Educational Psychology. Definition and Nature

We have previously explained psychology and some of its branches, which include educational psychology. Having defined and described the nature of Psychology let us now look specifically at Educational Psychology. In this article, we shall define and describe the latter branch in a specific way. We will discuss it in terms of its definition and more importantly, why is it an essential area of study for prospective teachers. This knowledge will enable us to assess the measure in which our knowledge meets the objective of preparing us for a teaching career.

DEFINING EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY

Educational Psychology is the branch of Psychology that specially explores the understanding of teaching and learning in educational settings. It is the study of how humans learn in educational settings, the effectiveness of educational interventions, the psychology of teaching, and the social psychology of schools as organisations.

Educational Psychology is concerned with the study of learners, learning and teaching. Its principle focus is on the processes by which information, skills, values and attitudes are transmitted from teachers to learners in the classroom situation. Educational psychology is concerned with how students learn and develop, often focusing on subgroups such as gifted children and those subject to specific disabilities. In short, it focuses on the applications of principles of psychology to the practice of teaching and learning.

Educational Psychology discusses in details, the characteristics of learners and how to apply psychological principles in making the learners and learning process effective. This branch of psychology involves not just the learning process of early childhood and adolescence but includes the social, emotional and cognitive processes that are involved in learning throughout the entire lifespan. The field of educational psychology incorporates a number of other disciplines, including developmental psychology, behavioural psychology, educational technology and cognitive psychology.

Note: It should be noted that the major principle underlying Educational Psychology is that there are certain strategies which are likely to be effective in the interaction between teachers and learners.

Thus, Educational Psychology is concerned primarily with understanding the processes of teaching and learning that take place within formal environments and developing ways of improving those methods. It covers important topics like learning theories; teaching methods; motivation; cognitive, emotional, and moral development; parent-child relationships, etc.

In short, it is the scientific discipline that addresses the questions to why some students learn more than others as well as to what can be done to improve that learning.

THE NATURE OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY

A number of scholars and researchers immensely contributed to the establishment and development of educational psychology. The educational psychology, as a branch of applied psychology, can be regarded in different perspectives. The following are just some points of definition of the nature of educational psychology.

1. Educational Psychology is a science: In its essence, science is concerned with the observation of facts and the 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 of data. It also aims at understanding, predicting and controlling human behaviour.

2. Educational Psychology is a natural science: Educational psychologists conducts their investigations, gather data and reach the conclusions in exactly the same manner as more other natural scientists such as physicists or biologists do.

3. Educational psychology is a social science: Like the sociologist, anthropologist, economist or political scientist, the educational psychologist studies human beings and their sociability.

4. Educational psychology is a positive science: Normative science like Logic or Ethics deals with facts as they ought to be. A positive science deals with facts as they really are or as they seek to uncover the reality. Educational psychology studies the child’s behaviour as it is, not, as it ought to be. So it is a positive science.

5. 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, it tries to study the behaviour and experiences of the pupils. As a branch of psychology, it is parallel to any other applied psychology. For example, educational psychology draws heavily facts from such areas as developmental psychology, clinical psychology, abnormal psychology and social psychology.

6. 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 behaviour.

W.A. Kelly (1941) listed the nature of Educational Psychology as follows:

i. To give a knowledge of the nature of the child

ii. To give understanding of the nature, aims and purposes of education

iii. To give understanding of the scientific methods and procedures which have been used in arriving at the facts and principles of educational psychology

iv. To present the principles and techniques of learning and teaching

v. To give training in methods of measuring abilities and achievement in school subjects

vi. To give a knowledge of the growth and development of children

vii. To assist in the better adjustment of children and to help them to prevent maladjustment

viii. To study the educational significance and control of emotions and

ix. To give an understanding of the principles and techniques of correct training.

Thus, educational psychology is an applied, positive, social, specific and practical science. While general science deals with behaviour of the individuals in various spheres, educational psychology studies the behaviour of the individual in educational sphere only.

EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY AND ITS CONTRIBUTION

Education is a purposive attempt to bring about desirable changes in the learners’ behaviour. The objectives of education are realised in terms of behavioural changes among the students. Teachers have to create the learning conditions to provide knowledge and experiences to the students for the changes of behaviour. They have to relate teaching to learning by appropriate methods of teaching.

Knowledge of psychology can be helpful in many areas of education. It aids the teacher in understanding the basic behaviour and/or motivation of his/her pupils, students, colleagues and administrators. Educational psychology provides insights into learning processes. Information and skills obtained from educational psychology is not just theoretical but apply practical methods of dealing with classroom problems.

All countries in the world, have certain national objectives and goals which should be achieved by education offered and on the basis of these goals and objectives, a curriculum is prepared. Educational psychology is therefore important in this area to assist teachers to prepare instruction that will suit the age, needs and interests of the pupils required to follow such a course of study and thus maximise its benefits to both the pupils and the nation as a whole. The course of a particular class level is prepared by teachers. Knowledge of educational psychology is helpful in developing curricular of different levels of students in different subjects. The developmental characteristics and needs of the students are also taken into account in the formulation of curriculum.

Educational Psychology contributes to the theories of child and adolescent development in a number of ways. It enables us to identify the stages of growth and development and what kind of teaching is likely to be effective at each of these stages and to understand the role played by hereditably and environmental factors in the development of a child or a person. This is a topic which is widely misunderstood among many African ethnic groups. Any abnormality is often attributed to hereditably without considering environmental factors.

A teacher acts as a philosopher and a guide to the learners. He/she must know the growth and development of the child and his/her requirements at different levels. Educational psychology helps the teacher to study the ability, interests, intelligence, needs and adopt different techniques of teaching for effective communication. The utility of educational psychology for the teachers has been emphasised in both theory and practices of teaching and learning. A teacher has to deal carefully with a group of learners in class room situation. As there, are wide variations in different abilities among the learners. Therefore it is very essential to understand the individual difference of learners regarding their ability, interests, attitudes and need at different levels of growth and development.

· A well-developed theory of class room teaching and learning is helpful for transacting the content to the learners effectively, which includes class-room climate and the teaching competence which are required for effective communication and presentation of content.

· A teacher must know the appropriate principles of teaching-learning, different approaches to teaching for better result of teaching-learning process.

· Another important point is about mental health of teachers and learners. In the process of teaching and learning activities in the classroom, mental health of the teacher and the learners plays significant role. As the mental condition influence directly the achievement of learners. The mental health of teacher and learners must be normal or healthy. There are different causes of mental illness of the teacher and the learners. It should be known to the teachers to regulate teaching-learning process.

· Measuring learning outcomes is another function of educational psychology. Teacher has to perform two important activities in classroom such as teaching and testing. The testing activities help in measuring learning outcomes of the learners to judge their improvement and effectiveness of teaching-learning process.

· Psychological training can help the teacher select motivating methods of teaching learners and improve his or her attitude of teaching. The method of teaching is based on the developmental characteristic of the learners. For example History is taught effectively to small children with the help of storytelling method because small children like stories. So the classroom teaching depends on the teachers’ knowledge about the interest of learners and methods of teaching for the learners of different age-groups.

The study of educational psychology is thus very useful for teachers for planning, organising and evaluating the teaching learning activities in the class. This is why Educational Psychology is included in the curricula of teacher education in all countries.

In very specific ways Educational psychology may help a teacher in the following ways among more others:

• Studying educational psychology places a teacher in a position to understand and appreciate the principles involved in the processes of learning and teaching, which of course are vital in a school setting.

• Educational psychology contributes to the theories of child and adolescent development in a number of ways. It enables a teacher to identify the stages of growth and development and what kind of teaching is likely to be effective at each stage and to understand the roles played by heredity and environment in the development on a child or person.

The branch contributes to effective learning by providing teachers with information about how learning is acquired, the circumstances necessary for learning on an individual pupil and society as a whole.

• Educational psychology contributes to our understanding of individual differences as a result of research into the areas of intelligence, learning style, creativity and gifted and slow learners. Such information makes it possible to prepare lessons suited to particular students on the basis of their characteristics. Alternatively, such information can assist the teacher to help students to attain the achievement expected of them by modifying the teaching approach.
• Helps teachers to know about people in terms of how they behave as they do, and what initiates and sustains their behaviour.
• Educational psychology identifies conditions conducive to learning and how teaching can bring about effective learning. The major principle underlying educational psychology is that there are certain strategies, which are likely to be effective in the interactions between teachers and students.
• Study of perceptual processes aids the teacher on how they can structure their material for easy processing by the learner.

Educational Psychology Promotes Teaching and Learning in the sense that Psychologists working in the field of education study how people learn and retain knowledge. They apply psychological science to boost the learning process and enhance educational success for all learners.