The current study evaluated the effectiveness of written responses to guiding questions as a tool for promoting learning and retention for readers with varying comprehension skills as indexed by the Gates-MacGinitie Reading Comprehension Test (MacGinitie, MacGinitie, Maria, Dreyer, & Hughes, 2007) and SAT Critical Reading Test scores (About the SAT, n.d.). Forty-two participants (34 females and 8 males) completed guiding questions or reviewed instructor-generated answers for the questions on alternating weeks. Learning was assessed through the use of standard classroom assessment methods. Results indicated that students of all skill levels benefitted from completing guiding questions but that this effect was mostly attributable to less-skilled readers ( p 2 ϭ .53 and p 2 ϭ .42 for the reading comprehension and critical reading tests, respectively). Self-reports also indicated that although students of all skill levels found the guiding questions to be an effective tool for exam preparation, less-skilled readers reported to a greater degree that the questions aided in organizing course material, highlighting critical aspects of the text, and facilitating a deeper understanding of the material. These results suggest that guiding questions may be an effective study method across all skill levels but particularly for those who struggle the most with comprehension.

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The American Psychological Association and its divisions have developed various resources aimed at aiding early career psychologists (ECPs); yet, very little research has been conducted to assess the actual needs of this group. Specifically, research has not identified the needs and concerns of junior faculty engaged in classroom teaching. As members of the Society for the Teaching of Psychology (STP)'s ECP Council, we sought to remedy this by conducting a nationwide online survey of ECPs (N ¼ 85), asking about the characteristics of their work and their greatest concerns as junior faculty. Results indicated that the top concerns involved finding a balance, both between work and family, and between the three major aspects of an academic position: teaching, research, and service. Participants also reported that prepping classes and fulfilling tenure requirements were major concerns. In addition, we found that participants who were members of the STP reported significantly greater use of STP resources than nonmembers. In this article, we utilize these findings to provide practical suggestions for those attempting to understand and help today's early career faculty in meeting the many demands of an academic psychologist career.

To date, research has not examined the influence of mentorship on the teaching effectiveness of Early Career Psychologists (ECPs). We sought to fill this void by conducting a national survey of 122 ECPs assessing the presence or absence of three types of ECP mentors (i.e., in their department, in another department at their university, or another self-selected mentor) as well as the successes and challenges associated with working with those mentors. Overall, ECPs viewed relationships with mentors quite favorably, and mentorship was positively related to more effective teaching activities and adherence to model teaching criteria. Implications for future research on the study of mentorship among ECPs and how junior and senior faculty can benefit from these findings are discussed.