The Prevalence and Predictors of Teaching Courses in Doctoral Psychology Programs

Abstract

Graduate students in psychology frequently receive training to prepare them for teaching responsibilities. However, little is known about the different types of teaching courses that exist or what leads graduate programs to offer such courses. This study explores archival data to determine the prevalence and predictors of formal teaching coursework in doctoral psychology programs. The archival data included department size, university size, university research productivity, university mission, and teaching course offerings. A majority of programs (65%) offered a course related to teaching. The courses tended to be offered by public universities with a smaller percentage of graduate students but a higher number of undergraduates and department faculty. The results suggest widespread but varied access to teacher training in psychology programs.