Supporting student learning in research methods and statistics in psychology through authentic assessment

Research methods is a challenging yet central topic within an undergraduate and postgraduate psychology degree. All other modules rely on an understanding of research methods, though statistics anxiety is prevalent amongst learners in non-mathematical disciplines—including psychology. Here we conducted a multi-stage study to explore student experiences with statistics learning and assessment and used these insights to develop a framework of authentic assessment. Findings from focus groups in Study 1 highlight two aspects of the curriculum which pose challenges for students, that is, the nature of the learning environment, highlighting the need to embed opportunities where students can engage actively with content, and how students are being assessed. Adopting an evidence-based approach, we re-designed the nature of the assessment to incorporate elements of peer-assessment and self-assessment tasks, providing students with opportunities to engage with and apply the assessment criteria through the use of exemplars and their own work both inside and outside the classroom. Subsequent focus groups conducted as part of Study 2 suggest that designing the learning environment to encourage active learning and developing teaching approaches underpinned by principles of authentic assessment and assessment for learning can have profound benefits for students in terms of engagement, self-efficacy, and reduced levels of statistics-related anxiety.