Tom Coster – Psychology

Tag: psychology

  • IB Psychology Examinations

    Preparing students for the IB Diploma Psychology exam can be a challenge, but IB Diploma Psychology: Ten Mock Examinations by Tom Coster is the essential resource to ensure success. This book provides ten meticulously designed mock exams that mirror the structure, difficulty, and content of the real IB assessments, offering students the most authentic practice experience possible.

    Teachers will appreciate how this resource aligns with the IB Psychology Subject Guide and Teacher Support Material, making it a perfect companion for classroom revision. With realistic time allocations, model answers, and success strategies, students gain valuable insights into exam techniques, structuring high-quality responses, and integrating research evidence effectively.

    By using this book, teachers can provide their students with practical, targeted preparation, helping them approach the exams with confidence. With comprehensive syllabus coverage and expert guidance, this resource is the key to maximizing student achievement in IB Psychology.

  • IBDP Psychology – The Textbook

    Looking for the perfect study companion? The Textbook is designed to make learning easier, clearer, and more affordable. Available in both print and eBook formats, our eBook never expires and can be accessed on your phone, tablet, or laptop—so you can study anytime, anywhere.

    With a straightforward Concepts, Content, and Context layout, The Textbook presents information in a way that’s easy to follow. It includes everything you need: diagrams, chapter summaries, a dedicated section on Internal Assessment, and a full guide to the examinations. No unnecessary complexity—just clear explanations in plain language.

    But The Textbook is more than just a textbook—it’s the centrepiece of a complete collection of teaching and learning resources. This includes Homework Revision Questions, specialised books on the IA and the exams, a Book of Essential Research Studies, and a Vocabulary Book to strengthen key concepts.

    Best of all, The Textbook costs significantly less than those from big publishers, making it an accessible choice for students and schools alike. Whether you’re studying at home or on the go, this is the complete textbook you can rely on.

  • The new DP Psychology course – homework revision questions

    IB Diploma Psychology – Homework revision questions is designed to be the perfect companion to the IB Diploma Psychology course, helping students build strong, well-organized responses while reinforcing key concepts. By integrating structured practice with the course content, it encourages gradual, steady learning—the most effective way to truly understand the new IBDP Psychology syllabus.

    I will be using this book for regular homework tasks, where students write structured responses that can be peer-marked or self-assessed using provided mark schemes. Homework seems to work best when it is regular – supporting every lesson – perhaps even think of it as practice. The homework ensures continuous engagement with the syllabus, while also developing the habit of clear, well-constructed writing and neat presentation—crucial skills for an exam that is still written with pens and paper.

    Research shows that slow and steady learning works best. By routinely summarizing and applying class lessons, students strengthen their understanding over time, rather than cramming at the last minute. The IB exams don’t test rote memorization but rather how well students apply psychological concepts to new contexts. Regular, structured homework ensures they develop this skill naturally, making exam preparation manageable and stress-free.

    By using this workbook throughout the two-year course, students will gradually master the subject, ensuring they are confident, prepared, and capable of tackling any exam question that comes their way.

  • IBDP Psychology: Lesson One

    IBDP Psychology: Lesson One

    I’ve been thinking about my first few lessons for next year’s new IBDP Psychology course. I want to make it immediately relevant and meaningful to the students. What better way to do that than by using psychology itself to explain how they will learn best?

    Neuroplasticity: Why simple repetition works.

    A robust psychology theory is neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to change and adapt based on experience. This is one of the topics in the biological approach and it ties directly into how students develop their skills and retain knowledge in all of their IBDP classes. Through repetition and rehearsal, neural pathways are strengthened—a process known as myelination. When students rewrite notes, engage in retrieval practice, or explain concepts to others, they are literally strengthening the neural networks to retain information.

    In my first lesson, I’ll show students how scientifically-backed learning strategies—like spaced repetition, active recall, and scaffolding—aren’t just things we suggest as teachers, but are grounded in psychological research. If they understand why these strategies work, they’ll be more likely to use them.

    Causality – the cause of learning

    This elegantly connects to one of psychology’s core concepts: Causality. There is a clear cause-and-effect process at play. If students consistently engage in structured note-taking and revision (cause), they strengthen their neural pathways (effect), leading to improved retention and recall. This lesson will help students recognize that their academic success isn’t just about talent or intelligence—it’s about how they use their brains effectively.

    Starting the course this way accomplishes two things:

    1. It immediately makes the course feel relevant because the students will see that psychology isn’t just about research studies but about their own experiences, habits, and learning processes.
    2. It gives them a toolkit for success. If they embrace evidence-based study strategies from day one, they’re more likely to perform well not just in psychology, but in all their IBDP subjects.

    I want my students to leave their first Psychology lesson not just excited about Psychology, but empowered by it.

  • The Powerpoint presentations are available now

    The Powerpoint presentations are available now

    New Teaching Resource Available: Complete PowerPoint Bundle for Tom Coster’s IB Diploma Psychology – The Textbook

    Great news!!!

    We’re thrilled to announce the arrival of a comprehensive set of 18 fully editable PowerPoint presentations designed to complement Tom Coster’s IB Diploma Psychology – The Textbook! Whether you’re an experienced IB Psychology teacher or new to the curriculum, this resource is your ultimate companion for delivering engaging and effective lessons.

    Why You’ll Love This Bundle

    This set of presentations aligns seamlessly with the updated IB syllabus (first examinations in 2027), covering the Concepts, Content, and Contexts required for student success. Each PowerPoint is structured for clarity and engagement, making complex psychological theories and research accessible to learners.

    What’s Included?

    This all-in-one teaching bundle consists of 16 separate PowerPoint (.pptx) files, covering:

    Critical thinking in Psychology

    Bias

    Causality

    Change

    Measurement

    Perspective

    Responsibility

    The biological approach

    The cognitive approach

    The sociocultural approach

    Research methodology

    Health & well-being

    Human development

    Human relationships

    Cognition and learning

    The Internal Assessment

    The Examination

    How to do well in IBFP Psychology

    Fully Customizable and Ready to Use

    Each presentation is visually appealing, logically structured, and ready for immediate use in your classroom. However, all slides remain fully editable, allowing you to adapt them to your own teaching style and student needs.

    Prepare Your Students for Success

    Beyond delivering content, these presentations provide exam preparation guidance and support for the Internal Assessment, ensuring students are confident and well-prepared for every aspect of the IB Psychology course.

    Start using this powerful teaching tool today!

  • Free Worksheets – Available Now!

    We’re excited to announce that free worksheets are now available for every learning objective in the new IBDP Psychology course! These worksheets are structured in the same order as the Subject Guide, ensuring seamless integration into your lesson plans—although you’re free to use them in whatever order best suits your teaching style.

    Each worksheet is designed to take 40-50 minutes to complete and works well when 2-3 students collaborate, fostering discussion and deeper understanding. They can also serve as homework assignments or substitute lesson activities when teachers are away. The worksheets are fully editable, allowing you to adapt them to your specific classroom needs, or you can simply use them as they are.

    These resources are completely free to download and use, but if you find them helpful, I have a small request—please consider purchasing a copy of Succeeding at High School or College, or even better, recommending it to your students. Your support helps make the creation of high-quality resources like these possible!

    Click here to access the worksheets and start using them in your IBDP Psychology classes today!

  • Exciting times; exciting news

    We’re thrilled to announce that most of our books are now available! Whether you prefer eBooks or print editions, you can now access our resources in the format that suits you best. Just follow the links to Amazon.

    We live in happy times

    But that’s not all—we’ve got even more coming your way! By the end of this week, our Free Worksheets page will go live, giving you access to around 200 materials to support your learning. These worksheets will be a great companion to our books, helping you reinforce key concepts and practice essential skills.

    And for those looking for a complete teaching package, we have something special planned. This weekend, we will be releasing a full set of PowerPoint presentations for the entire course, including the assessments. These presentations will provide structured, ready-to-use content, making it easier than ever to teach the course.

  • Why choose the eBook versions?

    Why choose the eBook versions?

    The eBook versions of the Tom Coster Collection offer a smarter, lighter, and more affordable way to learn. Students don’t have to heave heavy textbooks—these eBooks live conveniently in the phone or tablet, devices they’ll never forget to bring to school. Priced at just 25-35% of their print counterparts, they’re also a budget-friendly option for students. Plus, no waiting for shipping! When you buy an eBook, it’s delivered instantly, ready to use right when you need it.

    The eBook collection includes everything you need for success: The Textbook, the Internal Assessment, Homework Revision Questions, the Extended Essay, the Essential Research Studies, the Glossary of Psychology Vocabulary and of course, How to succeed at high school or college.

    Convenience, affordability, and quality.

  • How will I structure and teach this new course?

    As educators, we often wrestle with how to structure a course in a way that is engaging, meaningful, and manageable. After much consideration, I’m leaning toward focusing on the 4 Contexts approach for this course, integrating Concepts and Content within these contexts as opportunities naturally arise. This method, I hope, will give students a cohesive framework while still allowing flexibility to explore the curriculum in depth.

    To start, I’ll be diving into the Learning and Cognition Context, as it provides a strong foundation for discussing Experiments, which are central to both the course and research methodologies. The class practical will align with the learning objective: “The potential influence of one or more environmental factors on one cognitive process.” Specifically, we’ll investigate how background noise—perhaps students’ favorite music—affects learning and memory.

    This project will serve multiple purposes:

    1. Engage students by involving their interests and allowing them to design their own experiments.
    2. Teach research methods such as data collection, graphing, and sample selection techniques in a hands-on way.
    3. Explore cognition by connecting theory to real-life applications of learning and memory processes.

    I plan to spend time guiding students through experimental design and execution, emphasizing the importance of clear hypotheses, controls, and ethical considerations. As results come in, we’ll use the data to teach key skills like graphing and analyzing distributions, providing a practical introduction to statistical concepts.

    How long will this unit take? I’m estimating about a semester—maybe less—but as we all know, teaching rarely sticks rigidly to a timeline. I’ll keep detailed notes to refine this approach for future classes.

    Ultimately, this flexible, context-driven approach gives me room to adapt, ensuring the course stays relevant and engaging for my students. Let’s see how it plays out—after all, the best-laid plans often lead to unexpected discoveries.

    Please have a look at the Course Outlines page for some editable course outlines.

  • Worksheets – free to download and use

    There are 1-2 page worksheets available for every element of the course on the website, each designed to take approximately 40-50 minutes to complete. These worksheets are free to download and use, and teachers are encouraged to either edit them to suit their specific lesson needs or use them as they are.

    Worksheets are an effective tool for reinforcing and consolidating learning. After delivering content through PowerPoints, discussions, and Q&A sessions, worksheets provide students the opportunity to engage actively with the material, solidify their understanding, and apply what they’ve learned in a structured way.

    In my experience, worksheets work best when completed collaboratively in pairs or groups of three. This setup fosters discussion and peer teaching, as students explain concepts to one another and debate their answers. This process not only deepens their understanding but also builds critical thinking and communication skills. Collaborative work can make even challenging tasks more accessible, as students combine their strengths and perspectives.

    A practical tip: print the worksheets, but collect them at the end of the session. This way, you can reuse them in the future, saving both time and resources. Laminating frequently used worksheets is also a great idea for durability.