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Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary

SOC 25-1066.00Job Zone 5 · Extensive Preparationv.26.05

Context coveredThis framework covers postsecondary psychology teaching practice across undergraduate and graduate education, encompassing curriculum design, research supervision, faculty leadership, and scholarly engagement in university and academic settings.

Sources:O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.SkillsCrosswalkSkillsCrosswalk — O*NET enrichment + adjacency index. Opens in new tab.
Emerging
Entry / Apprentice
  1. Undergraduate and graduate lectures on foundational psychology topics — prepare and deliver under faculty mentorship using structured course templates in a postsecondary classroom setting.
  2. Classroom discussions on psychological concepts — initiate and facilitate with guidance from supervising faculty in introductory-level course sections.
  3. Student assignments and written papers — evaluate and grade using provided rubrics and grading criteria established by the course coordinator.
  4. Current psychology literature and peer-reviewed journals — read and summarize key developments to support teaching preparation under departmental direction.
  5. Course examinations — compile and administer following established departmental protocols, with oversight from senior faculty.
  6. Course syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts — prepare using departmental templates and approved learning objectives for assigned sections.
  7. Undergraduate research or internship activities — assist in supervising under the direction of a senior faculty mentor in a university research environment.
  8. Word processing and course management software — use to organize instructional materials and communicate assignments to students in an academic setting.
  9. Psychological theories and empirical findings — apply foundational knowledge of psychology, sociology, and biology to support accurate content delivery in entry-level courses.
  10. Student comprehension and participation — monitor during lectures and adjust pacing based on observable engagement cues in small or medium-sized classroom environments.
Developing
Mid-level / Established
  1. Lectures on specialized psychology topics such as abnormal psychology and cognitive processes — prepare and deliver independently to undergraduate cohorts with minimal supervisory review.
  2. Seminar and discussion-based learning environments — facilitate and moderate with emerging confidence, drawing on active listening and social perceptiveness to guide student dialogue.
  3. Student class work, laboratory reports, and research papers — evaluate and grade consistently using self-developed rubrics aligned with course learning outcomes.
  4. Professional conferences and collegial networks — participate in regularly to stay current with developments in psychology and integrate new findings into course content.
  5. Mid-term and final examinations — compile, administer, and grade independently, delegating proctoring tasks to teaching assistants as appropriate in a university setting.
  6. Course materials including syllabi and supplemental handouts — design and refine each semester based on student feedback and evolving disciplinary standards.
  7. Graduate teaching assistants and undergraduate research students — supervise day-to-day activities, providing formative feedback within a structured academic program.
  8. Analytical and scientific software and database query tools — use to support literature searches, data illustration, and evidence-based instructional design.
  9. Critical thinking and complex problem-solving frameworks — model and teach explicitly within psychology coursework to develop students' higher-order reasoning skills.
  10. Student learning outcomes — monitor across multiple course sections and use data to inform iterative adjustments to instructional strategy and assessment design.
Proficient
Senior / Expert IC
  1. Graduate and advanced undergraduate lectures across the full psychology curriculum — design and deliver autonomously, integrating cutting-edge research into content on topics from work motivation to therapy and counseling.
  2. Complex classroom discussions involving contested theories and empirical debates — moderate with expertise, using deductive and inductive reasoning to guide students toward rigorous analytical conclusions.
  3. Comprehensive student assessment systems — develop, validate, and administer across lecture, laboratory, and seminar contexts, ensuring alignment with program-level learning outcomes.
  4. Emerging developments across psychology sub-disciplines — synthesize continuously through journal review, conference attendance, and professional network engagement, translating findings into updated instructional content.
  5. Doctoral and master's-level research projects — supervise independently, providing substantive methodological and theoretical guidance through all stages from design to thesis defense.
  6. Internship and field placement programs — oversee and coordinate, evaluating student professional development against accreditation and program competency standards.
  7. Interdisciplinary course content drawing on sociology, biology, and communications — construct and teach autonomously, demonstrating broad knowledge integration across related academic domains.
  8. Scholarly writing and grant proposal development — produce at a high level of proficiency, contributing original research to peer-reviewed publications and supporting departmental research goals.
  9. Non-routine pedagogical challenges such as underperforming students or curriculum gaps — identify and resolve using problem sensitivity and judgment to implement evidence-based instructional interventions.
  10. Systems analysis and evaluation methods — apply to assess program effectiveness and recommend data-informed curricular changes within a postsecondary psychology department.
Advanced
Lead / Principal / Executive
  1. Departmental teaching philosophy and curriculum architecture — set strategic direction for across all psychology degree programs, aligning content with institutional mission and accreditation standards.
  2. Faculty recruitment and hiring processes — lead end-to-end, designing selection criteria, conducting candidate evaluations, and making final recommendations to ensure program excellence.
  3. Junior and mid-career faculty development — mentor systematically through observation, feedback, and structured professional development initiatives within the department.
  4. Research culture and scholarly productivity — cultivate at an organizational level by securing external funding, establishing laboratory infrastructure, and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration.
  5. Departmental assessment and program review cycles — direct, synthesizing outcome data across courses and student cohorts to drive continuous improvement at the program and institutional level.
  6. Institutional academic policies, curriculum committees, and accreditation bodies — represent the psychology department in strategic engagement, advocating for resource allocation and programmatic recognition.
  7. Graduate training pipelines including doctoral supervision, teaching mentorship, and professional socialization — oversee comprehensively, producing scholars and practitioners who advance the discipline.
  8. Field-wide knowledge integration across psychology, counseling, neuroscience, and social science — demonstrate at an authoritative level, publishing influential work and shaping discourse at national conferences.
  9. Organizational coordination across faculty, administrative staff, and external stakeholders — exercise to sustain high-functioning departmental operations and strategic academic partnerships.
  10. Ethics, integrity, and intellectual curiosity — model at the highest standard across teaching, research, and service activities, establishing the cultural norms that define the department's scholarly identity.

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Sources:Anthropic Economic IndexAnthropic Economic Index — release_2026_03_24. Opens in new tab.Jadhav & Danve, 2026Skill Automation Feasibility Index — Jadhav & Danve, 2026 (arXiv:2604.06906). Opens in new tab.WEF Skills TaxonomyWEF Skills Taxonomy 2021 — Building a Common Language for Skills at Work. Opens in new tab.

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Source anchors that ground each statement

Related titles
Abnormal Psychology Teacher · Adjunct Instructor · Adjunct Professor · Adjunct Psychology Faculty Member · Adjunct Psychology Instructor · Adjunct Psychology Professor · Applied Psychology Professor · Applied Psychology Teacher · Assistant Professor · Associate Professor · Child Development Instructor · Child Development Professor
RAPIDS apprenticeships
—
O*NET skills
Learning StrategiesReading ComprehensionSpeakingInstructingActive ListeningWritingCritical ThinkingActive LearningComplex Problem SolvingJudgment and Decision MakingSocial PerceptivenessMonitoringScienceSystems AnalysisSystems EvaluationCoordinationTime ManagementMathematicsService Orientation
Knowledge domains
PsychologyEnglish LanguageEducation and TrainingSociology and AnthropologyMathematicsTherapy and CounselingComputers and ElectronicsCommunications and MediaBiology
Abilities
Oral ExpressionWritten ExpressionWritten ComprehensionOral ComprehensionSpeech ClarityDeductive ReasoningInductive ReasoningSpeech RecognitionProblem SensitivityFluency of Ideas
Work styles
Intellectual CuriosityDependabilityIntegritySocial OrientationEmpathyAchievement Orientation
Technology
Medical softwareComputer based training softwareData base user interface and query softwareCalendar and scheduling softwareAnalytical or scientific softwareWord processing softwareInformation retrieval or search softwareElectronic mail softwareOptical character reader OCR or scanning softwareSpreadsheet software
Tasks · seed anchors for statements
  1. Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as abnormal psychology, cognitive processes, and work motivation.
  2. Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
  3. Evaluate and grade students' class work, laboratory work, assignments, and papers.
  4. Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
  5. Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
  6. Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
  7. Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work.
  8. Recruit and hire new faculty.
CIP education codes
13.133530.100130.170130.530142.010142.270142.270242.270342.270442.270542.270642.270742.270842.271042.279942.280142.280242.280342.280442.280542.280642.280742.280842.280942.281042.281142.281242.281342.281442.281542.281642.281742.289942.999951.1505

Sources: O*NET v30.2 (CC BY 4.0), SkillsCrosswalk.com, LER.me®, Anthropic Economic Index, SAFI (Jadhav & Danve, 2026), WEF Skills Taxonomy 2021, Pathsmith™ Durable Skills Framework. © 2026 EBSCOed.