Task values and self‐efficacy beliefs of undergraduate psychology students

Abstract

Objective: Psychological literacy has been proposed as an outcome for psychology graduates, which requires an understanding of and integration between theory, research, and practice. Using the expectancy-value theory, the current study aimed to examine psychology students' values and self-efficacy towards these domains. Method: Three hundred and nineteen psychology students (M age = 26.25, SD = 10.26) reported on their social influences, task values, and self-efficacy beliefs for theory, research, and practice. Results: Using 3 (Year) × 3 (Domain) mixed factorial analyses of variance (ANOVAs), it was shown that students have poorer task values and lower self-efficacy towards research than theory or practice. A consistent effect of year was not found for task values, but students' self-efficacy beliefs showed an effect of training, with first years reporting poorer self-efficacy than middle and fourth-year students. Results indicated that students hold contrasting views of what they perceive friends and family to value compared to their perception of what academic staff value. Conclusions: It was recommended that the undergraduate curriculum promote equal values across theory, research, and practice by integrating education in the three domains. Utility interventions are discussed as a cost-effective way to improve task values and performance in learning domains that are not well-valued by students.Note. GA3: critical thinking skills and GA4: values, research, and professional ethics are associated with all three domains and psychological literacy and so were not directly evaluated in the current study. a Graduate attributes adapted from APAC (2010, pp. 41-42).

Increasing Psychological Literacy and Work Readiness of Australian Psychology Undergraduates through a Capstone and Work‐Integrated Learning Experience: Current Issues and What Needs to be Done

“…Dunlap () suggests that students first learn about their profession via formal education; the culture of the classroom where the student gathers knowledge on a structural level. The application of applying theory to professional practice is where the development of values, attitudes, and self‐identity are learned via social learning processes (Dunlap, ; Green et al, ). WIL or capstones involving professionals can provide an important opportunity to obtain insight into the profession, such as the values, beliefs, and skills that are shared between the group (Adams, Hean, Sturgis, & Macleod Clark, ).…”

“…Training is based on the continued development of theoretical and research knowledge, with practical application acquired in specialist programs at a postgraduate level (Goedeke & Gibson, 2011). Hence, there is often a mismatch between student expectations and what is taught in undergraduate psychology programs, with students expecting more practical and skillfocused training rather than scientific and research knowledge (Gaither & Butler, 2005;Goedeke & Gibson, 2011;Green, Conlon, & Morrissey, 2017;Rowley, Hartley, & Larkin, 2008). Without opportunity for authentic application, this knowledge is likely to be interpreted by students as irrelevant (Billet, 2009).…”

The Role of Experiential Learning on Students’ Motivation and Classroom Engagement

“…To make sure that the learners gain the required knowledge and get the factual training, it is equally important to give them time to develop their ability to use their knowledge and apply those skills in real-world situations to resolve problems that are relevant to their careers (Huang and Jiang, 2020). So, it seems that they would like more hands-on training and skills development, but awkwardly, in reality, they generally just receive theoretical and academic education (Green et al, 2017). In addition, as in today's modern world, where shrewd and high-performing people are required, motivation and engagement should be prioritized in educational institutions as they are required features in the learning setting while they are often overlooked in classrooms (Afzali and Izadpanah, 2021).…”

Self Efficacy Enhancement of Public School Teachers through Cognitive Behavior Therapy

“…On the other hand, Hepp (2022) puts emphasis on the implementation of professional development programs in enhancing the self-efficacy of teachers, and Green and Batool (2018) prioritizes interventions that focus on wellness. These programs have been proven effective in the United States and in Pakistan, however the application of the programs here in the Philippines remains problematic as these will require long intervention periods and a constant group interaction.…”