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Paper 3—Approaches to Research—is often seen as one of the trickiest parts of IB Psychology for higher-level students and their teachers. 

With its focus on research methods, ethics, and critical thinking, it can feel like uncharted territory, especially for teachers working with mixed standard and higher level classes. 

But with careful planning and a clear strategy, you can equip your students with the skills and confidence they need to succeed in this challenging paper.

When and How to Teach Paper 3

The first decision is when and how to teach Paper 3. 

If your class consists solely of higher level students, consider tackling Paper 3 towards the end of Year 1, leaving the Internal Assessment for the start of Year 2. 

Alternatively, if you have a high ability class, you might move Paper 3 to the beginning of Year 2, leaving space for the Internal Assessment at the end of Year 1.

For mixed classes, a weekly lesson dedicated to Paper 3 throughout Year 1 works best, allowing standard-level students to focus on their core topics while higher-level students dive deeper into research methods. 

This approach keeps the learning manageable and ensures students aren’t overwhelmed by additional content in Year 2.

Cracking the Questions

Paper 3 starts with a five-minute reading period where students examine a stimulus study. 

Train them to spot the hooks—key details that they can use in their answers. 

Encourage them to highlight these details as soon as they’re allowed to use a pen. 

Colour-coded highlighting for each question is a helpful strategy for visual learners.

The questions are always the same for 1a, 1b, and 1c, making this section perfect for targeted practice:

Q1a: Characteristics of the Research Method

Students must identify the research method used in the stimulus (e.g., experiment, case study, survey). 

Teach them the defining features of these six methods and have them practise concise, clear answers. 

Although referring to the stimulus isn’t required, it’s a great habit to reinforce.

Q1b: Sampling Technique

Again, the sampling techniques in the syllabus are finite, so students can master them with practice. 

Encourage students to support their answers with stimulus examples where possible.

Q1c: Suggest an Additional Method

For Q1c, suggesting an additional method (which I think is a better option than suggesting an alternative method) is often the safer option. 

Train students to choose a method that contrasts the original—if the original collects quantitative data, propose a qualitative method (or vice versa). 

This ensures richer insights and data for analysis.

Navigating Ethics and Question 3

Questions 2 and 3 require more depth and critical thinking. 

Q2 is always about ethics, and while the "easier" question has consistently appeared, it’s wise to prepare students thoroughly for the tougher option on reporting and applying findings. 

This is especially important as exams evolve under the current syllabus.

Q3, the extended response, focuses on reducing bias, ensuring credibility, and enhancing generalisability or transferability. 

Students must link their answers to the stimulus study, highlighting the topic’s sensitivity and participant-related challenges. 

Practise writing about these issues with examples to build their confidence.

Wrapping Up

Teaching Paper 3 may seem daunting, but with careful planning and consistent practice, you can help your students master this crucial paper. 

By breaking it down into manageable chunks and reinforcing the key skills regularly, you’ll set your students up for success—not just in their exams, but in their understanding of research in psychology.

Here is a folder of practice Paper 3s that I created if you would like students to have more than the few past papers available to practise with.

Next week, I’ll be back with fresh tips and strategies for teaching another challenging aspect of IB Psychology. 

Stay tuned and keep inspiring your students!

Thes

Future articles in this series:

• How scientific should the Biological Approach be?
• Incorporating the approaches into Paper 2.
• To what extent... questions.