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Teaching Philosophy
Meghan B. Scrimgeour
As a developmental psychologist, I view learning as a transactional process between a
learner and the environment in which learning transpires. As an inherently dyadic relationship, I
believe that the professor-student relationship is interdependent and bidirectional. On one side of
the relationship, it is my responsibility as a professor to stimulate students interest in the field of
psychology, clearly introduce and explore core concepts, promote critical thinking skills, and
actively reflect on which of my teaching strategies, lessons, and assignments are most effective
and which could be improved. On the other side of the relationship, students are responsible for
actively engaging with the material, incorporating new information into their knowledge base of
psychology, and acknowledging when they need additional assistance. In order to help foster an
effective relationship, there are several strategies that I have implemented in my experience of
teaching the lab portion of research methods in psychology, teaching online research methods in
psychology and adolescent development courses, serving as a teaching assistant for a course in
developmental psychology, and mentoring undergraduate research assistants within established
research lab settings.
First, given that students have different learning styles, it is important to offer numerous
types of learning opportunities and to present course material in several different formats. For
example, while teaching my lab sections, in order to expose students to life as a social sciences
researcher, I incorporate hands-on activities such as constructing attitudes assessment surveys,
collecting self-report and observational data, and running basic statistical analyses. Additionally,
when having multiple collaborators is fundamental to completing an assignment, I have students
work in small groups. When doing so, I highlight to students and make the connection that often
in their lives they will be required to work with a team and developing effective inter-group
relations will aid in their academic and professional success. To add flavor to lectures and to
help bring course material to life, I incorporate related videos and media clips. Moreover, when
introducing difficult concepts, I make sure that I provide and carefully review several examples
as well as explain the concept from as many angles as possible.
Second, in order for students to feel comfortable embracing course material, engaging in
class discussion, asking questions, and identifying when they need additional help, it is critical
that I create an environment that fosters student involvement. In order to achieve an
intellectually nourishing context, there are several strategies I implement with each class session
and each interaction with students. First of all, I make myself accessible to students during class,
through email, and during my regular office hours. Students have positively reported on my
availability and willingness to further explain course content. For example, students have stated
in their end-of-semester evaluations, Meghan took the time to explain difficult concepts which
really helped my understanding of the subject, and Meghan is very helpful and is always
willing to give out her help when needed. She made difficult concepts easier to understand. She
was also extremely helpful when I went to her office hours. Additionally, despite any stressors
outside of the classroom that may affect my mood or energy levels, I make sure that I engage
with my students in a friendly and upbeat manner. I have found that the more approachable I
make myself the more students are comfortable and willing to engage in class discussion, ask
questions, and attend my office hours. For example, students have expressed, What helped me

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learn in this course was that Meghan made it so welcoming to ask questions. I wasnt hesitant to
ask anything that confused me because she was very approachable and willing to help.
Third, in my experience with writing intensive courses, I have found that in order for
students to improve on their scientific writing skills, it is important that I provide ample
constructive feedback in a timely manner and provide students with opportunities to incorporate
feedback into subsequent assignments. I take time to carefully read each students written
assignment, provide either hand-written or electronic comments, and at the end of each
assignment, summarize my comments that emphasize key points for improvement. In order for
students to incorporate these suggestions into their writing, each writing assignment builds on the
previous one. For example, in the research methods course, I ask students to write a literature
review paper. This paper, in part, serves as the introduction to their final research project
proposal paper. Students have reflected positively on feedback given and have told me my
comments on these iterative assignments helped them improve on their following drafts. For
example, students have reported in their end-of-semester evaluations, I really liked how each
paper assignment expanded on the previous one and that my feedback was the element to the
course that contributed most effectively to their learning.
Fourth, I strive to advance students critical thinking skills so that they can become better
consumers of research. Being able to assess psychological constructs using an analytical
perspective is particularly important for students as they are challenged with integrating their
own life experiences, preexisting knowledge, exposure to the media, and scientific research
within the classroom setting. In my research method lab sections, I emphasize the necessity of
using knowledge of research methods in order to distinguish between high-quality research
studies and poorly-executed research studies. By reading and discussing assigned empirical
articles, students are able to a) understand the basic sections of a peer-reviewed manuscript and b)
practice critical thinking when interpreting results. In my experience, it is during these exercises
that students begin to understand how to be well-informed and equipped consumers of research
both within and outside the halls of academia. I have also found that students analytical
thinking and writing abilities are best encouraged when they are invested in the topic and
assignment. For instance, in my adolescent development course, students are asked to write an
interview paper. For this assignment, students formulate their own interview questions that tap
into major topics of adolescent development and interview three different individuals regarding
their own experiences. Students then compare and contrast the interviewees experiences with
the empirical literature. In course evaluations, students have reflected that this assignment
allowed them to better evaluate personal perspectives with scientific findings and to connect with
the course material on a deeper level.
Even though only a small portion of my students are likely to pursue a career in
psychology, I strive for my students to actively engage with the material, take initiative by
acknowledging when they need additional assistance, and develop analytic thinking skills.
Regardless of the career path my students take, they will need these skills in order to succeed not
only in their academic programs but in their professional lives and beyond. It is my hope that I
can help nurture the skills they will need in order to achieve their academic, career, and personal
goals.