Psychology Education (BA)

Program Educational Goals

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Program Educational Goals - Psychology Education

The psychology education degree is part of a nationally accredited program that leads to certification to teach middle school and high school social studies. The program educational goals align to professional standards established by the National Council for the Social Studies and the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation.

Knowledge base in psychology

1. Students will acquire basic knowledge of theory and research in four general domains:
   • Cognition
   • Brain structure and function
   • Social and Cultural Psychology
   • Psychopathology
2. Students will be exposed to cross-cutting themes in psychological science: 
   • Development (e.g., Interactions between environment and heredity)
   • Identification, prediction, and stability of individual differences
   • Models and mechanisms
   • Historical influences

Scientific Thinking Skills: Analysis and Synthesis

1. Students will be able to read and critically analyze empirical research:
   • Articulate strengths and limitations of various research designs, including designs that can and cannot support causal inferences
   • Interpret basic statistical results (e.g., inferential statistics)
   • Identify valid and reliable measurement
2. Students will demonstrate quantitative literacy
   • Apply basic mathematical operations (e.g., descriptive statistics)
   • Interpret information conveyed in tables, graphs and figures
3. Students will be able to analyze and evaluate existing arguments and propose new ideas
   • Distinguish empirical evidence from speculation, intuition, or authority
   • Evaluate popular media reports of psychological research
   • Generate alternative explanations
   • Distinguish strong and weak sources of information about psychological phenomena 
4. Students will articulate a basic understanding of research ethics and research transparency

Scientific Presentation Skills

1. Present scientific information in an organized and coherent manner, for scientific and lay audiences, in both oral and written formats
2. Visual presentation of data and preparation of figures

Social Studies Content Knowledge: Students will demonstrate knowledge of disciplinary concepts, skills, tools, and habits of mind of the social studies, including history, civics, economics, geography, and the social/behavioral sciences.

Planning Learning Sequences: Students will plan learning sequences that demonstrate social studies content knowledge which are aligned with national and state social studies content standards.

Assessment Practices: Students will design and implement authentic assessments that measure learners’ mastery of social studies disciplinary skills and knowledge.

Instruction: Students will design and implement learning experiences that engage learners in disciplinary inquiry, skills, and knowledge of the social studies.

Civic Engagement: Students will engage learners to ask questions, investigate answers using disciplinary tools and content, communicate conclusions, and take informed action toward achieving a more inclusive and equitable society.

Habit of Mind: Students will use theory, research, and reflective practice to inform their planning and instruction.