The Teaching Reform of the Course Educational Psychology under New Liberal Arts: A Perspective from a Dual-Drive Model of Digital Technology Empowerment and Interdisciplinary Integration

Lin Qin; You Chen; Rongjie Huang; Jiewen Chen

doi:10.70088/narmrf19

Authors

Lin Qin College of Foreign Studies, Guangdong University of Science and Technology, Dongguan, China Author
You Chen College of Foreign Studies, Guangdong University of Science and Technology, Dongguan, China Author
Rongjie Huang College of Foreign Studies, Guangdong University of Science and Technology, Dongguan, China Author
Jiewen Chen College of Foreign Studies, Guangdong University of Science and Technology, Dongguan, China Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.70088/narmrf19

Keywords:

new liberal arts, educational psychology, digital empowerment, teaching reform, interdisciplinary integration

Abstract

In the context of China's New Liberal Arts (NLA) initiative, the traditional Educational Psychology (EP) course faces significant pedagogical challenges, particularly in aligning foundational knowledge transmission with the advanced cultivation of interdisciplinary competencies and digital literacy required in the modern era. To address these critical gaps, this study proposes an innovative dual-drive model that systematically integrates digital technology empowerment and interdisciplinary integration to guide comprehensive course reform. The proposed theoretical model emphasizes the establishment of competence-based course objectives, the incorporation of interdisciplinary knowledge within the core teaching content, the implementation of digitally enhanced teaching methods, and the deployment of a highly comprehensive "formative + summative" assessment system. To validate the effectiveness of this approach, an empirical evaluation was conducted, comparing an experimental group instructed using the dual-drive model with a control group following conventional teaching methods. The quantitative and qualitative results demonstrate statistically significant improvements in the experimental group's classroom performance, assignment quality, final examination results, and overall student competence. Furthermore, the findings strongly suggest that the dual-drive model effectively transforms EP teaching from a traditional knowledge-centered paradigm to a dynamic, capacity-oriented framework. Ultimately, this research provides a highly operational and scalable framework for innovating traditional academic courses under the NLA initiative, thereby successfully cultivating interdisciplinary talents equipped with profound humanistic literacy, rigorous scientific thinking, advanced digital skills, and exceptional innovative capabilities.

References

R. J. Cameron, "Educational psychology: The distinctive contribution," Educational Psychology in Practice, vol. 22, no. 4, pp. 289-304, 2006.

P. Lewis, "Globalizing the liberal arts: Twenty-first-century education," in Higher Education in the Era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Singapore: Springer Singapore, 2018, pp. 15-38.

X. Ren and L. Liu, "Research on Art and Design Education in the Context of New Liberal Arts," Journal of Arts and Cultural Studies, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 1-13, 2024.

M. H. Dembo, Applying Educational Psychology. Longman/Addison Wesley Longman, 1994.

D. Ray, "Liberal arts for entrepreneurs," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 79-93, 1991.

D. J. Cunningham, "Beyond educational psychology: Steps toward an educational semiotic," Educational Psychology Review, vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 165-194, 1992.

A. M. O'Donnell, E. Dobozy, M. C. Nagel, B. Bartlett, S. Smala, C. Wormald, et al., Educational Psychology. John Wiley & Sons, 2024.

P. A. Alexander and P. H. Winne, Handbook of Educational Psychology. Routledge, 2012.

J. Kolko, "The divisiveness of design thinking," Interactions, vol. 25, no. 3, pp. 28-34, 2018.

N. J. Salkind, Ed., Encyclopedia of Educational Psychology. SAGE Publications, 2008.

T. V. McGovern, "Psychology curricula and the new liberal arts," in Handbook of the Teaching of Psychology, 2006, pp. 16-22.

J. E. Althof, "The social psychology of field experience education: Some applications to the liberal arts," Alternative Higher Education, vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 127-139, 1979.

N. J. Bauer, "Foundational Studies as a New Liberal Art: Educology," 1988.

A. R. Schmauder, M. D. Robinson, and J. E. Hartley, "Psychology research at liberal arts colleges," Teaching of Psychology, vol. 26, no. 2, pp. 95-101, 1999.

X. Hu and H. Chen, "Innovative Approaches to Undergraduate Psychology Education Within the New Liberal Arts Framework," Education Research and Development, vol. 3, no. 5, p. 104, 2024.

T. V. McGovern, L. Furumoto, D. F. Halpern, G. A. Kimble, and W. J. McKeachie, "Liberal education, study in depth, and the arts and sciences major: Psychology," American Psychologist, vol. 46, no. 6, p. 598, 1991.