1. Home
  2. Careers
  3. Psychology Teachers Postsecondary
  4. Required Skills Responsibilities Activities

Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary Occupation Detailed Description

Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary career

General Job Description and Education/Training Levels for Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary

The main tasks and work activities of Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary are to teach social science courses at the college level, evaluate student work, guide class discussions, prepare tests. In general, for the Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary, learning Strategies, instructing, reading Comprehension, speaking and other 16 skills are required.
Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary Job Description
EducationMost of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Related ExperienceExtensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Job TrainingEmployees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
ExampleThese occupations often involve coordinating, training, supervising, or managing the activities of others to accomplish goals. Very advanced communication and organizational skills are required. Examples include pharmacists, lawyers, astronomers, biologists, clergy, neurologists, and veterinarians.
The following chart shows the education/training levels for Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary jobs.
Less than a High School Diploma
0.00%
High School Diploma (or the equivalent)
0.00%
Post-Secondary Certificate
0.00%
Some College Courses
0.00%
Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
0.00%
Bachelor's Degree and Above
100.00%

Tasks and Work Activities of Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary

  • Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as abnormal psychology, cognitive processes, and work motivation.
  • Evaluate and grade students' class work, laboratory work, assignments, and papers.
  • Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
  • Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
  • Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
  • Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
  • Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, course materials, and methods of instruction.
  • Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.
  • Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work.
  • Maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students.
  • Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.
  • Advise students on academic and vocational curricula and on career issues.
  • Select and obtain materials and supplies, such as textbooks.
  • Collaborate with colleagues to address teaching and research issues.
  • Serve on academic or administrative committees that deal with institutional policies, departmental matters, and academic issues.
  • Compile bibliographies of specialized materials for outside reading assignments.
  • Participate in student recruitment, registration, and placement activities.
  • Supervise students' laboratory work.
  • Perform administrative duties, such as serving as department head.
  • Act as advisers to student organizations.
  • Training and Teaching OthersIdentifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
  • Interpreting the Meaning of Information for OthersTranslating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
  • Updating and Using Relevant KnowledgeKeeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal RelationshipsDeveloping constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
  • Interacting With ComputersUsing computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
  • Coaching and Developing OthersIdentifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or SubordinatesProviding information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
  • Getting InformationObserving, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Making Decisions and Solving ProblemsAnalyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or PeopleAssessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
  • Teach social science courses at the college level.
  • Evaluate student work.
  • Guide class discussions.
  • Prepare tests.
  • Administer tests to assess educational needs or progress.
  • Attend training sessions or professional meetings to develop or maintain professional knowledge.
  • Stay informed about current developments in field of specialization.
  • Develop instructional materials.
  • Develop instructional objectives.
  • Evaluate effectiveness of educational programs.
  • Maintain student records.
  • Supervise student research or internship work.
  • Advise students on academic or career matters.
  • Write articles, books or other original materials in area of expertise.
  • Research topics in area of expertise.
  • Order instructional or library materials or equipment.
  • Select educational materials or equipment.
  • Serve on institutional or departmental committees.
  • Compile specialized bibliographies or lists of materials.
  • Perform student enrollment or registration activities.

Skills and Abilities for Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary

  • Learning StrategiesSelecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
  • InstructingTeaching others how to do something.
  • Reading ComprehensionUnderstanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • SpeakingTalking to others to convey information effectively.
  • WritingCommunicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
  • Active ListeningGiving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Active LearningUnderstanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
  • Critical ThinkingUsing logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
  • Social PerceptivenessBeing aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
  • Judgment and Decision MakingConsidering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
  • Complex Problem SolvingIdentifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
  • MonitoringMonitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
  • ScienceUsing scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
  • CoordinationAdjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
  • Systems EvaluationIdentifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
  • Systems AnalysisDetermining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
  • Service OrientationActively looking for ways to help people.
  • Time ManagementManaging one's own time and the time of others.
  • MathematicsUsing mathematics to solve problems.
  • Oral ExpressionThe ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Written ComprehensionThe ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Written ExpressionThe ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
  • Speech ClarityThe ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Oral ComprehensionThe ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Inductive ReasoningThe ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
  • Deductive ReasoningThe ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Speech RecognitionThe ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
  • Near VisionThe ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Problem SensitivityThe ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
  • Fluency of IdeasThe ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
  • Category FlexibilityThe ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
  • Information OrderingThe ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
  • OriginalityThe ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
  • Slide projectorse.g. Carousel slide projectors
  • Digital camerase.g. Compact digital cameras
  • Compact disk players or recorderse.g. Compact disk CD players
  • Scannerse.g. Computer data input scanners
  • Laser printerse.g. Computer laser printers
  • Multimedia projectorse.g. Computer projectors
  • Teleconference equipmente.g. Conference telephones
  • Desktop computerse.g. Desktop computers
  • Digital voice recorderse.g. Digital audio recorders
  • Scientific calculatore.g. Digital calculators
  • Digital camcorders or video camerase.g. Digital video cameras
  • Digital video disk players or recorderse.g. Digital video disk DVD players
  • Camera based vision systems for automated data collectione.g. Eye tracking systems
  • Microphonese.g. Handheld microphones
  • Portable data input terminalse.g. Interactive whiteboard controllers
  • Touch screen monitorse.g. Interactive whiteboards
  • Notebook computerse.g. Laptop computers
  • Laser fax machinee.g. Laser facsimile machines
  • Scanning light or spinning disk or laser scanning microscopese.g. Laser scanning microscopes
  • Liquid crystal display projectore.g. Liquid crystal display LCD projectors
  • PsychologyKnowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
  • English LanguageKnowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Education and TrainingKnowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
  • Sociology and AnthropologyKnowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
  • MathematicsKnowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
  • Therapy and CounselingKnowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
  • Computers and ElectronicsKnowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
  • Communications and MediaKnowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
  • BiologyKnowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.