The teaching of psychology and the psychology we teach.

"Does the psychology we teach deserve its present place in the liberal arts curriculum? Have we the moral right to ask our students to spend their time learning the stuff we teach as psychology?" Each subject in the curriculum should be evaluated against criteria such as its contribution to: (1) transmission of significant components of our culture, (2) elicitation of and challange to thought and action, (3) growth of the individual as a person, and (4) preparation for a career. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Historical understanding and teaching in professional psychology.

The teaching of the history of psychology in professional psychology training programs presents to students and teachers any number of opportunities and challenges. The increasing number of professional psychologists teaching the history of psychology coupled with advances in historical scholarship point to an ongoing evolution in the teaching of the history of psychology. In this introduction to the articles that follow, issues of content and context in teaching the history of psychology in professional psychology are discussed and affirmations offered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Distinguished teaching in psychology awards.

The Distinguished Teaching in Psychology award, which includes a check for $1,000, is given to the recipient for his or her contributions to the teaching of psychology. The following guidelines are used to determine the recipient: (a) demonstrated influence as a teacher of students who become outstanding psychologists, (b) development of effective teaching methods and/or teaching materials, (c) engagement in significant research on teaching, (d) development of innovative curricula and courses, (e) outstanding performance as a classroom teacher, (f) being an especially effective trainer of teachers of psychology, and (g) being responsible for administrative facilitation of outstanding teaching. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Current practices in teaching history of psychology.

150 returns from departments of psychology in the 168 American schools listed in the December 1960 issue of the American Psychologist indicate that most schools (130 of 150) teach a history course. "In a large majority of the departments, History is treated as a three-credit, one-semester course." The textbook most commonly used (75%) was the one by Boring. Others used were Murphy, Woodworth, Chaplin and Krawiek, Heidbreder, Dennis, and Wolman. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Distinguished teaching in psychology award.

The APF Distinguished Teaching in Psychology Award recognizes an outstanding career contribution to the teaching of psychology. Peter S. Fernald is the 1993 recipient of the APF Distinguished Teaching in Psychology Award. This article includes a citation and biography of Peter S. Fernald. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Distinguished teaching in psychology award.

Presents the citation and biography for David L. Cole, the 1984 recipient of the American Psychological Foundation's Distinguished Teaching in Psychology Award. Cole was honored for the devotion of his talents and energy to the education of undergraduates in psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The teaching of psychology in high school.

Psychology is taught as a separate subject of instruction in some high schools in at least 40 states, probably in all of them. According to the 1948-50 Biennial Survey of Education, roughly fewer than 10% of the high schools offer a course under the title "psychology," and the enrollments in psychology courses is about 1% of the high school population. Purposes for which instruction in psychology is offered, educational preparation and experience of teachers, licensing or certification requirements, textbook and other teaching materials, methods of presentation, and attitudes toward the teaching of psychology in high schools are discussed. 63 references. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Award for distinguished teaching in psychology.

The 2001 Award for Distinguished Teaching in Psychology was awarded to Frank J. Vattano. He was cited for his major contribution to the teaching of psychology nationwide. Through his teaching and mentoriing of thousands of students and through his psychology Advanced Placement Program workshops for high school psychology teachers, Vattano has touched many lives. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

On the teaching of experimental psychology.

Criticisms point up the necessity of a new approach to experimental psychology. It is contended that "the primary functions of the laboratory should be (a) to stimulate and develop the creative talent of the student, (b) to give the student meaningful research experience, (c) to develop a general research orientation in the student… . The new content and goals of the experimental course require some changes in the teaching procedure, especially in the manner in which the laboratory is conducted… . The laboratory should… have a minimum of preplanned and formalized procedures." The laboratory should utilize the ideas and interests of students. The final part of the article describes a course based on the concepts indicated. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Issues in undergraduate education in psychology.

A number of specific questions are raised and discussed with regard to the role of psychology in the undergraduate college "contributing to the development of the well-rounded individual." Among those discussed are: Who is responsible for planning the over-all undergraduate program in psychology? Who is responsible for the objectives of a single course in the psychology program? Should courses be student centered or content-centered? Questions relating to the role of psychological theory, the stress on special psychological vocabulary, the desirability of placing psychological concepts in an historical perspective in an undergraduate curriculum are considered, as are several other issues regarding recruitment for graduate training. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Popular literature in the undergraduate social psychology course.

In the social psychology course at the Carnegie Institute of Technology, in addition to using a standard text plus a book of readings, and requiring a technical term report and a class research project, students are required to read three novels (George Orwell's 1984, Thomas Heggen's Mr. Roberts, and Philip Wylie's The Disappearance). Four criteria for the selection of these are specified. These books provided much opportunity for discussing a wide range of social phenomena and "… helped tie together many aspects of the course material." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Issues in the education and training of women in Canadian psychology.

The high attrition rate of female students in graduate programmes in psychology is documented. Some of the literature (largely American) on the problems of female students is explored for possible reasons for this high rate. The problem areas identified are: admissions practices, financial support, inflexibility of graduate programmes, faculty attitudes toward graduate students, scarcity of female role models, and psychology as a "masculine" discipline. Recommendations for action by the Canadian Psychological Association are made in each of the problem areas with a special plea for the inclusion, in both graduate and undergraduate psychology programmes, of courses on the female experience. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Use of cult in the teaching of psychology of religion and spirituality.

The word cult has many conflicting definitions across scholarly fields, yet instructors commonly use it in the teaching of psychology. Distinctions between cults and other groups are differences of degree and often rest on a group’s size, the unusualness of its beliefs, the outcomes of its actions, and the perceived role of its leader. Use of cult by teachers of psychology suggests that cults are categorically distinct from other groups and brings negative connotations to cults, their members, and former members. Teachers of psychology should explicitly address these issues and avoid the term cult. Additionally, teachers, researchers, and practitioners of psychology should evaluate the behavior of groups, the degree of social influence, the presence of deception, and potential abuse. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Postgraduate occupations of psychology major students.

During the last ten or fifteen years we have seen an increase in enrollment in undergraduate psychology courses that is far out of proportion to the general increase in overall university attendance. Psychology departments are overwhelmed with undergraduate students, and the numbers continue to increase each year. Since we are allocating so much of our time, energy, and resources to undergraduate teaching, it is important to determine what these students are being educated for. This note reports the results of an inquiry into the postgraduate occupations of the members of the first three graduating classes of the psychology major programme at McGill University. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Evidence-based practice in psychology.

This article focuses on the 2005 American Psychological Association Presidential Task Force on Evidence-Based Practice in Psychology. After describing the rationale and results of this task force, the authors review the literature that has appeared following the approval of the Policy Statement on Evidence-Based Practice in Psychology by the American Psychological Association Council of Representatives, with reference to the implications for practitioners. Finally, the authors discuss the implications of the Policy Statement on Evidence-Based Practice in Psychology for graduate students and early career professionals. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The teaching of psychology: a survey of research since 1942.

Research directed at the teaching of psychology (particularly the elementary course) is examined in terms of teaching goals, factors affecting achievement of these goals, measures available to research in this area, and future research needs. Greater awareness of instruments or tools used by other researchers would result in reduced expenditure of effort. The lack of a theoretical basis for the research is the most critical cause of equivocal research outcomes in this domain. In many cases it is preferable to use "… gains as criteria rather than scores on a posttest." 72 references. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Preparation for teaching psychology in high school.

Of 150 randomly selected Division 2 psychologists, 100 responded to a questionnaire. They "think of high school psychology as belonging somewhere between biological science and social science… . They favor more training in psychology and less in related areas than is the practice at present" for high school teachers of psychology. "The amount of preparation recommended, especially that indicated as desirable, is so high that it is not likely many high school teachers of psychology can be induced to secure this amount of training." Major sections are: Science or Social Study? General Suggestions, Training in Psychology, Related Training, Conclusions. (3 tables) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Distinguished teaching in psychology: Ludy T. Benjamin, Jr.

The Distinguished Teaching in Psychology award, which includes a check for $1,000, is given to the recipient for his or her contributions to the teaching of psychology. The following guidelines are used to determine the recipient: (a) demonstrated influence as a teacher of students who become outstanding psychologists, (b) development of effective teaching methods and/or teaching materials, (c) engagement in significant research on teaching, (d) development of innovative curricula and courses, (e) outstanding performance as a classroom teacher, (f) being an especially effective trainer of teachers of psychology, and (g) being responsible for administrative facilitation of outstanding teaching. This article provides a citation and a biography for Ludy T. Benjamin, Jr., one of the recipients of the award for Distinguished Teaching in Psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A note on legislation affecting Canadian psychology: The Ontario model.

New legislation affecting Psychology has been proposed recently in Ontario. If enacted, this legislation would set up a College of Psychology with wide discretionary powers and broad duties. Other legislation is proposed to govern such Colleges (Health Disciplines Act) and to create a College to credential competence rather than profession (the College of Mental Health Practitioners). These developments and their implications are discussed with respect to their impact on psychology across Canada. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Quality benchmarks in undergraduate psychology programs.

Performance benchmarks are proposed to assist undergraduate psychology programs in defining their missions and goals as well as documenting their effectiveness. Experienced academic program reviewers compared their experiences to formulate a developmental framework of attributes of undergraduate programs focusing on activity in 8 domains: curriculum, assessment issues, student learning outcomes, program resources, student development, faculty characteristics, program climate, and administrative support. A continuum of performance was conceptualized for each attribute in each of the domains to characterize underdeveloped, developing, effective, and distinguished achievement for undergraduate programs. The authors hope to inspire a national conversation about program benchmarks in psychology in order to improve program quality, encourage more effective program reviews, and help optimally functioning programs compete more successfully for resources on the basis of their distinguished achievements. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)