Credentialing high school psychology teachers

Area of Science:

• Psychology Education
• Teacher Credentialing
• Curriculum Development

Background:

• Effective high school psychology instruction requires significant teacher content knowledge, as outlined by the National Standards for High School Psychology Curricula.
• Current credentialing pathways in many states do not adequately prepare teachers to meet these standards.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the initial teaching credential requirements for high school psychology teachers across all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.
• To identify discrepancies between existing social studies credentialing and the content knowledge necessary for teaching psychology.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of state-specific initial teaching credential requirements for high school psychology.
• Review of standardized tests used for social studies content validation to assess psychology's presence.

Main Results:

• Thirty-four states mandate a social studies credential for teaching high school psychology.
• Standardized tests for social studies content show minimal to no psychology content, indicating insufficient preparation in teacher curricula.

Conclusions:

• Teachers with social studies credentials are not adequately prepared to teach high school psychology according to national standards.
• The adoption of the C3 Framework for Social Studies presents a strategic opportunity to advocate for specialized psychology teaching credentials.