PhD in Educational Psychology

(DEPSYC)

The Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Psychology Program is designed for individuals who wish to pursue advanced scholarship and professional practice in a specific area of educational psychology.  It applies psychological approaches, theories, and methodologies to specific educational concerns.  Students may choose to have a concentration in either (a) Learning and Human Development, (b) Special Populations and Alternative Learning Systems, or (c) Quantitative Methods.  Students without background in Psychology and Education may be required to take up to 12 units of educational psychology foundation courses.

PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES

Graduates of PhD in Educational Psychology are expected to possess the following Lasallian attributes, namely:

LO1: Critical and Creative Thinker

  • Demonstrate a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of theories, principles, concepts, and skills that are at the forefront of educational psychology.
  • Develop and sustain arguments about, and critically evaluate both established and emerging knowledge in educational psychology.
  • Extend the theoretical, professional, and methodological knowledge by generating new knowledge through research.

LO2: Effective Communicator

  • Understand and explain the appropriateness of the various advanced methods of inquiry in educational psychology.
  • Engage in research of a level of quality that meets standards of peer review and eventually merits publication in scholarly refereed journals in educational psychology and related fields.
  • Communicate with specialist and non-specialist audiences regarding how specialized knowledge in educational psychology can be applied to make judgments about relevant issues.

LO3: Reflective Lifelong Learner

  • Correctly apply the theories, principles, concepts, skills, and methods in creative and flexible ways in educational psychology in varied academic research, applied, or employment contexts.
  • Apply specialized theories and methods in educational psychology in innovative ways to make informed judgments about relevant issues.
  • Undertake further specialized training for developing existing skills and acquiring higher-level competencies in the employment context.

LO4: Service-Driven Citizen

  • Create approaches to solving problems in academic research, applied or an employment context, in ways that involve rigorous thinking, and independent work.
  • Demonstrate understanding of the ethical dimensions of the use of psychological theories and methods, especially in research and professional practice in educational psychology
  • Conceptualize, design, and implement research projects for the generation of new knowledge and/or application of knowledge in educational psychology, and adjust the project design in consideration of external exigencies.

LO5: Innovator and constant seeker of improvement

  • Comprehend and evaluate new information related to educational psychology (e.g., theory, concepts, data) that may be presented in various forms and from various sources.
  • Understand, explain, and critically evaluate the appropriateness of the various advanced methods of inquiry in educational psychology.
  • Advance knowledge and skills in educational psychology using the established sources of advanced information in the field.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

  1. Master’s degree in Psychology or Education or its equivalent, with 12 units of graduate level psychology courses relevant to broad field of educational psychology. Students who do not have these 12 units will be required to take prerequisite courses.
  2. An overall grade of 90, 3.0 or B+ in the master’s program.
  3. Admissions test and personal interview by the department chairperson and/or members of the Admissions Committee.
  4. Clear statement of professional plans and how the PhD in Educational Psychology fits these plans.
  5. Evidence of professional promise (persona, interpersonal and the ability to communicate in English and/or Filipino effectively) for embarking on a an active research career in the area of psychology and education. Such evidence may be gathered from the student’s application for admission, from the results of the admission tests and/or from the interview with the chairperson and members of the Admissions Committee.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Basic Courses 12 units
Major Courses 12 units
Concentration Courses  9 units
Program Level Examinations  0 units
Dissertation Writing 12 units
Total 45 units

Written Comprehensive Examination

The WCE is the final check on the student’s competency in both pedagogy and his/her major field. Hence, the student takes the WCE in two tranches: the first part is on pedagogical knowledge and the second part is on the content knowledge.

Candidacy Examination/Proposal Defense

 

Research Publication

The student must have at least one (1) research publication in an internationally- or nationally-refereed journal within residency in the program.

 

PROGRAM CURRICULUM

BASIC COURSES (12 units)

CPS510D   Advanced Statistics (3 units)
This is a 3-unit course for doctoral degree students of Counseling and Educational Psychology.  It extends the students’ knowledge beyond the basic statistics at the master’s level. It includes topics on multivariate ANOVA, multiple regression, path analysis, cluster analysis and other multivariate analysis with manifest and latent variables.

CPS525D   Research Methods I (3 units)
This course is the entry-level research methods course for students in the PhD Counseling Psychology and PhD Educational Psychology programs. The prerequisite course is CPS510D (Advanced Statistics), and the students are also expected to have completed a masters level course on methods of research.  Thus, students are expected to be knowledgeable about the basic research designs (experimental and descriptive methods) in research and about multivariate statistical procedures.

CPS527D   Research Methods 2 (3 units)
This course is the second research methods course for students in the Educational Psychology program.  The prerequisite is CPS525D (Research Methods 1).  Thus students are expected to be knowledgeable about the various possible research designs in the area of study and to have developed a research proposal in their prerequisite course.

The course will build on the competencies and outputs of Research Methods 1, but will involve more intensive examination of the process involved in developing a research proposal.   In particular, using the research proposal in Research Methods 1, the student will go through a process of revising the proposal and improving the (a) conceptualization of the research problems, (b)  theoretically embedding the study, and (c) planning the research methods and data analysis.  These revisions shall be undertaken with a more through consideration of the existing research literature on the specific area of inquiry.  The students will also be given the opportunity to undertake a pilot study of some components of their proposal.

Any of the following courses:

CPS531D   Advanced Seminar on Biological Bases of Behavior (3 units)
This subject is a study of human behavior, emotions and cognitions from the perspective of biological psychology in its current state of knowledge and research. Basics of human neuroanatomy and neurophysiology are reviewed to facilitate better understanding of topics.

CPS532D   Advanced Seminar on Cognitive-Affective Basis of Behavior (3 units)
Seminar course on current research and theory on the cognitive and affective basis of human behavior.  Focus will be given to topics that are relevant to the study of counseling, clinical and educational psychology.

CPS533D   Advanced Seminar on Social and Cultural Basis of Behavior (3 units)
This course is generally designed to provide doctoral students in Counseling and Educational Psychology an overview of the current research and theory in social psychology, cross-cultural psychology, and cultural psychology.  The course affords the students opportunity to examine how theories and models in the fields of Social and Cultural Psychology interface with the theories and models currently employed in Counseling and Educational Psychology.

CPS534D   Advanced Seminar on Developmental Basis of Behavior (3 units)
A seminar course on current research and theory in developmental psychology across the lifespan. Particular focus will be given to topics that are relevant to the study of counseling, clinical and educational psychology

 

CORE COURSES (12 units)

EPS712D   Human Development and Schooling (3 units)
Current theories and research on cognitive development, linguistic development, personal, social, and emotional development that provide insights into how educational experiences can be designed to promote student development in schools. Emphasis will be given on contemporary theories and research that emphasize the socio-cultural aspects of human development.

EPS713D   Cognition, Motivation and Instructions (3 units)
Current theories and research on the nature and interaction of cognitive and motivational processes in student learning, on how these are affected by instructional processes, and on how instructional systems can be designed in ways that facilitate the effective cognitive and motivational processes. Emphasis will be given on socio-cultural aspects of cognition and motivation.

EPS714D   Psychology of Individual Differences (3 units)
A critical survey of current theories and research on psychological theories of intelligence, cognitive styles, personality, motivation, values and other individual difference variables relevant to the educational process. In this course, students will learn to summarize and critically evaluate complex research literature and theoretical debates in the area of research in individual differences.

EPS715D   Psychological Assessment in Schools (3 units)
A critical review of current theory, approaches, and research on the assessment of learning in schools, the influence of assessment processes on student learning, and contemporary issues related to assessment of student learning.

 

CONCENTRATION COURSES (3 units)

Any three (3)  of the following:

CPS622D   Psychology of Motivation (3 units)

Study of the principles, dynamics of motivation and their application to the more complex aspects of learning.

EPS716D   Social and Cultural Aspects of Learning (3 units)

Advanced seminar on the various social and cultural dimensions of student learning and achievement in schools.  The course will address issues of how social and cultural theories of learning and instruction can be applied to research on learning and achievement of Filipino students and on improving teaching, curriculum, and other aspects of the educational system.

EPS717D   Directed Readings in Educational Psychology (3 units)

The course is an advanced seminar on current research in educational psychology, with emphasis on theoretical and practical issues that apply to Philippine and Asian educational contexts.  The course shall focus on a particular topic within the areas of human learning and environment, psychological and/or educational measurement. Students are expected to complete and empirical research project as a part of the course.

EPS718D   Directed Action Research (3 units)

The course will allow students to conceptualize and undertake a small-scale research project in a chosen topic in educational psychology.

EPS722D   Scaling Theory (3 units)

The course in Scaling Theory is concentrated on the techniques and analysis of scales used for research in educational psychology. Varied techniques and methods of constructing scales are discussed with hands-on exercises. The overall theory as an outcome and prerequisite to results of scales developed are emphasized. Towards the end of the course, the student will develop their own scales employing the proper analysis.

EPS723D   Advanced Psychometric Theory (3 units)

This course compares both Classical Test Theory (CTT) and Item Response Theory (IRT) on test construction. In CTT, the estimates of item difficulty, item discrimination, and norm are discussed. In Item Response Theory overview of different mathematical models are presented with concentration on the Rasch model (one parameter logistic model) and its application in cognitive and noncognitive measures.

EPS724D   Evaluation 1 (3 units)

This course deals with the study of the different models and approaches for evaluating programs.  It emphasizes both the quantitative and qualitative approaches to program evaluation.  It also deals with the study of the different instruments/tools associated with the use of qualitative and quantitative approaches to evaluation.

EPS732D   Performance Assessment (3 units)

Comprises a study of performance assessment-its nature, systems, and strategies-as applied in educational and other settings.  Includes monitoring of performance assessment systems.  Explores technical issues of interpretation and application.

EDM592D   Specialized Curriculum Studies (3 units)

 

EDM593D   Design and Development of Alternative Delivery System (3 units)

The course focuses on the design and development of educational delivery systems appropriate in a technology-enabled society. Topics for discussion will include e-learning, distance education, technology-enabled educational platforms among others.

LIN805D   Seminar on Research in Psycholinguistics (3 units)

A discussion of current research on perspectives on acquiring/learning a language

LIN632D   Bilingualism and Bilingual Education (3 units)

A critical examination of issues in bilingualism and bilingual education around the world; preparation of original papers concerning aspects of Philippine bilingualism and bilingual education.

 

INTEGRATIVE EXAMINATIONS (0 units)

PhDEPQ1   Qualifying Examination – Area 1
PhDEPW1  Comprehensive Examination – Area 1
PhDEPW2  Comprehensive Examinations – Area 2

 

DISSERTATION (12 units)

CPS951D-965D    Dissertation (12 units)