Educational Psychology and Diversity in Classrooms

Educational Psychology: Importance and Current Classroom Realities

• Educational psychology is crucial for educators, whether in classrooms or consulting roles, for all ages.
• Studies show new teachers with training in development and learning have a higher retention rate.

Student Demographics: Diversity and Technology

• U.S. demographics include increasing diversity: 13% foreign-born in 2010, 20% non-English speakers (60% Spanish), 22% Latino children, projected to be 25% by 2050.
• Canada’s projected diversity shows one-third of the population will be visible minorities by 2031, with South Asians prominent. 17% report a non-French/English first language.
• 60% of students with disabilities are educated in general education settings.
• Significant wealth gaps exist, with White households greatly exceeding Hispanic and Black households.
• 1/6 of American children have significant developmental disabilities (speech, language, or intellectual impairments, cerebral palsy, or autism).
• High school student issues: Physical assault, alcohol/drug use, smoking marijuana, sexual activity, bullying, excessive TV watching, employment, weapon use, ADHD, and eating disorders are prevalent.

Technology's Role in Education

• Infants-8-year-olds average about 2 hours of electronic media per day (TV/videos, music, computer use). Children in 75% of homes with children under 8 have mobile devices.
• Teens have high rates of mobile phone (77%) ownership, and 90% use social media.

Teacher Diversity and Student Inclusion

• Teacher diversity is low compared to student diversity.
• White teachers are increasing (91%); Black teacher percentages are decreasing (about 7%).

Teacher Efficacy and Student Success

• Teacher efficacy (belief in their ability to teach all students) is crucial for student achievement.
• Studies show teacher efficacy predicts pupil achievement.
• Efficacy tends to increase during student teaching but can decline in the first year.
• High school teacher efficacy is related to administrator expectations, and teacher support from principles.
• Efficacy develops from actual success, not abstract support.

High Expectations through NCLB and Beyond

• NCLB (No Child Left Behind Act) mandated annual standardized achievement tests in reading, math and science for grades 3-8 and high school. Schools were judged on AYP (adequate yearly progress) measurements.
• NCLB faced criticism for its blunt accountability and narrow achievement measures, especially for non-native English speakers.
• Proposed reauthorizations of NCLB emphasize student readiness for college/career, improved teaching and leaders, equity, fostering excellence, and innovation. The plan has shifted from punishment systems to reward methods.

Teacher Impact on Student Success

• Studies show teacher effectiveness significantly impacts student achievement. Large differences in scores exist when comparing different teacher effectiveness.
• Teacher-student relationships, particularly in early grades, predict academic and behavioral outcomes.
• High-quality instruction and positive relationships help students with low math skills.
• Accumulated positive teaching produces better gains in achievement, especially for disadvantaged students.
• Poor teaching has a cumulative negative effect. A teacher's effectiveness can greatly affect the academic achievements of their students. More effective teachers can close gaps (like the Black-White test score gap).