), 141–146
In this article, the author describes an exam review activity in which students answered questions and solved puzzles in order to escape the review session. In a general psychology (100-level) course and research methods in psychology (300-level) course, students solved a series of puzzles and review questions. This format is similar to popular escape room attractions. Finally, the first group to sing a song that would appease the evil professor was allowed to leave the review session. Perceptions of the escape room were positive and concepts questioned in the review game were retained better than concepts that were not included.
Keywords
escape room, exam review, gamification
Faculty Forum
APA-Style Citations Can Create a Roadblock to Textbook Comprehension for Less Skilled Readers
JENNIFER J. STIEGLER-BALFOUR, KRISZTINA V. JAKOBSEN, MICHAEL J. STROUD and DAVID B. DANIEL
Teaching of Psychology, 47(2), 147–155
We examined the effect of in-text American Psychological Association (APA)-style citations on quiz performance as a function of structure building ability, measured by the Multi-Media Comprehension Battery. Participants were randomly assigned to either APA or no citation conditions and asked to read an expository text followed by a comprehension quiz. Less skilled structure builders performed significantly lower on a comprehension quiz and read faster in the APA citation compared to the no citation condition. In contrast, skilled structure builders performed equally well on the comprehension quiz but had to reduce their reading speed in the APA citation condition. The results challenge the utility of in-text APA citations in textbooks targeted at general populations of students, particularly for moderate to poor comprehenders.
Keywords
expository text comprehension, structure building ability, APA-style citations, comprehension quiz, college students
Exam Wrappers in Psychology
JOHN E. EDLUND
Teaching of Psychology, 47(2), 156–161
Improving student performance on exams is a key issue that many psychology instructors face in their classrooms. One potentially easy to deploy option for improving student performance is an exam wrapper. In this article, I detail two studies that compared exam wrappers to a control condition (a previous semester in Study 1 and a within course control condition in Study 2). Both studies found notable improvements in student exam performance above what is typically seen in the course. This suggests that the exam wrapper is an easy-to-employ tool for your students to use to improve their test preparation and performance.
Keywords
exam wrapper, critical thinking, exam performance
Classroom Mindfulness Education Effects on Meditation Frequency, Stress, and Self-Regulation
JULIA ENGLUND STRAIT, GERALD GILL STRAIT, MARYELLEN BRUNSON McCLAIN, LAUREL CASILLAS, KRISTIN STREICH, KRISTINA HARPER and JOCELYN GOMEZ
Teaching of Psychology, 47(2), 162–168
This preliminary randomized controlled experiment evaluated the effects of a single classroom mindfulness educational session, versus an active contact control activity (study skills review), on college students’ mindfulness meditation frequency and selfreported stress, anxiety, and self-regulation. Those in the intervention group reported marginal increases in meditation frequency, decreased stress (but not anxiety), and improved self-regulation on one of two measures. Decreased stress explained the relationship between group assignment and self-regulation improvements. We provide recommendations for future research based on study limitations, as well as implications for classroom psychology instructors.
Keywords
mindfulness, stress, anxiety, self-regulation
The Generalist’s Corner
What Psychology Teachers Should Know About Open Science and the New Statistics
BETH MORLING and ROBERT J. CALIN-JAGEMAN
Teaching of Psychology, 47(2), 169–179
Psychology teachers have likely heard about the “replication crisis” and the “open science movement” in psychology, and they are probably aware that psychologists have proposed new standards for research practice. How should our psychology courses reflect these new standards? We describe several modern practices that have transformed our field and that seem likely to endure: preregistration of studies, transparency of reporting, norms for replication, and the new statistical focus on estimation and precision. We offer suggestions for how to integrate these new practices into psychology courses.
Keywords
college teaching, open science, research transparency, estimation thinking, new statistics