Using real examples of qualitative studies is an effective way of teaching qualitative research methods and concepts. It also helps with developing students’ ability to apply their knowledge to stimulus material (i.e. they learn how to use details from the text to support their answers). Note: this task has been developed for the “old” syllabus, but could be adapted for …
IA: Final Submission Guidelines
This post is designed to help you make sure that you’re following the basic IA requirements before submitting your final draft. The following guidelines come from the e-coursework handbook from the IB. This information is relevant as of March, 2018. Please always refer to official IB documentation and ask your DP Co-ordinator for the latest updates. Formatting Guidance The following …
To prove or not to prove, that is the question.
This is a follow-up to the popular post, “why we rarely use the word ‘prove’ in psychology.” In their first months of studying psychology students love to use the word “prove” when explaining studies. This drives teachers and examiners nuts! But instead of making a blanket rule in class like “you’re never to use the word prove!” I like to …
It’s so easy to get a 7 in Paper One…
….or at least, it should be. Note: This is for the old syllabus, exams 2011 – 2018 Let’s crunch some numbers… 70% is the mark to get a 7 (approximately). 4% of IB Psych’ students get 7s. 46 marks are available in Paper One. 32/46 will get you 70%. So by looking at the above numbers, let’s see one possible …
5 Types of Exam Questions in IB Psychology
There are 5 types of exam questions in IB Psychology, Papers One and Two. While the general structures that we recommend for exam answers can be applied to all of these types of questions, they do have their own sets of pitfalls that students should be aware of. And as with anything, there are some exceptions and special cases of …
3 things all essays should have…
I’m a simple man. This is why I love the motto: “keep it simple, stupid!” I especially love keeping it simple when it comes to exam preparation. The more complex, intricate and nuanced we make our instructions on how to do well in exams, the less time there is to spend on developing the skills necessary for success in the …
The best teaching activity, ever!
It’s a bold post title, I know. But this basic teaching idea is by far my favourite and for so many reasons. The Traffic Lights In an earlier post I shared a key terms traffic lights lesson idea that is based on the three colours representing different levels of knowledge. That idea evolved from this original one of having students …
Experiment Results: Is an evaluation distinguishable from a discussion?
After writing and sharing a recent post, I got some questions regarding the validity of my claim that a good evaluation and discussion are indistinguishable. So I decided to put it to the test by writing an example essay following the essay structure I advise for students and seeing if it was obvious which command term was being used. I gathered …
How to learn anything in three simple steps!
I devised this three-step approach to learning for my students last year during exam revision. Find what you need to know Find your knowledge gaps Fill your knowledge gaps This approach helps me articulate to my students the process of learning, which also helps me discuss their progress during assigned revision times. The language of this post is how I would …
Why we should be “teaching to the test”
This post carries on a rant I had on facebook recently in response to hoity-toity comments about how we shouldn’t be “teaching to the test” and should just focus on teaching psychology to our students. Personally, I think this is a bollocks argument for a number of reasons. For one, as I’ve said before, if you’re not teaching to the …