Educational Psychology for Effective Teaching

Study Notes

Educational psychology is a branch of psychology that specializes in understanding teaching and learning in educational settings.

1850-1950: William James, John Dewey, and E.L. Thorndike made significant contributions to the field of educational psychology.
William James (1842-1910) emphasized the importance of observing teaching and learning in the classroom for improving education.
John Dewey (1859-1952) viewed the child as an active learner, emphasized adaptation to the environment, and pushed for competent education for all children.
E.L. Thorndike (1874-1949) initiated an emphasis on assessment and measurement of learning, promoting a scientific base for educational psychology.

Leta Hollingworth (1916) was the first to use the term "gifted" to describe students who scored exceptionally high on IQ tests.
George Sanchez (1932) demonstrated that intelligence tests were culturally biased against minority children.
Mamie and Kenneth Clark (1939) studied African American children's self-conceptions and identity.

B.F. Skinner (1938) introduced the behavioral approach, focusing on observable behavior and controlling conditions.
1950s: Programmed learning involved reinforcement after a series of steps until the student reaches a learning goal.

1950s: Bloom's Taxonomy of Cognitive Skills emphasized remembering, comprehending, synthesizing, and evaluating.
1980s: Cognitive psychology focused on memory, thinking, and reasoning to help students learn.

Teaching is both an art and a science, combining educational psychology's knowledge with a teacher's personal experiences and skills.
Effective teaching requires a combination of science and art.

Professional knowledge and skills include:
- Subject matter competence
- Implementing instructional strategies
- Setting high goals and planning for instruction
- Creating developmentally appropriate instructional materials
- Managing classrooms for optimal learning
- Using effective strategies to promote student motivation
- Communicating with students and parents
- Integrating technology into the curriculum
Commitment and motivation include:
- Having a good attitude and caring about students
- Investing time and effort
- Bringing a positive attitude and enthusiasm to the classroom

Research is important for providing valid information about the best way to teach children, allowing objectivity, and making sense of expert opinions.
Research methods include:
- Descriptive research (observations, case studies, ethnographic studies, focus groups, and personal journals and diaries)
- Correlational research (measuring the strength of a relation between two variables)
- Experimental research (experimental vs. control groups, independent vs. dependent variables)