EDUCATIONAL

PSYCHOLOGY
WMSU
References
• 1. Anita Woolfolk (2007) Educational
Psychology 8th / 12th Edition
• 2. Slavin, R. E. (2006). Educational
Psychology: Theory and Practice. 8th
Edition
Introduction to Educational Psychology

❑The importance of educational psychology to

future teachers
❑Teaching as a profession, classroom decision-
making, and scientist/practitioner
Define & differentiate the following terms:
Education:
1) developing the capacities and potential
of the individual so as to prepare that
individual to be successful in a specific
society or culture. From this perspective,
education is serving primarily an individual
development function.
Define & differentiate the following terms:
Education:
2) the process by which society transmits
to new members the values, beliefs,
knowledge, and symbolic expressions to
make communication possible within
society. In this sense, education is serving
a social and cultural function.
EDUCATION IS A SYSTEMATIC PROCESS
THROUGH WHICH A CHILD OR ADULT
ACQUIRES KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, EXPERIENCE
AND ATTITUDE

6
Etymologically, the word "education" is derived from the
different Latin words.
1. “Ēducātiō”("A breeding, a bringing up, a rearing")
2. “Ēducō” ("I educate, I train") which is related to
the homonym ēdūcō ("I lead forth, I take out; I raise up, I
erect") from ē- ("from, out of") and dūcō ("I lead, I conduct")
or to lead out
3. “Educare”which means to nourish
4. “Educere” which means to draw out
5. “Educatum” which means to act of training
6. “Educatos” which means to bring up to rear

The Indian word “Shiksha” is derived from a Sanskrit which

means to discipline, to control, to instruct and to teach.
7
Define & differentiate the following terms:

Schooling:

Teaching and learning that takes

place in formal environments
Define & differentiate the following terms:

Psychology:

the scientific study

of mind and behavior
(or behavior and mental processes),
especially as it relates to individual
human beings
Some of the famous definitions of psychology given by
psychologist

Skinner- psychology is the science of behavior

and experience
Crow and Crow- psychology is the study of
human behavior and human relationships
Koffka- psychology is the scientific study of
behavior of living creatures in their contact with
the outer world
Watson- psychology is the positive science of
behavior
10
Define & differentiate the following terms:
Educational Psychology:

Combination of psychology and

education

A distinct scientific discipline within

psychology that includes both
methods of study and a knowledge
base
Define & differentiate the following terms:
Educational Psychology:
Concerned primarily with understanding the
processes of teaching and learning that take
place within formal environments and
developing ways of improving those methods
Important topics include:
• learning theories;
• teaching methods;
• motivation;
• cognitive, emotional, and moral
development; parent-child relationships
Acceptable definitions of educational psychology

Skinner-Educational Psychology is a branch of

psychology which deals with teaching and learning

Crow and Crow- Educational psychology describes and

explains the learning experiences of an individual from
birth through old age

Peel- Educational psychology is the science of

education

Upadhyay- Educational psychology is the study of the

pupil in response to school environment
13
Define & differentiate the following terms:

Learning:

relatively permanent change in an

individual's behavior or behavior potential
(or capability) as a result of experience or
practice

an internal change inferred from behavior

Define & differentiate the following terms:

Learning:

can be compared with the other

primary process producing relatively
permanent change--maturation--that
results from biological growth and
development
Define & differentiate the following terms:

Teaching:

the purposeful direction and

management of the learning process
17
 The changing teaching profession and you
A teacher named Ashley reflects: She looked around the classroom,
enjoying a blessed moment of quiet after the students left at the end of
the day. “Ashley, the teacher, that’s me”, she said proudly to the empty
room. “But why am I doing this?” she asked herself quietly—and
realized she wasn’t always sure of the answer. But then she
remembered one reason: she was teaching for Nadia, who sat at the
table to the left, always smiled so well and always (well, usually) tried
hard. And another reason: she was teaching for Lincoln, tired old
Lincoln, who needed her help more than he realized. She remembered
twenty other reasons—twenty other students. And one last reason: she
was also teaching for herself, challenging herself to see if she really
could keep up with twenty-two young people at once, and really
accomplish something worthwhile with them. She was teaching so she
could keep growing as a person, keep connecting with others, keep
learning new ideas. That’s why she was teaching.
18
19
Why be a teacher?
• to witness the diversity of growth in young
people, and their joy in learning
• to encourage lifelong learning—both for
yourself and for others
• to experience the challenge of devising and
doing interesting, exciting activities for the
young
• The joys of teaching
• A teacher's job—in fact a teacher's
privilege—is to help particular “young people”
to realize their potential.
20
Do Teachers Make a Difference?

• Teacher Preparation and Quality—Linda

Darling-Hammond (2000) found that the quality
of teachers (fully certified and majored in their
teaching field) was related to teacher
performance.
Woolfolk’s take on “good
teaching”
 Expert Knowledge; they know content
 General teaching strategies (effective classroom
management, effective teaching, and evaluation)
 Curriculum: the “what” of teaching
 Subject-specific knowledge for teaching
 Characteristics and cultural backgrounds of
students.
 The settings in which students learn—pairs, small
groups, teams, classes, schools, and community
 The goals and purposes of teaching
 Self-knowledge (biases, strengths, blind spots)
Educational Psychology

is the scientific discipline that

addresses the questions

“Why do some students learn more

than others?”
and
“What can be done to improve that
learning?”
Educational Psychology

❑Goals of educational psychology are to

understand and to improve the teaching
and learning process
❑Educational psychologists develop
knowledge and methods.
❑Use knowledge and methods of
psychology and other related disciplines to
study learning and teaching in everyday
situations.
Scope of Educational Psychology

25
26
27
 Types of Learning experience
• Group
Participants engage as a group, interacting with each other, an instructor,
and the material. Courses may include formats like workshops, seminars,
conferences, webinars, telephone seminars, video conferences, technical
and poster sessions, roundtable discussions, and traditional academic
courses.
• Individual (i.e., self-study)
Participants engage individually, with no interaction with other learners,
using the same material. Self-study courses may include journals,
newsletters, and audio and video recordings.
• Blended
Participants engage using elements of both Group and Individual formats.
These courses may be provided in online/distance learning or in-person
settings and may have prerequisite reading and/or video/case study
28
viewing required prior to, during, or after the in-person portion.
29
30
 Teacher
• It emphasize the need of knowing the self for
a teacher to play his/ her role properly in the
process of education.
• It discusses the conflicts motivation, anxiety,
adjustment level of aspiration and etc.
• Moreover, it throws light on the essential
personality traits, interest, aptitudes,
characteristics of effective teaching to inspire
him/her to become a successful teacher
31
Concerns of Beginning Teachers

❑Learning to teach is a gradual process.

❑The concerns and problems of teachers
change as they progress.
❑Beginning years often focused on maintaining
discipline, motivating students, evaluating
students’ work, and dealing with parents.
❑More experienced teachers might focus on
professional growth and effectiveness with a
wide range of students.
 Teaching as Decision Making
• Teachers are continually choosing
strategies to help students learn,
develop, and achieve

• Wise decisions rely on good research

• Decisions can influence students’

learning, development, and long-term
success

Jeanne Ellis Ormrod Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Educational Psychology: Developing Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
Learners, sixth edition All rights reserved.
 Effective
Teaching

Professional Commitment and

Knowledge and
Motivation
Skills
Reflection & Observation
Reflection:
• What were the characteristics of
the most effective teachers in
your educational experience?
 Effective Teaching
Professional Knowledge and Skills

Effective Teachers:
▪ Exhibit subject matter competence
▪ Implement appropriate instructional strategies
▪ Set high goals for themselves and students and
plan for instruction
▪ Create developmentally appropriate instructional
materials and activities
▪ Manage classrooms for optimal learning
Cont…
 Effective Teaching
Professional Knowledge and Skills
Effective Teachers:
▪ Use effective strategies to promote students’
motivation to learn
▪ Communicate well with students and parents
▪ Pay more than lip service to individual variations
▪ Work effectively with students from culturally
diverse backgrounds
▪ Have good assessment skills
▪ Integrate technology into the curriculum
 Effective Teaching
Commitment and Motivation
Effective Teachers:
▪ Have a good attitude
▪ Care about students
▪ Invest time and effort
▪ Bring a positive attitude and enthusiasm to the
classroom
Characteristics of Best Teachers
Characteristics of Worst Teachers
 Are there also challenges to teaching?

the simple answer is “yes”.

41
 Teaching is different from in the past
In the past decade or two teaching has changed significantly
Four new trends in education, at how they have changed what teachers do, and at how you
will therefore need to prepare to teach
• increased diversity: there are more differences among students than there used to be.
Diversity has made teaching more fulfilling as a career, but also made more challenging in
certain respects.

• increased instructional technology: classrooms, schools, and students use computers more
often today than in the past for research, writing, communicating, and keeping records.
Technology has created new ways for students to learn

• greater accountability in education: both the public and educators themselves pay more
attention than in the past to how to assess (or provide evidence for) learning and good quality
teaching. The attention has increased the importance of education to the public (a good
thing) and improved education for some students. But it has also created new constraints on
what teachers teach and what students learn.

• increased professionalism of teachers: Now more than ever, teachers are able to assess the
quality of their own work as well as that of colleagues, and to take steps to improve it when
necessary. Professionalism improves teaching, but by creating higher standards of practice it
also creates greater worries about whether particular teachers and schools are “good enough
42
 Research in Educational
Psychology
Research in
Educational
Psychology

Program
Why Research
Evaluation
Is Important
Research, Action
Research, and the
Teacher-as-
Researcher
Research
Methods
Why Research Is Important?
– Based on the scientific method,
researchers
• Conceptualize the problem
• Collect data
• Draw conclusions
• Revise research conclusions
and theory
– Theory
– Hypothesis

44
 Types of Research Studies
• Descriptive Studies
– Describe things and situations
– Allow us to draw conclusions about the
current state of affairs
– “How many students are involved in
extracurricular activities?”

Jeanne Ellis Ormrod Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Educational Psychology: Developing Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
Learners, sixth edition All rights reserved.
 Types of Research Studies
• Correlational Studies
Explore possible relationships among variables

EXAMPLE:
– “Do students involved in extracurricular activities have
higher grades than those students not involved in
extracurricular activities?”

Jeanne Ellis Ormrod Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Educational Psychology: Developing Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
Learners, sixth edition All rights reserved.
 Types of Research Studies
• Experimental Studies
– Attempt to discover a cause-and-effect
relationship among variables
– Independent variable is manipulated by the
researcher to possibly discover an effect on
the dependent variable

– EXAMPLE:
– “Will joining two extracurricular activities
impact students’ grades?”

Jeanne Ellis Ormrod Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Educational Psychology: Developing Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
Learners, sixth edition All rights reserved.
 Importance of Assessment

• Assessment is more than tests, quizzes,

papers, etc…
• Assessment should occur in other contexts as
well
– Playground, field trips, extracurricular activities, etc….
• Regular assessments & observations provide
valuable insights into students’ learning,
development, and motivation

Jeanne Ellis Ormrod Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Educational Psychology: Developing Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
Learners, sixth edition All rights reserved.
 Diversity in the Classroom
• Teachers should take diversity into account
when identifying teaching strategies
– Recognize that all students are unique
individuals
– Be sensitive to group differences
– Be sensitive to individual differences

Jeanne Ellis Ormrod Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Educational Psychology: Developing Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
Learners, sixth edition All rights reserved.
 Developing as a Teacher
• Continue to take courses in teacher education
• Learn as much as you can about your subject
• Increase your pedagogical content knowledge
• Continue to reflect and critically examine your
own beliefs and assumptions
• Believe that you can make a difference in
students’ lives (self-efficacy)
• Learn as much as you can about the culture(s)
of the community in which you are teaching

Jeanne Ellis Ormrod Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Educational Psychology: Developing Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
Learners, sixth edition All rights reserved.
 Major Schools of Thought in
Psychology

1. Structuralism- Structuralism was the first school of

psychology and focused on breaking down mental
processes into the most basic components. Major
structuralist thinkers include Wilhelm Wundt and
Edward Titchener.
Wundt used introspection (he called it “internal
perception”), a process by which someone examines their
own conscious experience as objectively as possible

51
2. Functionalism focused on how mental
activities helped an organism fit into its
environment. Functionalism has a second, more
subtle meaning in that functionalists were more
interested in the operation of the whole mind
rather than of its individual parts, which were
the focus of structuralism.
Emphasized how mental activities helped an
organism adapt to its environment

52
3. Psychoanalysis: Sigmund Freud was the
found of psychodynamic approach. This
school of thought emphasizes the influence
of the unconscious mind on behavior. Freud
believed that the human mind was
composed of three elements: the id, the ego,
and the superego. Other major
psychodynamic thinkers include Anna
Freud, Carl Jung, and Erik Erikson

53
4. Behaviorism: Behaviorism became the
dominant school of thought during the
1950s. Based upon the work of thinkers
such as John B. Watson, Ivan Pavlov, and
B. F. Skinner, behaviorism holds that all
behavior can be explained by environmental
causes, rather than by internal forces.
Behaviorism is focused on observable
behavior. Theories of learning including
classical conditioning and operant
conditioning were the focus of a great deal
of research.
54
5. Humanistic Psychology: Humanistic
psychology developed as a response to
psychoanalysis and behaviorism.
Humanistic psychology instead focused on
individual free will, personal growth, and
selfactualization. Major humanist thinkers
included Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers.

55
6. Gestalt Psychology: Gestalt psychology is
based upon the idea that we experience things
as unified wholes. This approach to psychology
began in Germany and Austria during the late
19th century in response to the molecular
approach of structuralism. Rather that breaking
down thoughts and behavior to their smallest
element, the gestalt psychologists believed that
you must look at the whole of experience.
According to the gestalt thinkers, the whole is
greater than the sum of its parts.

56
7. Cognitive Psychology: Cognitive psychology is the
branch of psychology that studies mental processes
including how people think, perceive, remember, and
learn. As part of the larger field of cognitive science,
this branch of psychology is related to other
disciplines including neuroscience, philosophy, and
linguistics. One of the most influential theories from
this school of thought was the stages of cognitive
development theory proposed by Jean Piaget. Noam
Chomsky, Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky important
people in the movement.

57