Improving Professional Skills Through Out-of-Class Experiences in Psychology

Educators and employers agree that professional skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, communication, and teamwork are necessary for success in adulthood (Landrum & Harrold, 2003; Purdy, Reinehr, & Swartz, 1989). Recently, researchers have begun to focus on mechanisms by which adolescents and emerging adults learn and refine these skills and attitudes (Larson, 2000). According to Larson (2000), structured voluntary activities are the ideal context in which adolescents develop professional skills because they provide a unique combination of intrinsic motivation and deep attention. This research project focused on the development of professional skills and attitudes during emerging adulthood through out-of-class experiences in psychology. Our project used qualitative strategies to identify themes evident in reflection papers written by undergraduate students involved in out-of-class experiences including teaching assistantships, research apprenticeships, and honors research. Nineteen undergraduate students submitted 20 reflection papers documenting their experiences and learning in out-of-class experiences. We used qualitative analyses (i.e., grounded theory) to identify specific professional skills and the teaching and research experiences that facilitated their emergence. Analyses revealed that over 50% of students reported growth in perspective taking skills, oral communication skills, opportunities to help others, confidence, and clarity of understanding future goals. Likewise, 100% of students involved in teaching and research mentioned gaining a greater understanding of these contexts, respectively. Our results document valuable expansion of professional skills and attitudes through out-of-class experiences in psychology. These findings will help faculty and administrators understand how out-of-class experiences facilitate the emergence of professional skills for undergraduate students.