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Chapter
Contextualizing Diversity in a
Study of Educational Psychology
Course Syllabi for Preservice
Teachers
AdamI.Attwood
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to conduct a content analysis of educational
psychology course syllabi for courses taken by preservice teachers to determine how
the course descriptions and objectives compare for diversity. A content analysis of
educational psychology syllabi (N=25) from colleges and universities mostly (96%
or 24 of the 25 syllabi) in the United States was conducted for this study. While there
was generally consensus among this sample of syllabi of what topics were covered
as part of content knowledge course objectives, there was a divergence in emphasis
on diversity as well as only one syllabus that directly addressed controversies in
educational psychology. The word diversity appeared in 28% of the course overviews/
descriptions in this sample. This study highlights the importance of autoethnographic
practices for diversity in educational psychology. Examples of historically underrep-
resented scholars in psychology are summarized for inclusion in educational psychol-
ogy courses for preservice teachers as a way to address representation.
Keywords: culturally responsive pedagogy, content analysis, curriculum, diversity,
educational psychology, multicultural, preservice teachers, syllabus
. Introduction
This study adds to the research literature on the role of the syllabus in survey
courses on educational psychology for undergraduate and graduate students in initial
teacher licensure programs in the United States. This study highlights the need for
autoethnographic studies to address change and continuity in the representation of
educational psychology theories and practices. A sample (N=25) of educational
psychology course syllabi from colleges and universities are analyzed for implications
in how these courses are structured, what is emphasized, and what is communicated
to preservice teachers via the syllabus as itself being a pedagogical tool. Themes were
derived from word frequencies of the syllabi in the aggregate. Discussion of implica-
tions is contextualized based on the syllabi overviews, learning objectives, and related
information as derived from word frequencies, term-to-term correlations, and a
Understanding Multiculturalism and Interculturalism in Cross Cultures
qualitative comparison across the sample. This study provides an additional founda-
tion for the importance of autoethnographic practice in educational psychology.
. Background and rationale
Some of the literature has identified challenges in the implementation of cultur-
ally responsive pedagogy in terms of some teachers focusing too much on deficit
models [1]. Culturally relevant pedagogy is the adaptation of curriculum and the
teaching of that curriculum to diverse learners [2]. Course syllabi can be a way to
gauge trends in how concepts and skills are presented to preservice teachers. As such,
the syllabus can be a way to guide students away from deficit model perception. The
syllabus is an important document for all courses in higher education institutions [3].
It is the primary, central document that communicates requirements, expectations,
and policies for the course [4]. Some students rely on the course syllabus to determine
whether they will enroll in the course, especially if it is an elective [5]. For courses in
educational psychology, the syllabus may serve a role beyond its essential function
in other disciplines because of the main audience of educational psychology courses
are preservice teachers—in initial licensure programs—who are learning pedagogical
strategies. As such, the syllabus in educational psychology courses is itself a teaching
tool for fostering inclusive practices in teaching and learning [6, 7]. Considering the
essential role of educational psychology in teacher education and the necessity to
effectively communicate the principles and strategies of teaching and learning that
training in educational psychology provides, researchers have suggested the impor-
tance of documenting the role of educational psychology from multiple perspectives
[8–10]. One of the ways to do this is to analyze educational psychology courses via
the course syllabus. This is important for identifying a baseline of what preservice
teachers are expected to know and what skills they should have by the end of a course
in educational psychology, and this study will provide a basis for program conceptu-
alization, topic standardization and differentiation, as well as potential for program
improvement.
There is a paucity of research on educational psychology course syllabi in the
United States. There has been a study of preservice teacher perceptions of educa-
tional psychology syllabi in Spain [11]. That research study found that preservice
teachers who participated in their study “attributed greater importance to syllabus
topics related to socio-emotional development and teaching roles in the classroom.
Theoretical topics, such as conceptual frameworks for development and learning,
were less rated” ([11], p. 81). This suggests that there is a need for examining syllabi,
among other components of educational psychology curricula, for how the practi-
tioner experience is represented since this seems to be of substantial importance to
preservice teachers. Alvarez and colleagues [11] also found that the components on
theory which tended to form a large part of educational psychology curriculum in
their sample of participants who seemed to perceive the theories in their course as
needing updated. Another study on educational psychology syllabi was conducted
in Malta with in-service teachers [12]. The earlier study conducted by Borg and
Falzon [12] had similar results though more focused on assessment process rather
than content and focused only on an honors section of educational psychology.
There are related studies in the United States, but not specifically on syllabi of sur-
vey courses in educational psychology for preservice teachers. For example, there was
Contextualizing Diversity in a Study of Educational Psychology Course Syllabi for Preservice…
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.1005818
a study that approaches the topic of psychology course syllabi analysis in the United
States, but it was for a multicultural course in a counseling psychology program [13],
not a course in educational psychology. Another study analyzed doctoral level syllabi
of courses on the history of educational psychology [14]. The study conducted by
Merced and colleagues [14] found that the syllabi in their sample had on average five
course objectives that could be improved through rephrasing for measurability. They
also found that the syllabi were vague with a focus on “foundational competencies”
rather than on outcomes that promoted measurable advanced skills.
There have been studies that analyzed course syllabi from courses on general
psychology [15, 16]. There have also been studies that analyze course syllabi in related
disciplines but, again, not specifically on courses in educational psychology for
preservice teachers (e.g., [17–20]). Most found that there was less of an emphasis on
dynamic critical thinking skills assessed through measurable outcomes at the higher
level of Bloom’s taxonomy and instead focused on what Merced and colleagues [14]
called “foundational competencies.” In an analysis of general psychology syllabi, a
research team suggested that their sample of syllabi were “disproportionately learner-
centered on almost all of the factors assessed. In addition, there were moderate to
strong associations among learner-centered factors, syllabus length, and use of
images in syllabi” ([16], p. 6). They noted that there has been a trend in the past 20
years that general psychology syllabi have included more “learner-centered” or con-
structivist pedagogy. This factor can be important for culturally responsive pedagogy.
Some studies also reference the importance of a course syllabus as a factor in the study
of K-12 and college courses (e.g., [5, 21, 22]) which support the findings of Alvarez
and colleagues [11] in their case study in that students placed substantial importance
on the syllabus for how they approach a course.
Other than the study by Alvarez and colleagues [11] on preservice teacher percep-
tions of educational psychology syllabi in Spain, the research study that is closest to
the present topic on educational psychology courses in the United States was a study
by Miller and colleagues [23] that analyzed the syllabi of school psychology courses
from across the United States. While their research is certainly relevant to the present
study, it is not focused on educational psychology courses for preservice teachers.
Their study focused on school psychology syllabi in courses taken by preservice
school psychologists, finding that the assessment methods used in those courses were
largely unchanged over the previous two decades which suggested the potential need
for reviewing assessment strategies. The findings that there has perhaps been very
little change in school psychology courses [23] and the findings that suggested a trend
toward learner-centered approaches in general psychology courses [16], indicate
a growing interest in the course syllabus as an essential component of pedagogy to
study. Given the gap in the literature on analyzing educational psychology syllabi of
courses for preservice teachers and the related findings of Miller and colleagues [23]
and Richmond and colleagues [16], there is a need to study educational psychology
courses for diversity and inclusion practices in the course content as well as assess-
ment strategies used. This highlights that there is a gap in the research literature
on educational psychology course syllabi in the United States. This present study
addresses this gap and calls for additional research on this topic by providing a
qualitative study of a sample of educational psychology course syllabi from public
and private colleges and universities from across the United States. Through a content
analysis of the syllabi, implications are identified and discussed for how educational
psychology courses are presented to students through the syllabus.
Understanding Multiculturalism and Interculturalism in Cross Cultures
. Study design
. Materials and method
A content analysis of educational psychology syllabi (N=25) from colleges and
universities was conducted for this study. The content analysis strategy used is based
on comparing documents for themes [24, 25]. The theoretical framework that informs
this content analysis is based on culturally responsive pedagogy with emphasis in
humanizing pedagogy [2, 26] to “connect the autobiographical and personal to the
cultural, social, and political” ([27], p. 254). In this study, humanizing pedagogy is
used as a framework for analyzing the course syllabi for how students might poten-
tially interface with the curriculum through the assessment methods listed or “see”
themselves or groups with whom students might historically associate for representa-
tion in the curriculum.
Voyant was the software package used for supporting analysis of the course
overviews, descriptions, and course objectives listed on each syllabus (see Welsh’s [28]
review of Voyant software in its application for conducting content analysis). The
software-aided portion of the analysis combined all the course overviews/descrip-
tions from each syllabus into one document for determining vocabulary density,
readability index, word frequencies, and term correlations. Documents were
selected using modified thematic keyword online search for qualitative analysis [24].
The readability index is a measure of how difficult a text is to read. The methodology
used to select the samples was online search using thematic keywords, screening
documents for thematic relevance, and including those that were representative of the
theme both geographically and by content area. This study compared a selection of
publicly available syllabi from accredited public and private non-profit colleges and
universities.
. Research questions
The research questions guiding this study are: What are the common themes
across the syllabi for educational psychology courses in colleges and universities in the
United States? What themes and topics are featured in the syllabi? Are there apparent
similarities and differences in the course overviews/descriptions and what are the
implications?
. Findings and discussion
. Descriptive details summary of syllabi
The syllabi (N=25) analyzed in this study are from private colleges/universi-
ties (n=9) and public colleges/universities (n=16). Of the 16 public institutions in
this sample, 11 are 4-year universities, 4 are 2-year community colleges and one is a
public four-year institution in Canada. For comparison between undergraduate initial
teacher licensure programs and graduate initial teacher licensure programs, five of the
25 are graduate level programs for students with a baccalaureate degree seeking initial
licensure plus a master’s degree. Of these five, three are public institutions and two
are private institutions. Syllabi included in this study are addressed pseudonymously
for reasons of privacy. See Table for descriptive details.
Contextualizing Diversity in a Study of Educational Psychology Course Syllabi for Preservice…
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.1005818
Syllabus Institution type (all are
accredited, non-profit)
Program type (all are for
initial licensure programs)
State/
location
Syllabus length
(page-count)
Learning objectives
(number listed)
Topics of study
(number listed)
Exams or quizzes
required
1Public university Graduate WA 10 6 9 No
2Public university Graduate NM 615 12 No
3Public university Graduate CO 13 9 8 Ye s
4Private university Graduate TN 19 6 7 No
5Private university Graduate IN 510 10 No
6Public university Undergraduate KY 911 No course calendar
with topics listed
Yes
7Public university Undergraduate WI 3 5 No course calendar
with topics listed
Yes
8Public university Undergraduate TX 9 4 13 Yes
9Public university Undergraduate TX 710 15 Yes
10 Public university Undergraduate TX 7 9 10 Yes
11 Public university Undergraduate MI 7 4 No course calendar
with topics listed
Yes
12 Public university Undergraduate VA 3None specifically
listed
16 Yes
13 Public university Undergraduate CO 18 3No course calendar
with topics listed
Yes (“take-home
essay exams”)
14 Private university Undergraduate WI 12 10 No course calendar
with topics listed
Yes
15 Private university Undergraduate MN 8 6 11 Ye s
16 Private university Undergraduate LA 9 9 9 Yes
17 Private university Undergraduate NY 20 614 No
18 Private university Undergraduate RI 9 4 13 Yes (“take-home
exams”)
Understanding Multiculturalism and Interculturalism in Cross Cultures
Syllabus Institution type (all are
accredited, non-profit)
Program type (all are for
initial licensure programs)
State/
location
Syllabus length
(page-count)
Learning objectives
(number listed)
Topics of study
(number listed)
Exams or quizzes
required
19 Private university Undergraduate DC 517 No course calendar
with topics listed
Yes
20 Private university Undergraduate TX 5 8 No course calendar
with topics listed
No
21 Public community college
(2-year)
Undergraduate MO 813 16 Yes
22 Public community college
(2-year)
Undergraduate IA 316 No course calendar
with topics listed
No
23 Public Community College
(2-Year)
Undergraduate NJ 8 5 15 Ye s
24 Public community college
(2-year)
Undergraduate CT 3 7 5 Yes
25 Public university in Canada Undergraduate ON 8 6 17 No
Note: Syllabi are referenced pseudonymously.
Table 1.
Descriptive details of educational psychology course syllabi.
Contextualizing Diversity in a Study of Educational Psychology Course Syllabi for Preservice…
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.1005818
Frequencies of items such as syllabus length, number of topics of study, and
whether exams and quizzes are used and form the basis for determinations about
assessment as an essential theme in educational psychology. Of the five graduate
initial licensure programs in this sample, only one (2%) had required exams and/or
quizzes. This descriptive statistic is inverted when looking at the undergraduate initial
licensure programs in which 16 (80%) of the syllabi require tests and/or quizzes.
All the course syllabi listed a required combination of papers, projects, and discus-
sion assignments. The average syllabus length was just under 9 pages (median=8,
mode=9). The average number of learning objectives was 8 (median=7, mode=6,
highest number=17, lowest number=3). The average number of topics of study was
12 (median=12, mode=9, highest number=17, lowest number=5) of the 17 syllabi
that included a detailed course schedule with topics and assignments listed. Topics of
study were generally consistent across syllabi and the learning objectives were gener-
ally consistent as well with action verbs such as “discuss,” “apply,” “analyze,” “evalu-
ate,” “explore,” and “understand,” among similar other action verbs starting each
learning objective aligned with course content and skills. Those syllabi that listed a
required field experience as part of the course were more practitioner oriented in that
the assignments focused on applying theory to practice whereas the courses without
a field experience component focused more on the theories of teaching and learning
and going in depth learning about educational psychological theories through discus-
sion, papers, and related projects.
. Analysis of syllabi course overviews
After reading each syllabus, this researcher initially used manual process to deter-
mine themes and coded the course overview/description from each syllabus, and then
used an automated process for determining word-count frequencies. Themes were
determined based on keyword frequency in the course overview/description. These
keywords (n=14) include by order of frequency from most frequent to least frequent:
learning, development, educational, psychology, theories, teaching, students, moti-
vation, research, understanding, process, knowledge, assessment, and classroom.
The top three keywords most seen in the course overviews/descriptions from the
syllabi were learning, development, and educational. The word course was technically
second in frequency but that is removed from this analysis as it was a standardized
heading in course syllabi and not a content word.
There are about 2430 words (within which there were 677 unique word forms)
total when combining the course overviews from all 25 syllabi in this sample. The
top fifteen word-frequencies in the course overviews of the syllabi combined were:
learning (n=71); course (n=52); development (n=31); educational (n=29);
psychology (n=27); teaching (n=24); theories (n=24); students (n=16);
motivation (n=14); social (n=12); research (n=11); education (n=10); process
(n=10); understanding (n=10); assessment (n=9). The vocabulary density was
.279 and the readability index was 17.154, which indicates the text is at the level of a
college graduate.
When comparing terms in course objectives for correlations. Results most notable
for this study include strongly positive correlation coefficients (r=1) between
terms such as “application” with “pupil,” “democracy” with “justice,” “agency” with
“language,” “developing” with “understandings,” “developing” with “vocabulary,”
“develops” with “supports,” “diverse” with “interests,” and “strategies” with “under-
standing.” These strong correlations suggest the course overviews are emphasizing
Understanding Multiculturalism and Interculturalism in Cross Cultures
that preservice teachers in these courses will be able to develop and apply theories
to practice so that they and their future students have agency to achieve the learning
targets.
The main theme that emerged was assessment. Since a survey course on educa-
tional psychology is focused on preparing teachers, the keyword of assessment—
although relatively low in frequency in the course descriptions—was frequently listed
as one of the topics in the syllabi that included a course schedule with topics list which
was 68% of this sample. When considering the top three keywords by frequency,
they each are reinforced through assessment. This finding is consistent with another
study’s finding that formative assessment, specifically, is an essential tool in educa-
tional psychology [29]. Therefore, assessment was determined to be a theme in this
study and measured by recording whether the syllabus listed required exams and/
or quizzes. The number of objectives the syllabi listed was recorded in Table as also
reinforcing the theme of assessment.
Another theme that emerged was diversity and inclusion. The word diversity
appeared seven times (28%) in the course overviews/descriptions. The word inclu-
sion did not appear in any of the course overviews/descriptions, but it was in most
of the topic lists of the syllabi either directly stated as inclusion or inclusive practice
or included as part of a topic on diversity or listed as a topic on individual and group
differences. It may be inferred that diversity and inclusion are synonymous for the
purposes of this specific analysis. Also of note, the word controversial was in one
of the syllabi’s course descriptions—Syllabus 16—suggesting that the course at that
institution would directly address debates in the field of educational psychology
instead of problematically presenting material as static. Part of the course description
read: “This course also emphasizes several contemporary educational psychology
issues of a controversial/debatable nature that lend themselves to examination via a
point-counterpoint or pro-con dialectical process” (Syllabus 16). This was the only
syllabus in this sample to address controversy in the field of educational psychology.
It was also one of the few syllabi to not require tests or quizzes as part of the assess-
ment structure of the course. This would support the constructivist method with
which Syllabus 16 seems to be predicated. Constructivism tends to not require tests
and quizzes and instead relies largely on discussion-based and project-based learning
strategies [30].
All the syllabi in this sample that included a course schedule with list of top-
ics of study were generally consistent in including theories and frameworks of
Vygotsky [31, 32], Piaget [33], Bandura [34], and included topics of lifespan
development, cognitive processes, behavioral processes, intelligence constructs,
and individual and group differences, among other topics in parallel across these
syllabi. The framing or emphasis of these topics varied as did the amount of time
for each of the topics, but the list of topics themselves were consistent among
the 17 (68% of the) syllabi that included a detailed course calendar that listed
topics and assignments. When considering the theme of diversity and inclusion,
28% addressed this topic directly within the course overview/description. Most
included this in a cultural process topic or across multiple topics in the course
schedule section. Although the course overview/description suggests what will be
most emphasized in the course, survey courses such as educational psychology for
preservice teachers include many topics, and it is in the list of topics and readings
that matters more than the overview/description. As such, diversity and inclusion
or cultural perspectives in educational psychology were featured in at least one
topic in more than 90% of the syllabi in this sample.
Contextualizing Diversity in a Study of Educational Psychology Course Syllabi for Preservice…
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.1005818
It is interesting that one of the syllabi directly addressed the concept of contro-
versy and debate in the course overview/description. Emphasizing discussion of con-
troversy in the field of educational psychology was highly unusual in this sample of
syllabi. Possible reasons for the topic of controversy being an outlier may be because
of this course being a survey course and likely the only educational psychology course
that preservice teachers will take so there is little time to address controversies in
psychology. This consideration of time as a factor may result in the course presenting
what has become a standard list of topics on educational psychology that are deemed
most influential by the instructor and leave out discussion of controversy as this could
take a substantial amount of time. Teaching about general psychology via case studies
on controversial topics has been shown to be effective in generating and maintaining
student engagement in learning [35]. However, the subfield of educational psychol-
ogy is usually focused on teaching practical pedagogical strategies—that are informed
by the research literature—to teachers for their K-12 classrooms. Therefore, direct
instruction is more efficient, and controversial topics or the teaching of controversies
within the field may be viewed as a distraction or as potentially counterproductive.
This is especially the case in a survey course which is likely the only course in educa-
tional psychology that preservice teachers take in their teacher education program.
A related issue to partially explain a reluctance to directly address controversy
is also in what Kaplan [36] and others have discussed as a focus on quantitative
methodology and the positivist paradigm that have historically refereed the entire
field of psychology: “the perception that the epistemological assumptions guiding
their research are incompatible with the assumptions and corresponding standards
that serve to screen out [methodologically divergent studies]” ([36], p. 2). While
this has been changing across multiple subfields of psychology, and the field of
psychology has a robust qualitative research tradition, there has also been critique
of narrow cultural influence on the field of psychology that has historically tended
to emphasize the positivist paradigm, though this itself is also debated and without
consensus [37–39]. Also, Hwang and colleagues [40] specifically critiqued what they
call Kantian Eurocentrism—and its historical emphasis on quantitative primacy—that
has dominated the development of psychology as a field. Nevertheless, research
teams have affirmed the importance of the quantitative paradigm in educational
psychology for its usefulness as a tool to assist in challenging process of dispelling
“neuromyths” [41].
Diversifying psychology methodologically and in multicultural viewpoints can be
important for preservice teachers so they may have a better understanding of multiple
vantage points and be better prepared for teaching in a pluralistic society [42, 43].
That conceptual goal starts with the syllabus [6]. This study’s sample of course syllabi
suggests that syllabi in survey courses on educational psychology nearly all address
individual and group differences as a topic of study and most address diversity within
that topic and some of these syllabi address diversity and multicultural perspectives
as additional topics of study and linked to the course objectives. The course learn-
ing objectives were also largely in parallel with each other, though there were some
notable outliers in how qualitative or quantitative research was emphasized and
if the course objectives emphasized outcomes in psychological science literacy or
social-emotional interaction skills (e.g., Syllabus 11 in comparison to Syllabus 13).
Some syllabi emphasized psychological science throughout the course objectives and
that the course readings would mostly be research studies (e.g., Syllabus 11) while
a couple other syllabi (e.g., Syllabus 13) emphasized social-emotional skills such as
empathy and application of these skills to field placements. Most syllabi demonstrated
Understanding Multiculturalism and Interculturalism in Cross Cultures
a balanced approach to course objectives between developing psychological scientific
understanding and social-emotional professionalism and between theory and prac-
tice across several major educational psychological theories and either their historical
implications for classroom practice and/or their contemporary applications and what
historical and recent research suggests for practice.
Students can benefit from faculty regularly reviewing their syllabi and updating
the syllabus to include multiple perspectives in both psychological research meth-
odology and in multicultural conceptualizations of psychology that include recent
research. In the related field of school psychology, a research team found in a survey
of members of the National Association of School Psychologists that “Overall, only
about 11% of school psychologists reported that they were knowledgeable or very
knowledgeable of social justice as part of school psychology practice” ([44], p. 13).
While their study was about school psychologists and not preservice teachers or
instructors of educational psychology, the field of school psychology is related. This
further highlights the importance for instructors of survey courses on educational
psychology to address the field from multiple methodological perspectives and foster
discussion of psychological constructs across time and place. Preservice teachers
should have knowledge and skills by the end of their educational psychology course
in how to identify and summarize theories of teaching and learning, articulate the
purposes of both quantitative and qualitative methodologies in addition to under-
standing how to apply a theory with its research foundations both historically and
contemporaneously in classroom practice [10].
When considering the theme of assessment, the keywords of learning, devel-
opment, and educational were most frequently seen in the course overviews/
descriptions. This makes sense when considering studies such as one conducted by
Leenknecht and colleagues [29] that have suggested that learning and development in
schools is predicated on assessment—specifically formative assessment. Other studies
have also suggested the essential importance of assessment in K-12 teaching and
learning (e.g., [45–47]). Therefore, this finding is congruent with the assumption of
the foundational role of assessment in educational psychology.
Only four of the 16 (25%) syllabi for the undergraduate courses did not have
exams and quizzes as part of the assessment method. This prompts the theme of
psychological paradigms—notably positivism and constructivism, as the syllabi
seemed to bifurcate along these two paradigms in terms of assessment structure.
Although this statistic inverts for the graduate course syllabi sample—four of the five
(80%) do not require tests or quizzes—it is notable that the requirement of tests and
quizzes suggests a positivist paradigm in assessment is the majority in this sample for
the undergraduate courses. The use of exams and quizzes has substantial support in
the research literature as formative and summative assessment tools that effectively
promote and support student learning (e.g., [48–50]), so the observation from this
study of syllabi that include exams and quizzes as part of the assessment is consistent
with much of the research. Constructivist approaches that are project-based and
discussion-based are also popular and have support in research literature [51–53].
Therefore, the combination of constructivism and direct instruction with objective
exams and quizzes make sense for a survey course [54], which is consistent with what
is observed in the syllabi in this study’s sample.
While all the syllabi in this sample have a combination of these approaches to
assessment—quantitative and qualitative assessment modalities—most syllabi in
this sample have listed required exams and quizzes as summative assessment tools
that are substantial percentages of the course grade. Of the four syllabi that suggest a
Contextualizing Diversity in a Study of Educational Psychology Course Syllabi for Preservice…
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.1005818
mostly constructivist approach to assessment—relying on discussions, projects, and
essays/papers without any tests or quizzes—one was especially constructivist because
of its unique highlighting of the topic of controversies in the field of psychology.
This set Syllabus 16 apart from all the other syllabi. It emphasized discussion-based
approaches to controversies in educational psychology. As a pedagogical approach,
discussion (and inferring potential debates) of controversies in the field was in only
one of the syllabi in this sample. When considering a previous study [7], the use of
that language in the syllabus was itself indirectly teaching students that educational
psychology is not a static field but one of iterative evolution. In either case, whether
the course requires tests and quizzes or not, educational psychology courses are
important components of teacher education that improve preservice teachers’
knowledge and skills in pedagogy and in neuroscience literacy, but course curriculum
should be regularly reviewed by their faculty to ensure a mix of historical and recent
research studies are included in the readings as part of the curriculum [41, 55].
. Analysis of the syllabi course objectives
There were 3034 words (within which there were 690 unique word forms) total
when combining the course objectives from all 25 syllabi in this sample. The top fif-
teen word-frequencies in the course objectives from the syllabi combined were: learn-
ing (n=89); theories (n=37); student (n=32); development (n=31); educational
(n=29); students (n=28); teaching (n=26); classroom (n=23); course (n=23);
identify (n=22); describe (n=17); motivation (n=17); assessment (n=16); instruc-
tion (n=16); cognitive (n=15). The vocabulary density was .227 and the readability
index was 17.329, which indicates the text is at the level of a college graduate. The
terms student and students were not combined because their use as singular and
plural seemed intentional in the syllabi. The context in each case seemed indicative of
emphasis on differentiation where use of singular student suggested specific differ-
entiation (e.g., learning styles theory) while use of plural students suggested whole
group instructional context.
While the syllabi in this sample are mostly consistent in the topics of study
covered, their different approaches in assessment of student learning are notable
in relation to the differences in what was emphasized within the course learning
objectives. Assessment methods matter to students, especially those who use the
syllabus to choose which section to enroll in and navigate the course throughout the
term. The method of assessment can affect students’ initial interest in the course
and their situational interest in course material during the semester [56]. In a study
of what influences undergraduate students’ elective course selections, Chaturapruek
et al. [5] found that the syllabus can influence students’ enrollment decisions. One
of the first-year undergraduate students in their study stated: “I’ll start off on [the
university’s central course catalog], look at the description of it, and then go back
to previous years because you can usually see the syllabus so I feel like that’s helpful
in seeing like, what sorts of assignments are and stuff ” (as cited in [5], p. 9). The
implication is that the syllabus is perhaps the single most important document for a
course in that it serves a purpose before, during, and after students are enrolled in
the course. Some students use the publicly posted syllabus to determine classes to
take, consult the syllabus throughout the term for the assignments and class meet-
ings schedule, course policies, grading scale and procedures, et cetera. If a student
transfers universities, the syllabus can often be part of the course transfer evaluation
process.
Understanding Multiculturalism and Interculturalism in Cross Cultures
As seen in Table , the top fifteen words by frequency were largely shared across
the course overviews and course objectives though their relative order differed
in many cases suggesting different emphasis. Learning was notable the first most
frequent word across both the aggregate course overviews and aggregate course
objectives. After that the order of emphasis diverged, but the words themselves were
shared in both areas. For example, development was the third most frequent word in
the course overviews while it was fourth in frequency in course objectives. Notably,
the word assessment is fifteenth in frequency in the course overviews while it is thir-
teenth in frequency in course objectives. The word diversity is not in the top fifteen
words by frequency in either category.
When comparing terms in course objectives for correlations. Results most notable
for this study include strongly positive correlation coefficients (r=1) between terms
such as “assumptions” with “contexts,” “planning” with “professional,” “academic”
with “methodology,” “active” with “solving,” “age” with “inclusive,” “analysis” with
“relationship,” “approach” with “exceptionality,” “approach” with “inclusive,” “back-
ground” with “psychological,” “characterize” with “empirical,” “communicate” with
“diverse,” “influences” with “mastery,” “theorists” with “varying,” “assessing” with
“cognition,” and “processing” with “psychological.” These strong correlations suggest
the course objectives that emphasize differentiation through problem-solving termi-
nology and related phrases. It is also notable that these term-to-term correlations tend
to more likely include the words diversity and inclusion in action verb statements and
more frequently than what was seen in the course overviews. Assessment also features
notably in the action verb form assessing with its strong correlation (r=1) with the
word cognition in the aggregate course objectives.
These results suggest the importance of inclusive pedagogy as being a process of
curriculum planning. The syllabus is a central document that conveys the messages
Course overview/description word (frequency) Course objectives word (frequency)
Learning (71) Learning (89)
Course (52) Theories (37)
Development (31) Student (32)
Educational (29) Development (31)
Psychology (27) Educational (29)
Teaching (24) Students (28)
Theories (24) Teaching (26)
Students (16) Classroom (23)
Motivation (14) Course (23)
Social (12) Identify (22)
Research (11) Describe (17)
Education (10) Motivation (17)
Process (10) Assessment (16)
Understanding (10) Instruction (16)
Assessment (9) Cognitive (15)
Table 2.
Top fifteen words by frequency in course overview/description compared to course objectives.
Contextualizing Diversity in a Study of Educational Psychology Course Syllabi for Preservice…
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.1005818
of the course. Diversity, then, is reflected in the course syllabus. As such, teacher
educators in an educational psychology course are in an important role to convey why
diversity matters in schools through the lenses of educational psychology. Local cul-
ture should be reflected in some way in course curriculum while designing curricu-
lum that avoids the trap of the deficit model [1]. In designing educational psychology
curricula for preservice teachers that addresses diversity as a generative model—part
of which has been described as a humanizing pedagogy [2, 26]—this can help teacher
educators in providing representative educational psychology that avoids “hierarchy
of oppression” traps that Gorski and Goodman [57] observed of the deficit model
seen in a sample of multicultural courses they examined. By examining course syllabi,
gaps might be identified so that deficit models may be proactively removed so that the
curriculum in educational psychology is representative. Vygotsky, Piaget, and other
major figures in educational psychology should be included in course curriculum,
too. It is important to consider representation in educational psychology, especially as
preservice teachers may only take one course in educational psychology in their entire
degree program.
. Limitations and future research directions
This content analysis of educational psychology course syllabi from across the
United States—and one syllabus from Canada for the purpose of comparison for a
potential future study—presents qualitatively substantial observations, but this is not
generalizable. This study focuses on what is listed in the syllabi. This current study
includes syllabi from 18 states and the District of Columbia, as well as one syllabus
from Ontario, Canada. Some syllabi in this sample are from different institutions
within the same state. This was a convenience sample of publicly available syllabi on
college and university websites. While these syllabi are from after 2010, they do not
include syllabi from after 2019. As such, findings from this study are not generaliz-
able. A future study could include only syllabi from after 2020 to emphasize the most
recent syllabi. Nevertheless, this study provides insights into what some educational
psychology syllabi for preservice teachers emphasized between 2010 and 2019 to
establish a baseline for a potential future study to compare syllabi after 2020.
The syllabi that were included for this study prompts discussion of how educa-
tional psychology was presented to preservice teachers in the syllabus during the
2010s. Even though these are not generalizable, this study offers a conversation
prompt to highlight a research methodology in “personal experience as an important
source of knowledge in and of itself, as well as a source of insight into cultural experi-
ence” ([27], p. 254). In doing so, this study contextualizes the importance of anec-
dotal insights in educational psychology that can foster conversations in pedagogical
practice. This provides an additional foundation for future autoethnographic research
into educational psychology for preservice teachers.
The use of Voyant software for computer-assisted content analysis to estimate
vocabulary density, readability index, word frequencies, and term frequency cor-
relations is limited in that for this study the course overviews and objectives were
each analyzed in a combined corpus. The overview from each syllabus was placed in
a single document and analyzed as a whole. This was done to give an overall perspec-
tive of what was emphasized in the sample. Likewise, the list of course objectives
from each syllabus was placed in a single document and analyzed as a whole. This was
done for the purpose of determining overall descriptive numbers and term frequency
correlations.
Understanding Multiculturalism and Interculturalism in Cross Cultures
Furthermore, these were combined in an intentional order for both the combined
document of course overviews and combined document of course objectives: the first
five are from graduate courses which were listed further in order by public and private
institutional status; and the next 20 are from undergraduate courses which were
listed further in order by public 4-year universities, private 4-year universities, and
then public 2-year community colleges. Therefore, even though each of the course
overviews and course objectives were placed in one document for analysis, they were
analyzed in order of course level (graduate or undergraduate) and by institutional
type (public or private 4-year and 2-year community college) so that relative frequen-
cies in document segments could be interpreted.
For term frequency correlations, Voyant was used. The correlation coefficient
is calculated by comparing the relative frequencies of terms. A coefficient that
approaches 1 indicates that values correlate positively, they rise and fall together. A
coefficient that approaches −1 indicates that values correlate negatively, frequencies
rise for one term as it drops for the other. Coefficients that approach 0 indicate little
correlation, positive or negative. Vocabulary density means the ratio of the number of
words to the number of unique words in the text.
This study complements the research literature on the role of the course syllabus
in student perception and efficacy, provides another example of how an exploratory
comparative content analysis can be conducted on this topic, and addresses a gap
in the literature on analysis of educational psychology course syllabi in the United
States. Future research could include a quantitatively systematic approach, or a larger
qualitative or mixed methods study modeled on this qualitative approach. Future
research could also include a systematic sample of syllabi from undergraduate and
graduate initial teacher licensure programs from every state in the United States.
. Conclusion and recommendations
This study of educational psychology course syllabi highlights the importance of
self-assessment as a foundational concept in teacher education. It also highlights the
importance of diversity and inclusion for multicultural points of view on educational
psychology. The work of Vygotsky and Piaget are featured in each of the syllabi
evaluated in this study but considering that the word diversity appeared in 28% of
the course overviews/descriptions it makes sense to highlight the importance of these
concepts when revising course syllabi for surveys of educational psychology for pre-
service teachers. As such, autoethnographic practices could be applied to educational
psychology survey courses to foster diverse representation of scholarly voices in the
curriculum. One of the ways to do this in the United States, for example, in a survey
course on educational psychology is to include culturally responsive pedagogy.
Recommendations for implementing diverse perspectives in educational psychol-
ogy survey courses for preservice teachers through a culturally responsive lens include
teaching about the twentieth century history of psychologists such as Mamie Phipps
Clark (see [58]), Ruth Winifred Howard (see [59]), and Albert Sidney Beckham
(see [60]) on the leadership of African American psychologists, Carolyn Lewis
Attneave (see [61]) on American Indigenous psychology, Evelyn Hooker (see [62, 63])
on LGBTQ+ psychology, and Reiko Homma-True (see [64, 65]) on feminist psychol-
ogy and the psychology of minority groups in pluralistic societies. With inclusive
autoethnographic practice in the educational psychology curriculum, culturally rel-
evant pedagogy can achieve its goal. This should avoid the deficit model problem [1].
Contextualizing Diversity in a Study of Educational Psychology Course Syllabi for Preservice…
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.1005818
Author details
AdamI.Attwood
Austin Peay State University, Clarksville,TN, USA
*Address all correspondence to: attwooda@apsu.edu
It is important that preservice teachers take a course in educational psychology to
learn pedagogical strategies and the historical and contemporary contexts of K-12
teaching and learning that will inform their practice as teachers. Course syllabi should
be regularly updated for a combination of historical and contemporary readings that
present students with multiple points of view both methodologically and culturally
so that they may have an informed understanding of educational psychology as a field
and its implications for K-12 teaching practice.
Conflict of interest
The author declares no conflict of interest.
© 2024 The Author(s). Licensee IntechOpen. This chapter is distributed under the terms of
the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0),
which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided
the original work is properly cited.
Understanding Multiculturalism and Interculturalism in Cross Cultures
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