OATdb Archive - Sam Houston State University

OATdb Archive

2012 - 2013

Psychology MA

Goal

Research Competence

Students devlop increased competence in research methodology and statistical analyses.

Objective

Research Competency

Students demonstrate knowledge and skills related to competency in research methodology and statistical analyses.

Indicator

Research Project

Students' production of original research. This program is considered to be a research-oriented program. Therefore, all students in the program will either complete a research thesis or will have been engaged in a faculty member's program of original research along with having taken Psychology 5388, Advanced Experimental Design.

Criterion

Research Project

Students will demonstrate research competency when they either have completed a thesis or have enrolled in PSY 5388, Graduate Experimental Design. A common rubric will be used to rate the thesis; students will be required to reach a score of at least 80/100 to be considered thesis-complete. In the 5388 course, one of the requirements is to write three papers in APA format. The first two are intended to train the student in the proper format and written comments are supplied to the students to this end. The third paper is written in APA format and submitted for evaluation by the instructor and by an independent examiner using the attached rubric. The paper is scored with respect to particular sections with a minimum score of 80 being the threshold for the designation "Acceptable." A copy of the rubric for this assignment is attached.

Finding

Research Competence

During the past academic year, we had 14 students enrolled in this MA-General program. 1 of these students graduated and the remaining student are scheduled to graduate in the upcoming academic year. Of all student enrolled in this program four have served as research assistants, collecting data in social psychology projects and cognitive psychology projects. Eleven of the MA-General students have taken Psychology 5388 or its equivalent and the remaining will take it during the 2013-2014 academic year.

Action

Research Competence

Eleven of the students in the cohort of 14 took successfully passed the 5388 course and the remainder is scheduled to take that course in the upcoming academic year. There is a concern that not enough of the MA-General students are involved in faculty members' research projects as only four of the cohort were reported as being actively involved. The first strategy to overcoming this issue is to firmly advise all those entering the program in the fall 2013 semester that they be proactive in seeking out research opportunities with faculty. The second strategy is to encourage strongly the faculty members currently involved in research to involve more of our MA-General students. We also will update the current departmental website so as to better advertise current research projects being carried out by departmental faculty.

Goal

Foundation Competence

Students develop broad-based knowledge and competence in the scientific, theroretical, and conceptual foundations of general psychology.

Objective

Foundational Competency

Students demonstrate competency in the areas of general psychology through synthesis and integration of scientific, methodological, and theoretical foundations.

Indicator

Comprehensive Exams

Students demonstrate through a written comprehensive examination their ability to integrate the areas of general psychology.

Criterion

Pass Comprehensive Examination

100% of students must pass comprehensive examination prior to graduation. Students are given a written exam of which they must complete 5 of 7 questions listed. Criteria for passing are: the student must provide integrative responses that reveal an understanding of the information and experiences to which they have been exposed; they must provide complete references for all works cited using proper APA style; they must demonstrate their knowledge of the science in the field and support their answers, arguments, theories, logic, etc. with scientific research studies when applicable. Each question will be scored using a rubric for each question by two faculty members who have expertise in the particular area. An example of the comprehensive examination and the question rubric is attached.

Finding

Comprehensive Examinations

Three students in the MA-General program took comprehensive exam this past academic year and two successfully passed the exam. The third failed, re-took the exam, and passed the second time. The total average score (including the person who failed) was a 2.6 out of 4. Without that person, the score was 3.0.

Action

Comprehensive Exam

We developed a rubric that identifies specific types of information that must be addressed the in answers provided by the students. This information was developed by faculty members who are experts in the fields and who generated those questions that are on the comprehensive exams. The areas to be sampled, 5 our of 6 areas must be addressed by the students, include Experimental Design, Cognition, Physiological, Learning, Social, and Developmental. Our new criterion will be that the students pass all five of the areas they attempt.

Update to previous cycle's plan for continuous improvement We did not amend our research objective to having 50% of our students present original research at regional, national, and international conferences. If we had, we would not have reached criterion as only 4 of the cohort of 14 was actively engaged in research. One issue is that a great deal of the onus of being involved in research is on the student to seek out research opportunities. A second, even more important, issue is that many of our students, because of accessibility, are at The Woodlands Center. The only degree offered there is the non-thesis MA degree. Additionally, no faculty in our program have research labs at TWC and thus the opportunities. Thus, these students don't have the opportunity to engage in research at that campus.

Plan for continuous improvement We are revising our research criteria to only include those students at the Huntsville campus, as students at TWC do not readily have research opportunities available to them. The students at TWC invariably choose the non-thesis option for the degree. In addition, they typically express a lack of interest in being involved in research.

We developed a rubric that identifies specific types of information that must be addressed the in answers provided by the students. This information was developed by faculty members who are experts in the fields and who generated those questions that are on the comprehensive exams.

Last year, in this Closing the Loop Summary section, we expressed concern about the lack of students involved in original research in this program. The number students engaged in these opportunities is on the rise and we fully expect these increases to continue. One of the main problems has been, in the past, a paucity of students enrolled in the program. This fall, we will have an incoming class of 4 students. This is discouraging as the numbers are down from the previous year. We will meet with the University Graduate Office to determine what steps to take to increase our numbers and discuss ways of better advertising our program to the general public. This coming fall, we also will present programs for our better undergraduates to make them aware of the graduate school opportunities available in our department at SHSU.

As for Foundational Competency, the credentials of the incoming class of MA General students are quite impressive: Mean GPA = 3.4; Mean GRE score = 1117. The numbers are down a little from the previous year but the reduction is not statistically significant. As last year, we have nothing but the highest expectations for these students and for our program.