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Assessing Student Writing in an Undergraduate Psychology Research Methods Course

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Title: Assessing Student Writing in an Undergraduate Psychology Research Methods Course
Language: English
Authors: Renee M. Penalver (ORCID 0000-0003-1203-9204), C. Mazariegos (ORCID 0009-0003-0965-6663), Kyle Parker, Jennifer Dyer-Seymour (ORCID 0000-0003-4670-5607)
Source: Teaching of Psychology. 2026 53(1):104-110.
Availability: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 7
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: State Universities, Undergraduate Students, Psychology, Majors (Students), Student Writing Models, Writing Evaluation, Writing Skills, Research Papers (Students), Research Reports, Communication Skills, Scoring Rubrics
Geographic Terms: California
DOI: 10.1177/00986283251357559
ISSN: 0098-6283
1532-8023
Abstract: Background: The American Psychological Association (APA)'s Guidelines for the Undergraduate Psychology Major, 3.0 includes communication as one of the five learning goals. We examined to what extent psychology majors communicated their ideas in an APA-style research paper. Objective: This study aimed to provide data about students' written communication skills in an upper-division psychology research methods course. Method: Two faculty raters created a rubric and coded 100 APA-style research reports on nine categories of written communication. Each category was rated as 1="does not yet meet expectations," 2="meets expectations," or 3="exceeds expectations." Results: The range of scores across all 100 papers was 9-23, M =13.11, SD =2.96. 90% of papers "met expectations" in at least one rubric category, and 44% of papers "exceeded expectations" in at least one rubric category. There were no papers that "met expectations" in all nine categories. Conclusion: Students struggled with synthesizing the literature and communicating results through graphical communication in their APA-style research papers. It is essential to continue to assess psychology undergraduates' writing skills. Teaching Implications: To improve undergraduate student writing, psychology faculty may use rubrics to identify the weakest areas and use existing support to guide students.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1492873
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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  Data: Assessing Student Writing in an Undergraduate Psychology Research Methods Course
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Renee+M%2E+Penalver%22">Renee M. Penalver</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1203-9204">0000-0003-1203-9204</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22C%2E+Mazariegos%22">C. Mazariegos</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0009-0003-0965-6663">0009-0003-0965-6663</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Kyle+Parker%22">Kyle Parker</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Jennifer+Dyer-Seymour%22">Jennifer Dyer-Seymour</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4670-5607">0000-0003-4670-5607</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Teaching+of+Psychology%22"><i>Teaching of Psychology</i></searchLink>. 2026 53(1):104-110.
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  Data: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
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  Data: 7
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22State+Universities%22">State Universities</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Undergraduate+Students%22">Undergraduate Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychology%22">Psychology</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Majors+%28Students%29%22">Majors (Students)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Writing+Models%22">Student Writing Models</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Writing+Evaluation%22">Writing Evaluation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Writing+Skills%22">Writing Skills</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Research+Papers+%28Students%29%22">Research Papers (Students)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Research+Reports%22">Research Reports</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Communication+Skills%22">Communication Skills</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Scoring+Rubrics%22">Scoring Rubrics</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22California%22">California</searchLink>
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  Data: 10.1177/00986283251357559
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  Data: 0098-6283<br />1532-8023
– Name: Abstract
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  Data: Background: The American Psychological Association (APA)'s Guidelines for the Undergraduate Psychology Major, 3.0 includes communication as one of the five learning goals. We examined to what extent psychology majors communicated their ideas in an APA-style research paper. Objective: This study aimed to provide data about students' written communication skills in an upper-division psychology research methods course. Method: Two faculty raters created a rubric and coded 100 APA-style research reports on nine categories of written communication. Each category was rated as 1="does not yet meet expectations," 2="meets expectations," or 3="exceeds expectations." Results: The range of scores across all 100 papers was 9-23, M =13.11, SD =2.96. 90% of papers "met expectations" in at least one rubric category, and 44% of papers "exceeded expectations" in at least one rubric category. There were no papers that "met expectations" in all nine categories. Conclusion: Students struggled with synthesizing the literature and communicating results through graphical communication in their APA-style research papers. It is essential to continue to assess psychology undergraduates' writing skills. Teaching Implications: To improve undergraduate student writing, psychology faculty may use rubrics to identify the weakest areas and use existing support to guide students.
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  Data: 2026
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        Value: 10.1177/00986283251357559
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      – SubjectFull: State Universities
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      – SubjectFull: Undergraduate Students
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      – SubjectFull: Psychology
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      – SubjectFull: Scoring Rubrics
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      – SubjectFull: California
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