Psychology Course Research Articles

Translanguaging on an English-medium undergraduate research methods course for Vietnamese psychology students learning in their second language: a practitioner enquiry

PurposeTranslanguaging is a language-related pedagogy drawing upon all resources within a learner’s linguistic repertoire, in contrast to conventional monolingual pedagogy. Most research about translanguaging concerns English-language learning in primary schools and secondary schools and overlooks psychology subject matter, higher education and countries in southeast Asia. This article reports a small-scale practitioner enquiry into translanguaging on an English-medium undergraduate research methods course for psychology students in Vietnam and into the usefulness of the Multimodalities-Entextualization Cycle as a conceptual framework for integrating translanguaging into the course.Design/methodology/approachData were collected through semi-structured interviews with students and reflective journaling by the teacher, and the data were analysed in a hybrid deductive-inductive thematic analysis.FindingsThe first theme about teaching and translanguaging consists of the following subthemes: (a) enhanced communication, (b) increased awareness of language use, (c) supported interaction in class and (d) time and workload issues. The second theme about learning and translanguaging is subdivided into the following subthemes: (a) a new approach to learning, (b) beneficial for learning, (c) developing confidence in learning in English and (d) enjoyment of translanguaging. The conceptual framework underpinning the study was useful for designing and implementing translanguaging activities for the course.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is limited to one course and a small group of students in Vietnam learning English as a second language. It addresses limited research on translanguaging in psychology courses, higher education, and southeast Asia.Practical implicationsThe study makes a valuable contribution to the teaching profession by offering practical insights into the application, benefits, and drawbacks of translanguaging for psychology and research methods subject matter.Social implicationsMoreover, the findings lay the groundwork for potential influences on education policy, aligning with broader societal impacts.Originality/valueThe study makes a valuable contribution to the literature by delving into a relatively unexplored domain.

A New Machine-Learning-Driven Grade-Point Average Prediction Approach for College Students Incorporating Psychological Evaluations in the Post-COVID-19 Era

With the rapid development of artificial intelligence in recent years, intelligent evaluation of college students’ growth by means of the monitoring data from training processes is becoming a promising technique in the field intelligent education. Current studies, however, tend to utilize course grades, which are objective, to predict students’ grade-point averages (GPAs), but usually neglect subjective factors like psychological resilience. To solve this problem, this paper takes mechanical engineering as the research object, and proposes a new machine-learning-driven GPA prediction approach to evaluate the academic performance of engineering students by incorporating psychological evaluation data into basic course scores. Specifically, this paper adopts SCL-90 psychological assessment data collected in the freshman year, including key mental health indicators such as somatization, depression, hostility, and interpersonal sensitivity indicators, as well as professional basic course scores, including mechanical principles, mechanical design, advanced mathematics, and engineering drawing. Four representative machine learning algorithms, Support Vector Machine (SVM), CNN-CBAM, Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) and Classification and Regression Tree (CART) that include deep and shallow models, respectively, are then employed to build a classification model for GPA prediction. This paper designs a validation experiment by tracking 229 students from the 2020 class from the School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering of Henan University of Science and Technology, China. The students’ academic performance in senior grades is divided into five classes to use as the prediction labels. It is verified that psychological data and course data can be effectively integrated into GPA prediction for college students, with an accuracy rate of 83.64%. Meanwhile, this paper also reveals that anxiety indicators in the psychological assessment data have the greatest impact on college students’ academic performance, followed by interpersonal sensitivity. The experimental results also show that, for predicting junior year GPAs, psychological factors play more important role than they do in predicting sophomore GPAs. Suggestions are therefore given: the current practice in existing undergraduate teaching, i.e., only conducting psychological assessments in the initial freshman year, should be updated by introducing follow-up psychological assessments in each academic year.

Effectiveness of PBL in Improving Managerial Psychology Learning

Effectiveness of PBL in Improving Managerial Psychology Learning

Gratitude practice helps undergraduates who experienced an earthquake in China find meaning in life

This study was conducted following a magnitude 6.8 earthquake that occurred in early September 2022, coinciding with the commencement of a positive psychology course for the affected students. A sample of 479 Chinese undergraduates was recruited for an intervention focused on weekly gratitude practice. Data were collected through an online questionnaire package at 3 time points: the first week of the course (Time 1), the fifth week (Time 2), and the ninth week (Time 3), assessing gratitude, learning engagement, and the meaning of life. Findings revealed that gratitude significantly predicted meaning in life through learning engagement over time. This highlights the significant mediating role of learning engagement in the context of earthquakes and provides insights for positive interventions aimed at facilitating personal growth among emerging adults in higher educational settings, particularly those who have experienced traumatic events such as earthquakes.

Flipped classroom in higher education. Analysis of a research methods course in Educational Psychology

La necesidad de innovación educativa se fortaleció debido al confinamiento generado por la pandemia. Desde entonces algunas metodologías de enseñanza y aprendizaje existentes mejoraron, como es el caso del Aula Invertida, la cual, a diferencia de un enfoque “tradicional”, permite una participación activa por parte de las/los estudiantes y puede ser aplicada en ambientes presenciales, en línea o híbridos. El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar una experiencia de aplicación del Aula Invertida en un curso de métodos de investigación en psicología educativa. Además de la aplicación de este enfoque, esta experiencia incluye la percepción de las/los estudiantes por medio de un cuestionario cuantitativo y entrevistas a través de grupos de enfoque. Participaron 39 estudiantes de licenciatura en Psicología Educativa. Los resultados de la aplicación del aula invertida indican, por parte de las/los estudiantes, que hay mayor participación, se favorece la autorregulación, tienen una percepción positiva del aula invertida considerando tanto ventajas como desventajas de su aplicación. En cuanto a la enseñanza, se consigue la innovación educativa ya que se utilizaron metodologías activas, apoyadas con las nuevas tecnologías y se obtuvieron sugerencias para posterior uso de este enfoque en educación superior.

Assessing Student-Reported Perceptions of Prerequisite Usefulness in Preparation for Didactic Physician Assistant Education.

To gain admittance to a physician assistant (PA) school, applicants must complete program-specific prerequisite courses and experiences. The lack of standardization contributes to complexity, expense, and limits diversity. This research assessed current didactic PA students' perceptions of prerequisite courses, course delivery methods, and direct patient care (DPC) experiences to determine which were perceived as the most useful in preparation for didactic PA education. An online cross-sectional survey was sent to eligible PA students across the United States. The survey collected opinions on the usefulness of commonly required prerequisite courses, course delivery methods, and DPC experiences. Collected data underwent statistical analysis and qualitative analysis for open-response questions. A total of 527 students completed the survey. Greater than 50% reported prerequisite courses in science and psychology as well as speech, ethics, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), medical ethics, medical terminology, and nutrition "prepared them well" or "extremely well." The most frequently recommended educational delivery method was "in person." The DPC experiences reported to best prepare students were Medical Assistant, Certified Nursing Assistant, and Scribe. The reported recommended number of DPC hours was 1000 to 1499. Chi-square tests for courses that prepared students "well" and "extremely well" revealed that in-person delivery had a statistically significant association with anatomy, physiology, ethics, CPR, medical ethics, and Spanish. These significant findings should be considered by PA programs when evaluating their requirements for admission. Furthermore, PA education associations should consider universal requirements to reduce applicant barriers, complexity, and expense, which may lead to improved diversity.

Analysis of the Positive Interaction Development between Mental Health Counseling and Student Management

Objectives: Mental health counseling and student management are separate entities but closely related ones. Student management is an important part of the work of colleges and universities and plays a critical role in promoting students' all-round growth. Moreover, mental health counseling is an important contributor to student management. Methods: An analysis of basic theories and principles of mental health education and student management was undertaken. Results: Successful mitigation of common psychological problems of students is possible through a combination of approaches. Conclusions: Optimization strategies include cultivating a professional team of health counselors and counseling teachers, coordinating the development of mental health education and student management engineering, and offering psychological education courses, aimed at providing some theoretical reference for promoting the positive interaction between mental health counseling and student management.

Newly graduated Australian psychologists’ interest and confidence in psychological approaches for psychosis: what role can psychology training providers play in increasing access to psychological interventions for psychosis?

ABSTRACT Objective Despite recommendations in international guidelines, implementation of psychological therapy for psychosis is limited. Clinician level factors (i.e. attitudes, confidence, and training) are significant barriers to implementation, but have not been investigated within the context of Australian professional psychology graduates. The current study aimed to examine predictors of interest and confidence in working therapeutically with people with psychosis in recent graduates of Australian psychology postgraduate training courses. Method An online survey was completed by 108 recent graduates from Australian postgraduate psychology courses. Participants provided data on hours of training, practicum experience, stigma, therapeutic optimism and levels of interest and confidence in working therapeutically with people with psychosis. Results Participants reported low levels of training and practical experience in psychological therapy for psychosis. Participants with higher training hours and who had delivered an intervention to someone with psychosis during training reported significantly more confidence in their ability to work with people experiencing psychosis. However, stigma was the only significant predictor of interest; psychologists with higher stigmatised attitudes were less interested in working with psychosis. Conclusions Increased opportunities for practicum experience with people with psychosis and interventions that address stigma in professional psychology training may support increased interest and confidence in providing psychological interventions for psychosis.

Psychological Stress and Its Relationship with Academic Achievement among Students Enrolled in Sports Psychology Courses at the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences at the Hashemite University

Psychological Stress and Its Relationship with Academic Achievement among Students Enrolled in Sports Psychology Courses at the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences at the Hashemite University

Fostering noticing of classroom discussion features through analysis of contrasting cases

Productive classroom discussion has been shown to support student learning across academic domains. Facilitating successful discussion hinges on the teacher’s ability to make adept in-the-moment observations of various aspects of student talk and classroom dynamics. In two studies, we explore a pedagogical intervention using contrasting cases to support novice teachers in learning to notice key features of classroom discussion. Study 1 involves preservice teachers in a bilingual teaching methods course in a university-based credential program. Study 2 involves undergraduates in an education psychology course, many of whom are prospective teachers. Study participants engaged in analyzing transcript-based contrasting cases of discussion vignettes as they collaboratively developed guiding principles for effective class discussion. Data include pre- and post-instruction video noticing task reflections, principles identified, and transcribed partner discussions during the activity. Post-instruction, learners displayed increased student-centered noticing when watching videos of classroom discussions. Additionally, there was increased awareness of the absence of productive features or missed opportunities within the discourse. In this proof-of-concept set of studies, we explore the potential of contrasting cases-based activities to help prepare teachers for the complex task of orchestrating discussion by supporting them in learning to notice.

Male Students in Female-Dominated Study Programs: Perceived Diversity Climate in Gender-Mixed Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning

Background: Male students’ achievements in female-dominated study programs have garnered limited research attention. This study investigates the relationship between psychology students’ perceived diversity climate and their learning outcomes in a gender-mixed computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) course in introductory psychology. Our main hypotheses were that the diversity climate—learning outcome relationships would be stronger for male (gender minority) than for female students (gender majority). Methods: This study used data from a large sample of university first-year students at a blended learning university ( n = 1,172, 75% female) with three points of measurement in a 9-week CSCL assignment. Findings: Moderated-mediation regression analyses confirmed that students’ perceptions of the diversity climate in their CSCL group were significantly related to gains in online learning self-efficacy among male, but not female students. Furthermore, by increasing gains in self-efficacy, climate perceptions also translated into better quiz performance among male students. Contributions: This study shows that for men perceived diversity climate is a significant determinant of their individual learning outcomes. This calls for paying more attention to the minority perspectives of males in female-dominated psychological programs to better understand why this is the case.

Effectiveness of case study method in teacher preparation in Kazakhstan

Relevance. The research is relevant as it evaluates the effectiveness of the case study method in developing professional competencies of future teachers in Kazakhstan, where this approach is underutilized. It addresses a gap in the current teacher training system by comparing the case study method with traditional teaching approaches and providing evidence for its potential benefits. Purpose. The purpose of this article is to evaluate the efficacy of the case study method in nurturing the professional competencies of prospective teachers enrolled in the �Foreign Language: Two Foreign Languages� educational program. Additionally, the study seeks to compare the effectiveness of the case study method with conventional teaching methods and put the developed cases to the test. Methodology. The research relied on empirical methods to assess the participants� initial and final levels of professional competence. Results. In the course of the pedagogical experiment, the case study method was employed to introduce the revised �Educational Psychology� course content. The aim of the course is the theoretical and practical mastery of knowledge about the psychology of educational activity, the relationship between learning processes, teaching, training, and education, as well as the formation of scientific psychological thinking, professional knowledge, and skills of future specialists in the field of educational psychology. Conclusions. Using the case study method in teacher training enhances professional competencies and increases motivation for learning. Research shows significant improvement in competencies among those taught using this method compared to traditional education. Keywords: higher education; future teachers; professional competencies; interactive technology; practice-oriented focus

Establishing the feasibility of exercise breaks during university lectures.

It is important that principles of laboratory-based studies with implications for academic performance be implemented in naturalistic learning environments to gauge their feasibility. Here, an adaptation of a laboratory-based study of exercise breaks during a single video lecture was implemented during large, in-person lectures at Ohio State University for the duration of a semester. The rationale for this approach was based on findings that research participants who took exercise breaks during a video lecture were more likely to be on task towards the end of the lecture and performed significantly better on a multiple choice exam. The current project had three goals: (1) Establish the feasibility of integrating student-led exercise breaks during in-person lectures in a large university setting (2) Provide practical guidelines for implementing exercise breaks during in-person lectures (3) Provide preliminary evidence of positive effects of exercise breaks in a higher-education setting. One to two student-led exercise breaks (5 min each) were implemented during each 80 min, in-person lecture for the duration of a semester in four upper level Psychology courses with student enrollment ranging from 20 to 93 students (total enrollment = 223 students). Students reported that the exercise breaks were a strength of the courses and a positive experience, including self-reported improvement in attention to lecture content. Self-reported quantitative data indicated that exercise breaks improved attention, increased course enjoyment, and enhanced peer engagement. Compared to other classes, the students preferred exercise breaks during lectures. The current approach establishes the feasibility of integrating exercise breaks in a large, in-person university lecture environment for the duration of a semester with preliminary data indicating a positive impact on attention, engagement, and enjoyment. Practical guidelines for implementing exercise breaks during in-person lectures are provided.

A Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial of a Brief Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Training-Informed Intervention for Test Anxiety

ABSTRACT Data testing the effectiveness of third-wave interventions to decrease college students’ test anxiety is sparse. We conducted a randomized controlled trial with college students to examine whether an intervention using several DBT skills (DBT; Linehan, 2015a, 2015b) would decrease test anxiety. Participants (N = 48) were randomly assigned to one of two conditions, the brief DBT condition (n = 26) or the control condition (n = 22), a brain-training activity group. Participants in both conditions met for a single, two-hour session. After the intervention, participants completed an exam in their psychology course. Results indicated that individuals in the DBT intervention group had greater reductions in levels of test anxiety and state anxiety, and greater increases in mindfulness, than individuals in the control group. This study provides data supporting DBT skills training as a promising treatment for students with test anxiety.

Teaching information literacy in online psychology courses: Effects on student performance and self-reported confidence

Using the Framework for Information Literacy published by the Association of College & Research Libraries, we developed an online intervention to increase information literacy. Specifically, we hypothesized that undergraduate students in an information literacy intervention group would increase in information literacy performance and confidence compared to a control group which did not receive asynchronous online information literacy instruction. We used a non-equivalent groups pretest-posttest design and measured students’ ( N = 101) information literacy performance and self-reported confidence before and after asynchronous information literacy instruction. We compared the intervention with a non-intervention control condition using two existing undergraduate psychology courses offered online across two semesters. Partially confirming our hypotheses, we found that providing asynchronous information literacy instruction not only increased students’ information literacy performance but also helped students to evaluate their own information literacy skills more accurately. In contrast, our intervention did not selectively increase confidence in information literacy as both information literacy intervention and control groups similarly increased in information literacy confidence over time. Nevertheless, these findings show that we managed to develop an online, theory-based intervention to increase information literacy. This intervention has the potential to build the foundations for students to engage in scientific conversations by elevating their understanding of how scientific information is produced and how science affects their daily lives.

CONDUCTING PERSONALITIES OF THE ITALIAN SCHOOL. CONTRIBUTIONS TO INTERPRETATION

The art of conducting presents various typologies and characteristics that belong to the structure and personality of each individual conductor - the foundation of defining artistic individuality. Opera creation forces us to pay more attention to the technical aspects of the individual study of the conducting-interpretive gesture, which must always be correlated and complemented by the dramaturgical and psychological course of the characters.

The Future of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Embattled Environments: The Challenge to Educators and Providers Serving a Growingly More Diverse Geriatric Population and How to Overcome that Challenge

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is the organizational approach to ensure fair treatment and welcomed participation of all groups. We can trace the roots of DEI back to the 1906’s civil rights movement and the African American struggle. As the movement evolved, it encompassed other groups vulnerable to discrimination. These groups include people of different ages, races, religions, ethnicities, different physical abilities, neurodiversity, socioeconomic means, genders, and sexual orientations.DEI is an important aspect of our healthcare institutions in the way of recruitment, admission, hiring, promotions, and practices. DEI is now under fire in several states. This has implications for the quality of training, effectiveness, and delivery of healthcare to all diverse populations. Our geriatric populations have grown more diverse by way of an aging immigrant population entering the healthcare system, as well as our own native-born needing more access to healthcare as they've aged. With these populations in mind, the need to continue creating and nurturing a diverse provider culture that is attuned to the complex needs of this growingly more diverse aging population is imperative.At the time of this writing, there have been 30 bills that seek to eliminate DEI from public institutions. Texas has passed Senate Bill 17 which bans diversity programs in public universities. The state of Florida teetered on effectively banning AP Psychology courses as part of the governor's “Stop W.O.K.E Act.” This is an effort to stop teachings about sexual and gender identity topics. Florida has also been in the news for school history curriculum proposals that would teach how some blacks benefitted from slavery. Just as states are eliminating once-protected aspects of reproductive rights and generating talk of reproductive bans on a Federal level, DEI is following this course. This country may methodically eliminate DEI at its peril. We must examine the effects this might have on our academic and clinical practices and our endeavor to deliver thoughtful inclusive health care to our aging population.

Examination of Psychological Counselor Candidates’ Views of Using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in Individual Psychological Counseling: A Q Methodology Approach

Individual Psychological Counseling Practicum is an applied course in which Guidance and Psychological Counseling undergraduate senior students have an opportunity to have a practical experience with an actual client in Turkey. In the course, the theoretical approaches chosen by the counselors and their views on this approach may affect their attitudes towards the practicum process and their experiences. Therefore, the current study aims to determine the opinions of guidance and psychological counseling senior students who took the course Individual Psychological Counseling Practicum about using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in individual psychological counseling with the Q-methodology approach. For this purpose, 33 senior undergraduate students participated in the current study, taking the Individual Psychological Counseling Practicum-2 course in Atatürk University. The research utilized Q-statements crafted by the researcher along with a Q-sort comprising 18 sentences ranging from -3 to +3, facilitating forced placement, as the data collection instrument. Results showed that the opinions of the counselor candidates about the use of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy were gathered in a single dimension, which indicates a positive attitude.

Associations between sexual assault and romantic relationship functioning: A mixed-methods analysis

Background: Research on the relation between sexual assault (SA) and romantic functioning has yielded inconsistent results. The goals of the current studies were to examine this association while addressing limitations of past research; assessing revictimization, multiple victimization, and assault timing; and examining whether this association was moderated by neuroticism, attachment orientations, or perceived partner responsiveness. Design and Methods: College students (Study 1; N = 437) and community members (Study 2; N = 566) completed measures assessing SA, romantic functioning, attachment, neuroticism, and partner responsiveness. Study 2 used a mixed-methods approach. Data were collected via online surveys in psychology courses (Study 1) and on Prolific (Study 2). Results: In Study 1, SA was not associated with romantic functioning and this association was not moderated by attachment or neuroticism. In Study 2, SA survivors reported significantly poorer relationship quality and less partner trust, but not less sexual satisfaction. However, significant effects were small. Partner responsiveness did not moderate these associations, and revictimization, multiple victimizations, and assault recency were not related to poorer functioning. In qualitative data, the most common response was that the SA had not affected participants’ relationships. Conclusions: Relationships may be one area in which SA survivors demonstrate resilience.

Supervisees' Views on Live Observation-Based Supervision Modality

Live observation is a technique that allows the supervisor to offer immediate feedback to the supervisee by directly witnessing counseling sessions. Despite its numerous advantages over traditional supervision methods, this approach is seldom put into practice due to its time-consuming nature. Furthermore, there is insufficient research on its suitability in supervision practices, particularly in the context of Türkiye. In this study, the views of the participants on a practice in which live observation and consultation break methods used together were examined. The research involved seven students enrolled in a master's program in Guidance and Psychological Counseling at a university in the Central Black Sea region of Türkiye. Live observation and consultation break methods were incorporated into students' certain sessions as part of their individual psychological counseling practices course. After the supervision process ended, semi-structured individual interviews were conducted to evaluate the students' experiences. The data from the interviews were analyzed using content analysis. The students' opinions were grouped under four themes: development, relationship, live observation practice, and the overall supervision process. The participants stated that the live observation-based supervision practice improved their professional competence and increased their self-awareness. They also stated that they experienced anxiety at the beginning of the practice, but that this anxiety disappeared over time. The views of the participants suggest that the practice of live observation-based supervision strengthens the relationship between client, supervisee, and the supervisor. In general, the results indicate that this practice is a method that can be used in supervision processes.