Teaching psychological literacy in introductory psychology: the perspective based approach

Geiss, P. G. (Paul)
Department of Philosophy, University of Vienna, Universitätsstraße 7, A-1010, Vienna

 

Submission type

Oral only

Scheduled

Sinzendorfzaal, 25-09-2019, 15:45 - 17:15

Keywords

introductory psychology, psychological literacy, psychology education, perspective based approach, pre-tertiary education, higher education

Summary

Psychological literacy has become a key concept for the teaching and learning of psychology in higher education and is a laudable goal of pre-tertiary psychology education. The widely used definition of McGovern et. al. (2010) enables a subject-specific contribution to liberal education. Nevertheless, this definition also includes general educational goals and is not specific enough for introductory courses on psychology. Recently a more subject specific understanding of psychological literacy as overall teaching goal of introductory psychology has been proposed (Geiss 2019) and alternative ways to arrange course materials were indicated: the integrative (Nolting 2018) and the perspective based approach (Glassman 2009). 

This paper focuses on the perspective based approach of teaching psychology. It aims at describing how introductory psychology could be arranged for depth rather than breath and give a more consistent view on psychology as a whole field by selecting course materials along five or six major theoretical perspectives (Medcof & Roth, 1979; Tavris & Wades, 1995; Sämmer 1999, Fernald, 2008). Referring to the question “What should an educated citizen know about psychology?”, this approach is also highly suitable for pre-tertiary psychology education and was both promoted in British and German six form colleges and grammar schools to promote psychological literacy.

Auteurs