Educational Psychology: Cognitive Development

• Educational Psychology studies how thinking and reasoning develop (cognitive development) and how bodies, brains, and motor skills change (physical development) over time.
• A sensitive period is when the brain is especially good at learning particular skills.
• Myelin improves cognitive and motor functions by speeding up neural connections.

Piaget’s Cognitive Development Theory

• Sensorimotor Stage (0-2 years): learning occurs through senses and actions; object permanence develops.
• Preoperational Stage (2-7 years): characterized by symbolic thinking, egocentrism, and a lack of conservation.
• Concrete Operational Stage (7-11 years): involves logical thinking about concrete objects and understanding conservation.
• Formal Operational Stage (12+ years): features abstract thinking, problem-solving, and hypothetical reasoning.
• Assimilation: Incorporating new information into existing knowledge.
• Accommodation: Changing existing knowledge to fit new information.

Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory

• Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD): The gap between what a child can do alone and what they can do with help.
• Scaffolding: Temporary support to help a child learn within their ZPD.
• Cognitive development happens through social interaction, marking learning as an active social process.

Psychosocial Development

• Adolescents explore their identity to form a stable self-concept, according to Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development, especially Identity vs. Role Confusion.
• Personality development is shaped by social interactions and life experiences.

Social-Emotional Learning & Development

• Self-concept: A person’s beliefs about who they are.
• Self-worth: The value a person places on themselves.
• Self-esteem: Confidence in one’s abilities and worth.
• Theory of Mind: Understanding that others have different thoughts, feelings, and perspectives.
• Relational aggression: Indirect aggression through social manipulation (e.g., gossiping, exclusion).

Teaching & Parenting Approaches

• Effective teacher-student relationships involve trust, respect, high expectations, and emotional support.
• Social-Emotional Learning (SEL): Teaching students to manage emotions, build relationships, and make responsible decisions.
• Constructivist teaching: Learning through experience and discovery.
• Direct Instruction: Teacher-centered learning with structured lessons.
• Authoritative parenting: High expectations + warmth and responsiveness.
• Authoritarian parenting: High expectations, little warmth.
• Permissive parenting: Low expectations, high warmth.
• Neglectful parenting: Low expectations and low warmth.

Developmental Research Methods

• Cross-sectional study: Compares different age groups at one time.
• Longitudinal study: Follows the same group over time to observe changes.
• Experimental study: Manipulates variables to study cause and effect.
• Microgenetic study: Studies learning over a short period with detailed observations.

Neuroscience & Brain Development

• Plasticity: The brain’s ability to change and adapt based on experiences.
• Cognitive tasks engage multiple regions of the brain simultaneously.

Important Educational Acts & Policies

• ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act): Provides funding and accountability for schools.
• Safe Schools Act: Focuses on preventing violence and ensuring school safety.
• Good Faith Act: Protects teachers from legal consequences when reporting child abuse in good faith.

Child Abuse & Mandated Reporting

• Mandated reporting: Teachers are legally required to report suspected abuse.
• Physical abuse: Hitting, burning, or causing bodily harm.
• Neglect: Failing to provide basic needs (food, shelter, medical care).
• Emotional abuse: Verbal attacks, rejection, or emotional neglect.

Theories & Key Figures in Educational Psychology

• William James was the first to engage in educational psychology.
• Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Model emphasizes the role of different environmental systems (family, school, culture) in development.

Explore cognitive and physical development in educational psychology. Understand sensitive periods for learning and the role of myelin. Learn Piaget's stages: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational.