Enhancing Undergraduate Psychology Internship by Integrating Professional Core Competencies

Data Set Overview

Description: This data set includes pre- and post-assessment results from student interns participating in field experiences during the 2023-2024 academic year. The assessments were conducted to evaluate the development of professional skills in these students.

Data Collection: Data were collected through online surveys at the beginning and end of the semester. In addition, site supervisors evaluated the interns at the midterm and at the end of their internships.

When: Throughout the 2023-2024 academic year.

Where: Data collection was performed online, with evaluations completed by student interns and site supervisors in various community settings.

Purpose of the Study: The study aimed to understand the impact of course redesign on the internship experience by evaluating the development of specific competencies defined by the university. The goal is to assess self-reported growth and external evaluations of these competencies.

Methodology:

Participants:
Total: 45 student interns (1 excluded due to incomplete data).
Gender: 87% female (39 students), 13% male (6 students).
Academic Year: 27% juniors (12 students), 73% seniors (33 students).
Credits: 42% enrolled for 2 credits (19 students), 58% for 3 credits (26 students).
Self-Evaluations:
Conducted using the NACE Competencies Self-Assessment tool.
Assessed eight key competencies: adaptability, collaboration and leadership, communication, critical thinking, digital literacy, diversity, equity, and inclusion, accountability, and career/self-development.
Pre-assessment: Evaluated initial skill levels and identified areas needing improvement.
Post-assessment: Measured growth and development over the internship period.
Site Supervisor Evaluations:

Conducted midterm and final evaluations from Site Supervisors using a Likert scale (1 = Strongly Disagree, 4 = Strongly Agree).
Midterm evaluations provided formative feedback to guide intern development.
Final evaluations assessed overall competency growth and professional skill application.

IRB Approval: The Institutional Review Board for the Protection of Human Subjects at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse granted an exemption for this non-interventional study using surveys. Human subjects were at minimal risk, and this study was approved under the expedited review category in accordance with 45CFR46, 46.110(b)(1)(ii).