Psychological Interventions in Education

Garam A. Lee

Sample Syllabus >>>

Psychological Interventions in Education

Motivation Behind this Course

Bridging the Gap Between Research and Classroom Practice

In developing the “Psychological Interventions in Education” course, I was motivated not only by the sustained interest from students but also by misunderstandings about the rigor and effectiveness of these interventions among graduate students and education practitioners. Some students are skeptical about the impact of psychological interventions, while teachers may distrust them, with both groups often believing that these interventions are disconnected from the realities of daily classroom life.

This course seeks to address these misconceptions by demonstrating that effective psychological interventions are typically the result of collaboration between researchers, educators, students, parents, and school leaders. By engaging students in the full development cycle—from understanding existing interventions to creating their own—this course equips future researchers and educators with the skills and knowledge to develop interventions that are both research-based and practically applicable in diverse educational settings.

Mock-up Examples

Sample Course Syllabi

Course Information: 3 hrs per week | 16 weeks | In-person/Zoom

Prerequisite and Enrollment

Target Audience | This course is designed for advanced students in education and psychology, particularly those who are interested in the design, implementation, and evaluation of educational interventions.

Interdisciplinary Focus | The course is suitable for both research-focused and practice-oriented students, including educators, administrators, and researchers. The interdisciplinary nature of the course requires students to engage with multiple perspectives and stakeholders, such as teachers, administrators, and policymakers.

Role Differentiation | Depending on their prior experience and knowledge, students will take on roles that align with their background. Those with a strong foundation in research methods and statistical analysis may focus on the theoretical and empirical aspects of intervention development, while those with practical experience in educational settings may concentrate on the logistical and contextual challenges of implementation.

Preparation and Prerequisites |

For Research-Focused Students: A foundational understanding of statistics and research methodologies is recommended. This includes familiarity with data analysis techniques commonly used in lab and field research, as well as a solid grounding in educational and psychological theories. Suggested preparatory courses might include advanced research methods, quantitative analysis, and study design.
For Practice-Oriented Students (e.g., Teachers and Administrators): A solid grasp of classroom dynamics, school operations, and educational responsibilities is recommended. Experience in an educational setting, including direct involvement with students, curriculum development, or administrative duties, will be beneficial. Prior coursework in educational leadership, classroom management, or instructional design is also advised.

Enrollment Recommendations | Students are encouraged to assess their readiness for the course based on their previous academic and professional experiences. If you feel unprepared for the role you wish to undertake—whether it be research-focused or practice-oriented—consider completing additional coursework or gaining relevant experience before enrolling.

Course Descriptions and Objectives

This doctoral-level course is designed to equip both educational researchers and practitioners—such as teachers and administrators—with the advanced skills needed to collaboratively design, test, and implement psychologically attuned and wise interventions.

Psychologically attuned interventions in education are tailored to an individual’s psychological characteristics and context, ensuring that educational strategies align with students’ specific needs, beliefs, and social environments and result in effective outcomes. Wise interventions, a specialized form of psychologically attuned interventions, employ small, precisely targeted changes to address key psychological processes, often leading to lasting positive outcomes such as improvements in how students perceive themselves and their social situations. These interventions are essential for enhancing student achievement, addressing psychological barriers, and promoting equity and inclusion within educational settings.

In this course, students will delve into the full cycle of intervention development, from initial design and theoretical grounding to practical implementation and iterative refinement. Also, it emphasizes the interdisciplinary nature of intervention work, recognizing that successful interventions require collaboration among multiple stakeholders, including researchers, teachers, administrators, parents, and students. Students will learn to navigate the complexities and logistical challenges of implementing interventions in real-world educational environments, where factors such as classroom dynamics and stakeholder engagement play crucial roles.

Through a combination of theoretical exploration, practical application, and reflective feedback, students will be prepared to manage the “messy” process of intervention design and implementation. This course encourages critical thinking, allowing students to anticipate and address challenges, refine their interventions through multiple iterations, and ensure that their projects are both feasible and impactful in diverse educational settings.

Expected Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to…

Design and Develop Evidence-Based Interventions: Create comprehensive intervention proposals that include a needs assessment, theoretical justification, and detailed implementation and evaluation plans, all grounded in psychological and educational theories.
Apply Theoretical and Empirical Knowledge to Practice: Translate theoretical and empirical insights into practical strategies for addressing real-world challenges in educational settings.
Understand and Implement Design-Based Research (DBR): Apply the Design-Based Research Cycle to plan, execute, and refine intervention studies, ensuring iterative improvement and responsiveness to practical contexts.
Critically Evaluate Intervention Feasibility and Effectiveness: Assess the feasibility and potential impact of interventions from multiple perspectives, identifying limitations and developing strategies to overcome these challenges.
Navigate Ethical and Broader Systemic Considerations: Address ethical issues in intervention design and implementation, understanding the broader impact of interventions on educational systems and vulnerable populations.
Conduct and Communicate Collaborative Research: Effectively communicate and engage in interdisciplinary and collaborative research, facilitating productive partnerships between researchers, practitioners, and other stakeholders.
Manage Practical Challenges in Real-World Implementation: Anticipate and navigate the logistical complexities of implementing interventions in diverse educational environments, ensuring successful stakeholder engagement and adaptation to contextual variables.

Assssment of the Learning Outcomes

The course features collaborative workshops where students present projects, receive constructive feedback, and refine their designs. These workshops mimic the real-life research process, emphasizing iterative testing and revision, where “mistakes” are seen as valuable learning opportunities if a full effort is applied.

Problem Identification and Literature Review (20 points)
- Problem Statement (5 points)
  As a team, identify a real-world issue, problem, or challenge to address in an educational setting. Clearly articulate the problem, its relevance, and its impact on students, educators, or the educational system.
- Literature Review and Theoretical Analysis (10 points)
  Conduct a comprehensive literature review to explore existing interventions and theoretical frameworks relevant to your identified problem. Analyze the effectiveness of these interventions from both a psychologically attuned and practical perspective. Consider alternative approaches (e.g., customizing the existing intervention to a specific context or population, designing an intervention completely different from what has been developed and tested in the previous studies) and provide a theoretical justification for your proposed intervention strategy.
Theoretical Framework and Logic Model Development (15 points)
- Selection of Theoretical Framework (5 points)
  - Select an appropriate theoretical framework(s) based on your literature review. Make sure to provide a theoretical justification for your proposed intervention.
  - Develop a logic model that outlines how your theoretical framework and your innovative intervention approach will effectively target the psychological and practical aspects of the problem.
- Intervention Design and Customization (5 points)
  - Design a tailored intervention that aligns with your theoretical framework. Consider the need for customization based on different educational contexts or student populations.
    - Option A. Novel Intervention Design: Design a completely new intervention that addresses the identified problem in a unique way, distinct from existing interventions found in the literature. Explain how this new approach better suits the specific context or population.
    - Option B. Customization of Existing Interventions: Assess an existing intervention identified in the literature review. Critically evaluate how it can be adjusted and customized to better fit a specific context or population. Consider potential challenges and propose modifications to enhance its effectiveness and avoid unintended negative consequences.
Intervention Implementation and Evaluation Plan (20 points)
- Implementation Strategy (5 points)
  - Develop a detailed plan for implementing your intervention, including logistics, stakeholder engagement, and practical challenges.
- Evaluation Plan (5 points)
  - Create an evaluation plan that outlines how you will measure the effectiveness of your intervention. Include both quantitative and qualitative methods, ensuring alignment with your theoretical framework.
Anticipation of Challenges and Reflection (15 points)
- Practical Considerations: Challenges and Solutions (5 points)
  - Analyze the practicality of your logic model and intervention design by considering real-world classroom dynamics and the perspectives of stakeholders such as teachers and administrators.
  - Identify potential challenges and obstacles in implementing your intervention.
  - Propose practical strategies to address these challenges, considering both logistical and psychological factors.
- Practitioner Feedback and Reflection (5 points)
  - Engage with current practitioners to gather feedback on your proposed intervention. Analyze the differences between anticipated and actual responses, and reflect on how this feedback could inform further refinement of your intervention.
- Iterative Refinement (5 points)
  - Document how your intervention has evolved based on feedback, reflection, and critical analysis throughout the course.
Class Participation and Peer Review (15 points)
- Discussion and Workshop Participation (10 points)
  - Actively participate in class discussions, workshops, and peer review sessions. Provide constructive feedback to your peers and engage thoughtfully with the course material.
- Peer Review Contributions (10 points)
  - Review and critique your peers’ intervention proposals, offering insights that help refine their projects. Your ability to evaluate others’ work critically and provide valuable feedback will be assessed.
Final Presentation and Course-Level Summary (15 points)
- Final Presentation (10 points)
  - Present your fully developed intervention, including its design, implementation plan, evaluation strategy, and reflections on challenges and feedback. Your presentation should demonstrate the alignment between theory and practice and highlight the potential impact of your intervention.
- Reflection and Practical Guides for Future Work (5 points)
  - There will be multiple rounds of reflections throughout the course both at the individual and group levels.
  - At the end of the semester, as a whole class, we will summarize our learning experience throughout the course, reflecting on how our understanding of psychological interventions in education has evolved. We will discuss and create a brief practical guide explaining how we plan to apply this knowledge in future research or professional practice.

Summary of Assessment

Total 100 points

Problem Identification and Literature Review: 20 points
Theoretical Framework and Logic Model Development: 15 points
Intervention Implementation and Evaluation Plan: 20 points
Anticipation of Challenges and Reflection: 15 points
Class Participation and Peer Review: 15 points
Final Presentation and Course-Level Summary: 15 points

Tentative Weekly Topics

The order of topics or the sequency of activities may be adjusted as the class progresses to accommodate the needs and interests of the students.

Week 1: Foundations of Psychological Interventions in Education

Topics: Introduction to Psychological and Wise Interventions
- What are psychologically attuned or wise interventions?
- Overview of other types of educational interventions.

Week 2: Theoretical Foundations of Educational Interventions

Topics: Core Psychological Theories Underpinning Interventions
- Exploration of key psychological theories relevant to educational interventions.
- How these theories inform intervention design and implementation.

Week 3: Interdisciplinary Collaboration in Intervention Research

Topics: Synergy and Challenges
- The importance of collaboration between researchers, educators, and other stakeholders.
- Strategies for effective interdisciplinary teamwork and overcoming common challenges.

Week 4: The Design-Based Research Cycle

Topics: Planning and Iteration
- Introduction to Design-Based Research (DBR).
- How DBR supports the iterative development of interventions.

Week 5: Elements of Effective Interventions

Topics: Recursion, Psychological Hubs, and Timing
- Understanding recursion and its effects over time.
- Identifying psychological hubs and sensitive periods.
- Importance of timing and choice points in intervention design.

Week 6: Intervention Techniques in Wise Interventions

Topics: Practical Techniques
- Direct labeling, prompting new meanings, increasing commitment through action.
- Active reflection exercises and their application in interventions.

Week 7: Methodologies in Intervention Research

Topics: Research Design and Data Collection
- Overview of methodologies used in intervention studies.
- Choosing the right methods for your intervention.

Week 8: Scaling Up Interventions

Topics: From Pilot to Practice
- Strategies for scaling interventions from small-scale studies to broader applications.
- Addressing challenges and maintaining fidelity in scaling up.

Week 9: Workshop: Problem Identification and Target Audience

Topics: Defining the Issue and Building the Team
- Strategies to identify a real-world problem and the target audience.
- How to select and onboard the right team members.

Week 10: Workshop: Literature Review and Theoretical Frameworks

Topics: Building a Knowledge Base
- Conducting a comprehensive literature review.
- Selecting and justifying the theoretical framework for your intervention.

Week 11: Workshop: Designing the Intervention (Part 1)

Topics: Initial Design and Customization
- Crafting the initial intervention design.
- Customizing the intervention for specific contexts or populations.

Week 12: Workshop: Designing the Intervention (Part 2)

Topics: Refinement and Finalization
- Refining the intervention design based on feedback and further reflection.
- Preparing the design for implementation.

Week 13: Study Timeline and Evaluation Planning

Topics: Planning for Success
- Developing a realistic timeline for your study.
- Creating an evaluation plan to measure intervention effectiveness.

Week 14: Anticipating Challenges and Risk Management

Topics: What Could Go Wrong?
- Identifying potential challenges and obstacles.
- Developing contingency plans and strategies for mitigating risks.

Week 15: Final Workshop: Presentations and Feedback

Topics: Presenting Your Intervention
- Final presentations of intervention designs, implementation plans, and evaluation strategies.
- Group reflection and feedback on the process and outcomes.

Reading Materials

TBD

Unlock Potential Together

Garam A. Lee

A psychologist, researcher, and entrepreneur dedicated to helping people unlock their potential, discover their purpose, and stay motivated on their journey to achieving meaningful goals.

Garam A. Lee

Sample Syllabus >>>