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ERIC Number: EJ1343298
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022-Jul
Pages: 6
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0098-6283
EISSN: N/A
Can Teaching Data Analysis In-House Improve Psychology Students' Skills?
Vittengl, Jeffrey R.; Vittengl, Karen L.
Teaching of Psychology, v49 n3 p206-211 Jul 2022
Background: Acquisition and generalization of data analysis skills are perennial challenges for psychology students. Teaching advanced data analysis in a psychology-specific context might improve students' learning. Objective: At a mid-sized public university, we evaluated student outcomes after a new quantitative psychology course taught in the psychology department compared to upper-level statistics courses taught in the statistics department. Method: Undergraduate psychology majors (N = 80) completed quantitative psychology and/or upper-level statistics courses in preparation for their capstone research course. Participants also completed a brief data analysis skills assessment and the Major Field Test for Psychology. Results: Controlling for prerequisite grades and ACT composites, participants who completed quantitative psychology compared to upper-level statistics had significantly better academic outcomes, on average (standardized mean difference = 0.37). Conclusions: Psychology students completing an upper-level data analysis course within versus outside the department demonstrated better learning outcomes in psychology. Teaching Implications: Psychology programs that outsource data analysis courses should consider whether teaching these skills in-house holds potential to improve student outcomes. Alternatively, statistics departments might consider developing psychology-themed courses taught by faculty with expertise in psychological science.
SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2814
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: ACT Assessment
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A