Adaptation of a methodological course to Psychology to the European Higher Education Area: Undergraduates’ perception about the teaching innovation

Abstract

We describe the teaching innovation model used in experimental and Applied Research Designs, a methodological course adapted to the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) and offered as part of the psychology degree. The aim is to validate a version of the Evaluation of the Teaching Innovation Model questionnaire adapted to the present European guidelines, in order to assess the students’ opinions of the model and to evaluate the workload. Two hundred and seventy undergraduate students on this course completed the adapted questionnaire, which showed a suitable factorial validity and reliability. The students expressed a positive perception of European teaching innovation. In relation to the perception of their understanding of the subject, the main factors affecting their satisfaction with the model seem to be the blended learning strategy and the virtual campus, which are considered as innovative improvements. Finally, the students’ perception of the time devoted to study was lower than expected, specifically with regard to face-to-face classes and autonomous study. We conclude that more empirical research is needed to as-sess the results of the adaptations to the EHEA currently being introduced in university courses