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Course Description

Teacher in Charge: Dr E. Attridge.

Building on the foundations laid in Year 12, the NCEA Level 3 Psychology course is designed to deepen your understanding of psychological concepts and develop advanced analytical and research skills. This course will prepare you for higher education and careers in psychology and related fields by focusing on critical thinking, in-depth analysis, and independent research.

Psychology at this level emphasizes the application of psychological knowledge to real-world situations and the development of research skills. You will learn to analyze complex psychological theories, evaluate research methodologies, and conduct your own investigations. This course will enhance your ability to:

Critically analyze and compare different psychological approaches
Evaluate the impact of psychological research on society
Develop and execute independent research projects
Apply psychological principles to contemporary issues

The skills you develop in this course are highly transferable and will be valuable in a wide range of academic and professional contexts.

The course is structured around four key L3 Psychology standards:

Analyzing Psychological Approaches

You will:

Examine various psychological theories and models in depth
Analyze how different approaches interact and influence our understanding of human behaviour
Develop skills in comparing and contrasting psychological perspectives
Apply multiple psychological approaches to complex behavioural phenomena

Research Analysis

This involves:

In-depth study of a pivotal piece of psychological research
Exploration of the historical context and contemporary relevance of the chosen research
Analysis of research methodologies and their strengths and limitations
Evaluation of the societal impacts of significant psychological studies

Issue Analysis

In this section, you will:

Critically evaluate a significant current issue in psychological practice
Explore the ethical implications of psychological research and practice
Develop skills in argumentation and evidence-based reasoning
Prepare for the external examination, which will focus on this component

Psychological Investigation

This is a psychology experiment that allows you to:

Choose a psychological topic of personal interest for in-depth investigation
Develop a research plan through consultation with your teacher
Execute your research project, collecting and analyzing data
Present your findings in a formal research report

Throughout the course, you will engage in discussions, debates, and presentations that will help you articulate complex psychological concepts and their real-world applications. By the end of the year, you will have a sophisticated understanding of psychological principles and practices, as well as valuable experience in conducting independent research.

Note: This is a proposed course for 2025. If the course is unable to run then students may be able to study at MGC through Interchange.

Course Overview

Term 1
We start Term 1 by revisiting Psychology Approaches learned at level 2. Now you will delve deeper into these approaches, critically analyzing and comparing them. You will study specific theories and research studies within each approach and learn to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses. We then move onto analysing the significance of a key piece of research and its impact on society. To do this effectively, we will look at a range of research before the internal assessment.

Term 2
Experimental work is a core component of the course, and you will learn the fundamentals of psychological research. So, you will learn about experimental design, ethical considerations, and data collection methods. You will practice critical thinking and scientific writing skills while exploring various aspects of experimental psychology. The term culminates with you planning and conducting your own psychological investigation, applying the knowledge and skills you have acquired. The final submission being due early term 3.

Term 3
The final term sees the completion of the investigation and the start of the preparation for the external - which focuses on a significant issue in professional psychological practice. You could be asked to critically examine various ethical, methodological, or practical challenges that psychologists face in their work. For example, you might be required to analyze issues such as ethical considerations in research (e.g., informed consent, deception, or confidentiality), the reliability and validity of psychological assessment methods, the replication crisis in psychology and the application of psychological principles in real-world settings (like clinical practice or organizational psychology).

The exam may also require you to apply your understanding of psychological theories and research methods to these issues, demonstrating your ability to think critically about the complexities of modern psychological practice.

Term 4
The first few weeks of the term are focused on revision for the upcoming external exam.

Year 13 (NCEA Level 3) Science - Mātauranga Pūtaiao

Recommended Prior Learning

Ideally you will have passed level 2 Psychology. We will, however, consider students who have demonstrated that they can think scientifically together with passes in sciences and/or social sciences. If this describes you, then you need to explain clearly why you want to take level 3.

There are a large number of different paths into further Psychology Studies, including university courses.