Strengthening the value of psychological science: APA’s Summit on High School Psychology Education

The following was written as a discussion between Randy Ernst and Kristin Whitlock, two members of the steering committee planning the first ever APA Summit on High School Psychology Education being held next summer at Weber State University in Utah. Randy and Kristin were asked to discuss the first overarching goal of the summit: strengthening the value of psychological science through the teaching of high school psychology. This is the first in a series of three articles focusing on each of three summit goals.

Randy Ernst: Hi everybody. Kristin and I are each co-leading one of eight working groups focused on different strands or major themes that will be discussed and considered during the summit. There will be a fair amount of work to be done on each strand prior to and during the summit, and we predict there will be some very exciting products that come out of the gathering that is set to take place in Ogden, Utah next July. We'll talk about those products in just a bit, but first, Kristin is going to explain more about her strand. Kristin? What do you see as the most important thing to know about the first strand — what do you call it again?

Kristin Whitlock: Hello everyone. My co-leader, Charlie Blair-Broeker, and I are working on the strand called Psychology as Science. Students are intrinsically interested in psychology because it is relevant to themselves and the changing world around them, but many of our students come to our classes surprised to learn that psychology is a science. They may think about modern psychology by incorrectly focusing on the methods and figures in its past. Our group will tackle how we can best dispel the myths and misconceptions students have and reinforce the empirical basis of psychological findings. We’ll focus on promoting both psychological and scientific literacy with the goal of helping students become better informed consumers of scientific information. What about your strand, Randy?

Randy Ernst: The strand I'm co-leading with Elizabeth Yost Hammer is focused on the Skills that Promote Flourishing and Well-being in students. We know there are skills that help students learn more efficiently, increase well-being, and increase the likelihood of obtaining and keeping a job. The teachers and faculty members working on this strand will attempt to identify and measure the use of these skills and provide ways for teachers to promote them in the classroom. There will likely be a number of new teaching activities coming out of this strand. And, I wouldn't be a bit surprised if these skills find their way into the next set of the National Standards, but we won't know until about a year from now.

Kristin Whitlock: It’s exciting to think about the potential this summit has to impact the teaching of high school psychology. Charlie and I have been discussing what outcomes our group may generate. We’ve considered a scholarly article informing the general scientific community as to the importance of teaching psychology within the sciences, or developing a document that ties APA’s National Standards to the standards of the other sciences. We’ve also considered developing curriculum or resources that would help teachers teach psychology as science, such as lab activities, or creating professional development opportunities for teachers to help them teach psychology as science. There are so many options for our group to consider.

Randy Ernst: How many teachers and college professors do you hope to have working with you next July, Kristin?

Kristin Whitlock: We will be working in small groups of roughly six to eight people. It will be a very different conference experience than most of us have ever been involved in before. Along with working on projects and sharing in informative presentations made by top folks in the field, at the end of the summit we’ll be continuing our good work by broadly promoting and distributing these products to those who will benefit, to help move psychology education into the future. Those interested in applying, or in learning more about the Summit, can go to the summit website. Anything else you'd like to add Randy?

Randy Ernst: Anyone with a passion for teaching psychology should consider applying to attend this landmark event. The Dec. 5 application deadline is fast approaching: Apply today. We hope to see you in Ogden.

About the authors

Randy Ernst, EdD, recently completed 30 years of service with Lincoln Public Schools (Nebraska, USA) and is now an assistant professor at Nebraska Wesleyan University. As an author, Ernst has written or edited psychology textbooks, teacher’s guides and activity books, and has authored or co-authored articles in The Oxford Review of Education, The American Psychologist^® and The Teaching of Psychology. As a pioneer, Ernst was a member of the committee that founded the APA Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools (TOPSS) and was on the original AP Psychology Test Development Committee. More recently, he has facilitated workshops in several states (and countries) that foster the skills of well-being (e.g., resilience, gratitude, grit) in teachers and administrators.

Kristin H. Whitlock, MEd, has been teaching AP psychology since 1992 and currently teaches at Davis High School in Kaysville, Utah. Currently Whitlock serves as chair-elect of the APA TOPSS Committee. She is a question leader at the annual AP psychology reading and has served as the college board advisor to the AP Psychology Test Development Committee. She has authored many articles and teaching materials to support the AP psychology curriculum and has presented at numerous teaching conferences. Most recently she presented at National Institute on the Teaching of Psychology, Stanford’s Psychology One Conference, the AP Annual Conference and the NCSS Annual Conference. As a college board consultant she also conducts AP psychology workshops. Kristin is also the program director for the annual Utah-Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools Fall Conference. When not doing something related to psychology, Kristin loves to spend time with her three fabulous children and wonderfully supportive husband.