Where should the balance be between “scientist” and “practitioner” in Australian undergraduate psychology?

Abstract

The scientist-practitioner model of training in psychology has been widely influential in the development of undergraduate curricula in Australia. The model had its origins in post-war America and has formed the basis for accreditation of psychology courses in Australia since the late 1970s. Recently a reconsideration of the model in Australian undergraduate psychology was argued for, suggesting that the absence of significant practical skills development in most curricula is detrimental to the discipline's graduates and their employers. The authors agree that the need for some practical skills development in undergraduate curricula is becoming increasingly important for psychology. Many of the exemplars of curriculum revision provided, however, are impractical and are unlikely to make significant contributions to Australian programs. There is an urgent need to consider the graduate attributes desired for 3-year and 4-year trained psychology graduates who will go on to employment without completing postgraduate study. Curriculum innovation to enhance graduates' employability will flow from this development, and will be likely to incorporate information technology solutions, rather than placement experience. This process is entirely compatible with the scientist-practitioner model of training and education in psychology.

The Summer Undergraduate Research Experience as a Work-Integrated Learning Opportunity and Potential Pathway to Publication in Psychology

“…Unlike disciplines which focus on the development of specialized skills from the first year of the bachelor’s degree, training in psychology in Australia follows the “scientist-practitioner” model ( Lipp et al., 2007 ; Provost et al., 2010 ). According to this model, a four-year undergraduate psychology degree should focus on the scientific principles underpinning the discipline and the development of generic competencies, such as the ability to conduct valid research, think critically, behave ethically, communicate effectively, and demonstrate psychological literacy ( Cranney et al., 2009 ; Provost et al., 2010 ). These competencies position graduates for employment in a range of industries ( Appleby, 2018 ; Halonen and Dunn, 2018 ), though not for immediate employment as a registered psychologist ( Littlefield, 2016 ).…”

University Students' Views on the Nature of Science and Psychology

“…In the discipline of psychology, the scientist-practitioner model of education and training has guided curriculum development in Australian universities' psychology programs for more than four decades (Provost et al, 2010). This focus on the scientific basis of psychological practice has strongly influenced the nature of graduate attributes embedded in the rules and standards of the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC), that govern the accreditation of psychology programs in Australia (APAC, 2010;Cranney et al, 2009).…”

Task values and self‐efficacy beliefs of undergraduate psychology students

“…Despite students having very little of their programme devoted to practice, they reported greater interest in this domain and find the knowledge and skills associated with this domain to be more useful across a range of settings. To improve students’ achievement motivation in theory and research domains, educators should focus on developing an integrative curriculum through the inclusion of graded simulation tasks that require students to draw from theory, research, and practice (Provost et al, ). Furthermore, students in the first year reported a greater interest in research than those in later years.…”

“…While surprising in an Australian context, where programmes have a strong research focus and little development of students’ self‐efficacy for practice, these findings are consistent with previous research that shows low research self‐efficacy among psychology students (Love, Bahner, Jones, & Nilsson, ). One concern has been raised that the inclusion of greater practical skills in the undergraduate curriculum could lead students to practice beyond their competence (APS, ; Provost et al, ). The current results suggest that students’ self‐efficacy for practice may be inflated; and so, it may be beneficial to provide more experiential learning to enable students to have a more realistic assessment of their own competencies.…”

“…This model aimed to integrate science and practice in psychology education and training and, despite its criticisms, has become integral to psychology education (Belar & Perry, ; Stoltenberg & Pace, ). In Australia, while the S‐P model forms the basis of programmes accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC, ), elements of the S‐P model are not equally weighted in undergraduate and postgraduate degrees (Australian Psychological Society [APS], ; Provost et al, ). Instead, the initial 4 years of undergraduate psychology education strongly emphasise the science of psychology, providing ‘broad foundational knowledge, […] strong skills in research methods, data analysis and report writing’ (Cranney et al, , p. 253).…”