Teaching Research Psychology in South Africa: reflections by programme coordinators

Abstract

This article explores the experiences of Master’s programme coordinators in Research Psychology with the purpose of gaining an understanding of the planning and implementation of programmes that are directed at training Research Psychology students. The practical significance of the study was to investigate the course curricula of Research Psychology programmes within the South African context to grasp an understanding of the course structure and the challenges that accompany curriculum development. This article aims to elaborate on underlying tensions and considerations that programme coordinators encounter in structuring and implementing training for Master’s programmes that lead to registration with the Health Professions Council of South Africa. Six of the eight programmes that lead to registration with the Health Professions Council of South Africa were included in this study. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and analysed using qualitative content analysis. The reflections by the programme coordinators showed a shared pedagogical philosophy of active learning in which students are expected to take ownership of their learning and to participate actively in shaping and constructing the learning process. Reflections on the Research Psychology programmes revealed seven broad content areas concerned with the development of curricula in Research Psychology, namely applied research, ethics, foundational concepts and skills, language and report writing, and project management and micro-skills development within qualitative and quantitative methodological approaches. Programme coordinators also expressed the tensions inherent in attempts to establish neutral ground between the demands of the discipline and the demands of the employers.