Teaching Tips from Around the World: Turkey Mirroring Developing World

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Teaching Tips from Around the
WorldTurkey Mirroring Developing World

• Nebi Sümer
• Middle East Technical University, Turkey
• Sixth International ConferenceOn Psychology
  Education ICOPE-6
• August 3 5, 2014 Flagstaff, Arizona USA

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Brief History

• Foundation and inoculation years 1915-1950
• First exp. psychology lab in Istanbul in 1915,
  Anschütz
• Kemal Ataturks extensive secular reforms in the
  education system and sending young faculty
  members abroad for post graduate training in
  1920s and 1930s
• Translation of major literature into Turkish in
  1930s and 1940s and scientists escaping from Nazi
  regime
• Foundation of first psychology programs in
  Istanbul Muzafer Sherifs legacy in Ankara

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Brief History II

• Independent Departments and the US Influence,
  1960-1980
• Psychologists trained in the USA and Europe
  rapidly increased and adopted the US model in
  1960s
• A strong impact of American psychology with the
  liberal art philosophy.
• Four years in length and do not prepare
  professional psychologists
• However, society kept expecting professional
  roles from graduates!

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Brief History III

• Rapid Growth and Integration Years 1980-2000s.
• Departments increased from 6 in 1990 to 75 in
  2013.
• The of freshmen accepted in universities was
  305 in 1986 and 5212 in 2014.
• The situation is similar in other developing
  countries, studying psychology is universally
  popular
• the Turkish case mirrors the situation in
  undergraduate psychology programs in many
  developing countries.
• Similar trends in South and East Europe, China
  (Zhang Xu, 2006), Brazil (Hutz, Gomes
  McCarthy, 2006), the Philippines (Gines, 2006),
  and Russia (Karandashev, 2006).

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Cirricula The US vs TR I

• The structure of psychology curriculum in Turkey
  is similar to the USA system (see Brewer, 2006
  Perlman McCann, 1999a, 1999b, Stoloff et al.,
  2010, Sümer, 2013).
• Although the EuroPsy model (321, European
  Diploma or Certi?cate in Psychology) is
  discussed, the US liberal art model still
  prevails.
• Based on Stoloff et al (2010) recent
  classification, most of the required, core, and
  elective courses in the USA system are also
  offered in Turkey with similar classifications.

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US vs. TR II

• Courses in neuroscience, cognitive science, and
  other interdisciplinary areas are less in TR
• Large variation btw departments in both countries
• The number of core psychology courses is higher
  in Turkey (21) than the USA (10) for a moderately
  structured program, but
• The average number of faculty members in Turkish
  departments (8.4) is below the US (12.81) average
  (see, Brewer, 2006 Stoloff et al., 2010).
• There is an urgent need for qualified academic
  personal, especially in private universities in
  TR.

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Challenges in developing world and Turkey

• Developing countries have similar trajectories
  and challenges.
• Need for international collaborations, such as
  EUROPLAT Project and mechanisms of quality
  assurance for teaching and learning of psychology
  
• Importance of multiculturalism and international
  awareness critical for the values of psychology
  education.

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Challenges II

• Developing countries are commonly struggling with
  rapid social change and uncertainties in social
  institutions, social and personal values, and
  interpersonal relations.
• Thus, unlike North Americans, developing
  societies expect that psychologists can play a
  chief role in solving both social and personal
  problems.
• Programs should consider these demands,
  relevance?
• Also face with more practical challenges
  inadequate educational infrastructure, scarcity
  of instructors, labs..
• Systemic problems especially lack of mechanisms
  for quality assurance, accreditation.

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Challenges III

• Need less didactic teaching and more emphasis on
  research, practice, and outreach activities,
• Many department with few faculty members, and so
  they overwhelm with teaching.
• Majority of undergrads want to pursue clinical
  psy.??
• Psychological literacy is mainly understood
  within the context of mental health.
• Need to expand PL to other relevant domains,
  especially in understanding intergroup relations
  and social issues.

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Conceptual challenges

• Common universal ground for teaching psych is
  humanistic values and ethics in teaching of
  psychology,
• But! One way transfer of knowledge!
• The risk of transferring culturally-bounded
  concepts and/or psychological measures to local
  cultures without questioning or empirically
  testing their validity.
• Ignoring indigenous theories, and local diversity
  because of the Western dominance in research and
  major theories.
• Need to apply Psychological literacy to local
  issues

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Exemplary practices from TR and the USA

• Psycho-social support following disasters
• Following 1999 Marmara Earthquake, including
  community intervention into teaching of
  psychology.
• Similar attempts in the USA following 9/11 and
  New Orleans, the Katrina floodwaters
• Fighting with prejudice, stereotypes,
  discrimination, hatred with the help of PL,
  humanistic values, and ethical principles.
• Empathy/active participation in civil rights
  movement and call for democracy (e.g., Gezi in
  2013) and environmentalism

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Final Words..

• Quality of learning and teaching depends on
  undergraduate program evaluation
• Blending multiculturalism in professional,
  individual development as well as psychological
  literacy.
• Need for an initiative to develop an
  evidence-based teaching assessment and quality
  standards, especially for developing countries.
• So need more conversation on (1) undergraduate
  quality benchmarks, (2) evidence-based teaching
  models, and (3) establishing/expanding
  international network for undergraduate
  psychology accreditation and/or assessment.

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Thanks

• nsumer_at_metu.edu.tr