Promoting Higher Level Thinking in Psychology

Abstract

The goal of this study was to investigate which common instructional methods (active vs. direct) best promote higher level thinking in a psychology course. Over a 5-week period, 71 undergraduates were taught psychology using both active learning and direct instruction. Pre- and post-course assessments were coded as either higher or lower level questions based on Krathwohl’s updated Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. Results indicated an interaction effect where higher level thinking was significantly higher in active learning than in direct instruction. In contrast, lower level thinking was not influenced by instructional method. Based on these results, if psychology professors are interested in promoting higher level learning, active learning instruction may be a valuable tool.