Navigating the pitfalls of teaching open science to undergraduate students

Open science (OS) practices are increasingly integrated into undergraduate psychology curricula. While OS can enhance students’ scientific literacy, engagement, and attitudes toward research, its teaching also introduces challenges. This narrative review synthesizes published experiences and recommendations concerning OS education for undergraduate psychology students, identifying common pitfalls and strategies to mitigate them. Eleven pitfalls were identified: the overwhelming variety of OS practices, high technical demands, substantial time investment, insufficient support, perceived competitive disadvantage, potential disengagement, worries about public mistakes, inconsistencies between teaching and practice, risks of academic misconduct, erosion of trust in science, and inclusivity concerns. To address these challenges, educators are encouraged to scaffold learning through replication and preregistration exercises, create authentic assignments, foster collaboration and student authorship, increase feedback literacy and epistemic humility, embed OS across the curriculum, and pay attention to inclusivity. We conclude that teaching OS to undergraduates is both feasible and valuable, provided educators anticipate its challenges and make deliberate pedagogical choices. Viewing OS as a buffet of practices rather than a prescriptive set of rules can help align educational choices with course goals and student readiness. The availability of open educational resources and international teaching communities further supports the integration of OS into undergraduate psychology education, allowing students to experience firsthand the benefits of transparency, collaboration, and rigorous scientific practice.