Chapter 1

Educational Psychology: A Foundation for Teaching

What Makes a Good Teacher?

Good teachers know their subject matter and have mastered pedagogical skills. They
accomplish all the tasks involved in effective instruction with warmth, enthusiasm, and
caring. They are intentional teachers, and they use principles of educational psychology in
their decision making and teaching. They combine research and common sense.

What Is the Role of Research in Educational Psychology?

Educational psychology is the systematic study of learners, learning, and teaching. Research
in educational psychology focuses on the processes by which information, skills, values, and
attitudes are communicated between teachers and students in the classroom and on
applications of the principles of psychology to instructional practices. Such research shapes
educational policies, professional development programs, and teaching materials.

What Research Methods Are Used in Educational Psychology?

Experimental research involves testing particular educational programs or treatments.

Random assignment of experimental subjects into groups before the testing helps to ensure
that groups are equivalent and findings will be valid. An experimental group receiving the
treatment is matched with a control group whose members do not receive treatment.
Laboratory experiments are highly structured and short term. All the variables involved are
strictly controlled. Randomized field experiments are less structured and take place over a
long period of time under realistic conditions in which not all variables can be controlled. A
single-case experiment involves observation of one student or group of students over a
specified period before and after treatment. Correlational studies examine variables to see
whether they are related. Variables can be positively correlated, negatively correlated, or
uncorrelated. Correlational studies provide information about variables without manipulating
them or creating artificial situations. However, they do not indicate the causes of
relationships between variables. Descriptive research uses surveys, interviews, and/or
observations to describe behavior in social settings.