Teaching of Psychology: Section Awards

The Teaching of Psychology (ToP) section is thrilled to launch several awards related to teaching and learning in psychology. We have two categories of awards with additional information about each below.

  1. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Research Award
    • Up to 2 annual awards
    • Recognizes a significant contribution to the SoTL as it broadly relates to psychology
  2. Excellence in Teaching Award
    • Up to 3 annual awards worth $250 each
    • Recognizes excellence in the teaching of psychology across various career stages
    • Must be a current CPA ToP section member to be eligible

The application deadline for both awards is April 30.

If you have any questions about the awards, please contact Alyssa Counsell, Chair of the ToP section (a.counsell@torontomu.ca).

 

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Research Award

This annual award recognizes excellence in the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) as it broadly relates to psychology.

Eligibility Criteria

  1. The research must have been published in a refereed scientific journal within the previous two calendar years
  2. At least one of the authors must be a researcher working at a Canadian postsecondary education institution or a current member of the Teaching of Psychology Section of CPA if working outside of Canada.

Application Procedure

Applications should include the published manuscript as well as a one-page cover letter that includes the following information:

  1. Confirmation that at least one of the authors works at a Canadian institution or is a current member of the Teaching of Psychology Section of CPA
  2. A statement about the significance, importance, and impact of the research as it pertains to the teaching and learning of psychology

Please forward your application materials to Dr. Alyssa Counsell, Teaching of Psychology Chair (a.counsell@torontomu.ca) on or before April 30.

Applications will be reviewed by members of the Teaching of Psychology Awards Committee. Up to two winners will be announced at the annual CPA convention in June. Additionally, recipient names will be highlighted in a message to the ToP listserv and listed on the ToP awards page.

 

Excellence in Teaching of Psychology Awards

The Excellence in Teaching of Psychology Awards recognize postsecondary educators with strong commitments and contributions to teaching and learning in psychology. We especially welcome applications that relate to one or more of the following areas: i) innovation in teaching, ii) inclusive teaching, or iii) experiential learning. Up to three awards will be given out annually.

Two application streams are available based on career stage:

  1. Excellence in Teaching of Psychology Award
  2. Early Career Excellence in Teaching of Psychology Award*

*For the purposes of this award, “early career” refers to graduate student instructors or instructors who have received doctoral degrees less than 6 years prior to the award submission deadline

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible applicants must:

  • be a current member of the CPA Teaching of Psychology Section
  • have been a course instructor for at least one psychology course at a Canadian post-secondary institution within the previous two calendar years

Application Requirements

Application packages must include (only) the following materials:

  1. A signed one-page cover letter with the following information:
    1. Application stream: Excellence in Teaching of Psychology award or Early Career Excellence in Teaching of Psychology award
    2. Current position
    3. Education level (highest degree earned and when)
    4. Brief description of teaching experience (including number of years, which institution(s), and any other relevant context)
    5. Confirmation that you are a current member of the Teaching of Psychology CPA section
  1. Two letters of support
    1. These should be written by individuals familiar with your teaching practice (students, colleagues, teaching development professionals, etc)
    2. Letters must not exceed one page
    3. Letters must be signed by the referee
  1. A brief teaching portfolio (maximum 4 pages) that contains:
    1. A 1-page Teaching Philosophy Statement that clearly and concisely details your beliefs about teaching and how you put those beliefs into action in your teaching
    2. Up to 3 pages of Supporting Materials that demonstrate your approach to teaching, your development and growth as an instructor, your teaching accomplishments, or your teaching effectiveness

You can find more information about preparing teaching portfolios on the ToP Section resources page.

Formatting Instructions:

All materials (cover letter, letters of support, teaching portfolio) must adhere to the following style guidelines:

  • Standard 1-inch/2.54 cm margins
  • 1.5 spacing
  • 12-point font

Please do not include additional application materials, active URLs, or materials that exceed the page limits outlined above as they will not be reviewed by the Awards Committee.

Applicants should forward all materials in their application package as a single PDF document to Dr. Alyssa Counsell, Teaching of Psychology Chair (a.counsell@torontomu.ca) on or before April 30.

Applications will be reviewed by members of the Teaching of Psychology Awards Committee. Up to three recipients will be announced at the annual CPA convention in June. Additionally, recipient names will be highlighted in a message to the ToP listserv and listed on the ToP awards page.