PHENOMENOLOGICAL EXAMINATION OF STUDENT EXPERIENCES REGARDING THE TEACHING PROCESS OF PSYCHOLOGY COURSES

Abstract

The primary purpose of the study is to explore students' perceptions of the learning-teaching process of psychology courses, as well as their experiences related to the course's learning outcomes, objectives, content, and teaching methods. The research followed a phenomenological framework within a qualitative methodology. The study group consisted of 162 university students studying in the Guidance and Psychological Counseling department who had already taken a psychology course. The study utilized semi-structured interview forms for data collection, followed by a content analysis procedure. The findings have revealed that the learning-teaching process of psychology courses is largely teacher-centered, and that there are limited practices to ensure active student participation. The predominance of direct instruction, insufficient variety of methods and practical activities, and inadequate inclusion of classroom interaction and student opinions are among the findings of the research. The study proposes transforming psychology courses into a student-centered, interaction- and application-based learning environment.