Research methods focus in PSY 101

General Psychology is a tough course to teach. Firstly, there are so many topics that you could potentially include. How do you choose? Secondly, there are so many different assignments to consider. How do you know which ones will be best? Additionally, there are so many ways to approach teaching this behemoth of a class. 

Question marks. Photo by Olya Kobruseva: https://www.pexels.com/photo/question-marks-on-paper-crafts-5428836/

*Side note* This is one reason why Psychology One exists; it is the conference dedicated to teaching this very class! I hope I can attend this coming summer!

At William Peace University, our General Psychology course has a focus on research methods. What does this mean? At the beginning of the semester, we spend more time on the research methods chapter. (In my MWF class, I spend at least 5 days on this chapter.) And we try to revisit this topic throughout the term either through projects, exam questions, or other activities. Why do we do this? I think having a focus on research methods in 101 is important because it sets the tone for our discipline. We are a social science, and I want students leaving that class with that idea in mind regardless of whether they are a major or not.
I set the tone for this early on by establishing a theme for my course. That theme is “psychology is a social science.” I reference this theme in many early lectures and continue to do so throughout the semester. Here are some ways I keep this focus all semester long:

• As I previously mentioned, I spend more time on this chapter than any other topic.
  
• I also have at least 1 question about research methods on each exam.
  
• My latest addition to this theme is I have students complete a homework assignment that reviews research methods. The textbook I chose for this course created these assignments for me. I recently adopted Psychology (7th ed.) by Nairne and McBride. At the end of each chapter, the authors wrote a “Thinking about Research” section; this section summarizes a research study that coincides with each chapter’s topic and gives questions for students to answer.
  
• In the future, I may include a project that relies on research methods knowledge as well.

​How much of a focus do you put on research methods in your intro classes? What themes do you think are important or useful? I’d love to hear your ideas!
 
written by Jen Blush