Debating Curricular Strategies for Teaching Statistics and Research Methods: What Does the Current Evidence Suggest?

Teaching of Psychology

Volumn 41, Issue 3, 2014, Pages 187-194

  Barron, Kenneth E ^a   Apple, Kevin J ^a  

^a JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY   (United States)

Author keywords

curriculum development; curriculum structure and sequence; research methods; statistics; undergraduate education

Indexed keywords

EID: 84927724135     PISSN: 00986283     EISSN: 15322802     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1177/0098628314537967     Document Type: Article

References (29)

1. American Psychological Association. (2007). APA guidelines for the undergraduate psychology major. Washington, DC: Author. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/ed/psymajor_guideline.pdf
2. Becker K. Park K. (2011). Effects of integrative approaches among science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects on students’ learning: A preliminary meta-analysis. Journal of STEM Education, 12, 23–37.
3. Berlin D. F. Lee H. (2005). Integrating science and mathematics education: Historical analysis. School Science and Mathematics, 105, 15–24.
4. Bransford J. D. Brown A. L. Cocking R. R. (2000). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
5. Bransford J. D. Johnson M. K. (1972). Contextual prerequisites for understanding: Some investigations of comprehension and recall. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 11, 717–726.
6. Brewer C. L. Hopkins J. R. Kimble G. A. Matlin M. W. McCann L. I. McNeil O. V., … Saundra. (1993). Curriculum. In McGovern T. V. (ed.), Handbook for enhancing undergraduate education in psychology (pp. 161–182). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. doi:10.1037/10126-006
7. Buskist W. Groccia J. E. (eds.). (2012). Evidence-based teaching. New Directions in Teaching and Learning (Vol. 128). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
8. Chaplin W. F. (1994). Review of Area Concentration Achievement Test (ACAT) for Psychology. In Smith M. K. Draper G. F. Bradley J. L. (eds.) Reviews and descriptions of assessment instruments: Major field assessments (pp. 269–271). Knoxville, TN: University of Tennessee, Clearinghouse for Higher Education Assessment Instruments.
9. Christopher A. N. Walter M. I. Horton R. S. Marek P. (2007). Benefits and detriments of teaching an integrated research methods and statistics course. In Dunn D. S. Smith R. A. Beins B. (eds.), Best practices in the teaching of statistics and research methods in the behavioral sciences (pp. 187–202). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
10. Dunn D. S. Brewer C. L. Cautin R. L. Gurung R. A. R. Keith K. D. McGregor L. N. … Voight M. J. (2010). The undergraduate psychology curriculum: A call for a core. In Halpern D. F. (ed.), Undergraduate education in psychology: A blueprint for the future of the discipline (pp. 47–51). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. doi:10.1037/12063-003
11. Eccles J. S. Adler T. F. Futterman R. Goff S. B. Kaczala C. M. Meece J. L. Midgley C. (1983). Expectancies, values, and academic behaviors. In Spence J. T. (ed.), Achievement and achievement motivation (pp. 74–146). San Francisco, CA: W.H. Freeman.
12. Friedrich J. Buday E. Kerr D. (2000). Statistical training in psychology: A national survey and commentary on undergraduate programs. Teaching of Psychology, 27, 248–257.
13. Halpern D. F. (2010). Undergraduate education in psychology: A blueprint for the future of the discipline. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. doi:10.1037/12063-000
14. Holmes K. Y. Dodd B. A. (2012), Teaching statistics using classic psychology research: An activities-based approach. Teaching Statistics, 34, 13–17.
15. Hulleman C. S. Harackiewicz J. M. (2009). Promoting interest and performance in high school science classes. Science, 326, 1410–1412.
16. Jackson S. L. Griggs R. A. (2012). Teaching statistics and research methods: Tips from ToP. Retrieved from http//teachpsych.org/ebooks/stats2012/index.php
17. Novick L. R. (1988). Analogical transfer, problem similarity, and expertise. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 14, 510–520.
18. Onwuegbuzie A. J. Leech N. L. Murtonen M. Tahtinen J. (2010). Utilizing mixed methods in teaching environments to reduce statistics anxiety. International Journal of Multiple Research Approaches, 4, 28–39.
19. Pan W. Tang M. (2004). Examining the effectiveness of innovative instructional methods on reducing statistics anxiety for graduate students in the social sciences. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 31, 149–159.
20. Pang J. Good R. (2000). A review of the integration of science and mathematics: Implications for further research. School Science and Mathematics, 100, 73–82.
21. Pintrich P. (2003). A motivational science perspective on the role of student motivation in learning and teaching contexts. Journal of Educational Psychology, 95, 667–686.
22. Scepansky J. Carkenord D. M. (2004). Senior year retention of methods and statistics concepts. Teaching of Psychology, 31, 9–12.
23. Schwartz E. Gurung R. A. R., (2012). Evidence-based teaching in higher education. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
24. Stoloff M. Apple K. Barron K. E. Reis-Bergen M. J. Sundre D. A. (2004). Seven goals for effective program assessment. In Dunn D. Mehrotra C. Halonen J. (eds.) Measuring up: Assessment challenges and practices for psychology (pp. 29–46). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
25. Stoloff M. L. Curtis N. A. Rodgers M. Brewster J. McCarthy M. A. (2012). Characteristics of successful undergraduate psychology programs. Teaching of Psychology, 39, 91–99.
26. Stoloff M. L. McCarthy M. Keller L. Varfolomeeva V. Lynch J. Makara K. … Smiley W. (2010). The undergraduate psychology major: An examination of structure and sequence. Teaching of Psychology, 37, 4–15. doi:10.1080/00986280903426274
27. Stranahan S. D. (1995). Sequence of research and statistics courses and student outcomes. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 17, 695–699.
28. Thompson W. B. (2000). Making data analysis realistic: Incorporating research into statistics courses. In Ware M. Johnson D. (eds.) Handbook of demonstrations and activities in the teaching of psychology: Introductory statistics, research methods, and history (2nd ed., pp. 63–65). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
29. West S. S. Mireles S. V. Coker C. (2006). Mathematics and/or science education: Separate or integrate. Journal of Mathematical Science and Mathematics Education, 1, 11–18.