Educational Psychology

Education is widely understood as the gradual process of acquiring

knowledge or the process of training through which one teaches and learns
specific skills; furthermore, it can be understood as disciplining the
character. It is undoubtedly the spread of knowledge and information but
more than this, the imparting of experience, knowledge, and wisdom. One of
the fundamental goals of education is the transmission of culture between
generations. Education is the key to sustainable development, peace and
stability among countries. Education has taken as many forms as cultural,
political and religions values have been created by human kind.

Educational psychology it is the branch of psychology concerned with the

scientific study of human learning. The study of learning processes, from
both cognitive and behavioral perspectives, allows researchers to understand
individual differences in intelligence, cognitive development, affect,
motivation, self-regulation, and self-concept, as well as their role in learning.
The field of educational psychology relies heavily on quantitative methods,
including testing and measurement, to enhance educational activities related
to instructional design, classroom management, assessment, which serve to
facilitate learning processes in various educational settings across the
lifespan.
Nature of educational psychology
1. Educational Psychology is a science: Science is a branch of study
concerned with observation of facts and establishment of verifiable
general laws. Science employs certain objective methods for the
collection of data. It has its objectives of understanding, explaining,
predicting and control of facts. Like any other science, educational
psychology has also developed objective methods of collection data. It
also aims at understanding, predicting and controlling human behavior.
2. Educational psychology is a social science: Like the sociologist,
anthropologist, economist or political scientist, the educational
psychologist studies human beings and their sociability.
3. Educational psychology is a positive science: Normative science like
logic or ethics deals with facts.
4. Educational psychology is an applied science: It is the application of
psychological principles in the field of education, by applying the
principles and techniques of psychology.
5. Educational psychology is a developing or growing science: It is
concerned with new and ever new researches. As research findings
accumulate, educational psychologists get better insight into the child’s
nature and behavior.
 Objectives of Educational Psychology
Fundamental aim of educational psychology is to help the student of
education and the teacher in understanding human nature so that he may be
able to motivate and direct the learning and growth and conduct.

1. A growing conviction in the usefulness of the science of educational

psychology.
2. To assist in defining and setting up educational objectives and
standards in terms of desirable behavior and organizing educational
situations in which such a behavior may be brought about.
3. To develop in those who teach, a sympathetic attitude towards
children.
4. To provide a body of facts and principles which can be used in
solving the problems of teaching e.g. how the material of instruction
can best be selected and organized into a graded series of problem,
projects, units or contrasts, how these can be used intelligently as
means in developing the desired outcomes etc.
5. To aid in providing the teacher with a better perspective for judging
both the results of his own teaching and the educational practice of
others. Educational Psychology aids in providing a better background
for understanding the total job of teaching in all its intricacies.
6. To assist the teacher in giving the necessary facts and techniques
for analyzing child’s behavior to facilitate adjustment and growth of
personality.
7. To assist in setting up, defining and maintaining progressive
teaching procedures, guidance programmers and functional forms of
organization and administration.
8. To train in thinking psychologically about educational problems.
9. To improve educational practice.
 Research Methods in Educational Psychology
Educational psychologists take skeptical and attitude toward knowledge
when they hear a claim that a particular method is effective in helping
students learn, they want to know if the claim is based on good research. The
Science part of educational psychology seeks to sort fact from fancy by
using particular strategies for obtaining information.
Science research is objective, systematic and testable. It reduces the
likelihood that information will be based on the scientific method, on
approach that can be used to discover accurate information. It includes these
steps: conceptualize the problem, collect data, draw conclusions and revise
research conclusions and theory.
Research methods:
1. Observation
Observations can be made in laboratories or in naturalistic settings. A
laboratory is a controlled setting from which many of the complex factors of
the real world have been removed. Some educational psychologists conduct
research in laboratories at the colleges or universities where they work and
teach. Although laboratories often help researchers gain more control in their
studies, they have been criticized as being artificial. In naturalistic
observation, behavior is observed out in the real world.
2. Interviews and Questionnaires:
Sometimes the quickest and best way to get information about students and
teachers is to ask them for it. Educational psychologists use interviews and
questionnaires (survey) to find out about children’s and teachers
experiences, beliefs and feelings. Most interviews take place face to face,
although they can be done in other ways, such as over the phone or the
Internet. Questionnaires are usually given to individuals in printed form.
They can be filed out in many ways, such as in person, by mail or via the
Internet.
3. Case studies:
A case study is an in-depth look at an individual. Case studies often are used
when unique circumstances in a person’s life cannot be duplicated, for either
practical or ethical reasons such autistic child and psychological disorders at
childhood.
4. Correlational Research:
In correlational research, the goal is to describe the strength of the relation
between two or more events or characteristics. Correlational research is
useful because the more strongly events are controlled, for example the
relationship between social support and psychological disorders or the
relationship between heart attacks and smoking.
5. Experimental Research:
Experimental research allows educational psychologists to determine the
causes of behavior. Educational psychologists accomplish this task by
performing an experiment; a carefully regulated procedure in which one or
more of the factors believed to influence the behavior being studied is
manipulated and all other factors are held constant.
 What are learning disabilities?
Learning disabilities or learning disorders, are an umbrella term for a
wide variety of learning problems. A learning disability is not a problem
with intelligence or motivation. Kids with learning disabilities aren’t lazy or
dumb. In fact, most are just as smart as everyone else. Their brains are
simply wired differently. This difference affects how they receive and
process information.

Learning disabilities look very different from one child to another. One child
may struggle with reading and spelling, while another loves books but can’t
understand math. Still another child may have difficulty understanding what
others are saying or communicating out loud. The problems are very
different, but they are all learning disorders.

Signs and symptoms of learning disabilities: Preschool age

 Problems pronouncing words

 Trouble finding the right word
 Difficulty rhyming
 Trouble learning the alphabet, numbers, colors, shapes, days of the
week
 Difficulty following directions or learning routines
 Difficulty controlling crayons, pencils, and scissors, or coloring
within the lines
 Trouble with buttons, zippers, snaps, learning to tie shoes
Signs and symptoms of learning disabilities: Ages 5-9

 Trouble learning the connection between letters and sounds

 Unable to blend sounds to make words
 Confuses basic words when reading
 Slow to learn new skills
 Consistently misspells words and makes frequent errors
 Trouble learning basic math concepts
 Difficulty telling time and remembering sequences

Signs and symptoms of learning disabilities: Ages 10-13

 Difficulty with reading comprehension or math skills

 Trouble with open-ended test questions and word problems
 Dislikes reading and writing; avoids reading aloud
 Poor handwriting
 Poor organizational skills (bedroom, homework, desk is messy and
disorganized)
 Trouble following classroom discussions and expressing thoughts
aloud
 Spells the same word differently in a single document.
Common types of learning disabilities:

1. Learning disabilities in reading (dyslexia)

There are two types of learning disabilities in reading. Basic reading

problems occur when there is difficulty understanding the relationship
between sounds, letters and words. Reading comprehension problems occur
when there is an inability to grasp the meaning of words, phrases, and
paragraphs.

2. Learning disabilities in math (dyscalculia)

Learning disabilities in math vary greatly depending on the child’s other

strengths and weaknesses. A child’s ability to do math will be affected
differently by a language learning disability, or a visual disorder or a
difficulty with sequencing, memory or organization. A child with a math-
based learning disorder may struggle with memorization and organization of
numbers, operation signs, and number “facts” (like 5+5=10 or 5×5=25).
Children with math learning disorders might also have trouble with counting
principles (such as counting by twos or counting by fives) or have difficulty
telling time.

3. Learning disabilities in writing (dysgraphia)

Learning disabilities in writing can involve the physical act of writing or the
mental activity of comprehending and synthesizing information. Basic
writing disorder refers to physical difficulty forming words and letters.
Expressive writing disability indicates a struggle to organize thoughts on
paper.

4. Learning disabilities in motor skills (dyspraxia)

Motor difficulty refers to problems with movement and coordination

whether it is with fine motor skills (cutting, writing) or gross motor skills
(running, jumping). A motor disability is sometimes referred to as an
“output” activity meaning that it relates to the output of information from the
brain. In order to run, jump, write or cut something, the brain must be able to
communicate with the necessary limbs to complete the action.

5. Learning disabilities in language

Language and communication learning disabilities involve the ability to

understand or produce spoken language. Language is also considered an
output activity because it requires organizing thoughts in the brain and
calling upon the right words to verbally explain something or communicate
with someone else. Signs of a language-based learning disorder involve
problems with verbal language skills, such as the ability to retell a story and
the fluency of speech, as well as the ability to understand the meaning of
words, parts of speech, directions, etc.
 To Help Students Become Better Thinkers
Education should help students become better thinkers. Every teacher would
agree with that goal, but the means for reaching is not always in place in
schools. Following are some guidelines for helping students to become
better thinkers:
1. Give students extensive opportunities to solve real-world problems.
Make this a part of your teaching. Develop problems that are relevant
to your student’s lives. Such real-world problems are often referred to
as “ authentic” in contrast to textbook problems that too often do not
have much meaning for students.
2. Use thinking-based questions one way to analyze your teaching
strategies is to see whether you use a lecture-based approach fact
based questioning or thinking based questioning.
3. Monitor student’s effective and ineffective thinking and problem
solving. Keep the four problem-solving steps in mind when you can
give students opportunities to solve problems also keep in mind such
obstacles to good problem solving as becoming fixated, harboring
biases, not being motivated and not persisting.
4. Be a guide in helping students construct their own thinking.
5. Use technology effectively; be motivated to incorporate multimedia
programs into your classroom.
6. Provide positive role models for thinking. Look around your
community for positive role models who can demonstrate effective
problem solving and thinking and invite them to come to your
classroom and talk with your students. Also think about contexts in
the community such as museums, colleges and universities, hospitals
 and businesses where you can take students and they can see, observe
and interact with competent problem solvers and thinkers.
7. Keep up to date on the latest developments in thinking; continue to
actively learn about new developments in teaching students to become
more effective thinkers.