Educational Psychology

MEANING AND DEFINITION OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY

Educational Psychology consists of two words Psychology and Education. While general Psychology is prescience. Educational Psychology is its application in the field of education with the aim of socializing man and modifying his behavior.

According to Crow and Crow Educational Psychology describes and explains the learning experiences of an individual from birth through old age.

Skinner defines Educational Psychology as “that branch of Psychology which deals with teaching and learning”

Stephen – “Educational Psychology is the systematic study of the educational growth and development of a child.”

Judd – “Educational Psychology is the Science which explains the changes that take place in the individuals as they pass-through the various stages of development.”

Peel- “Educational Psychology is the science of Education.”

Educational psychology is one of the branches of applied psychology concerned with the application of the principles, techniques and other resource of psychology to the solution of the problems confronting the teacher attempting to direct the growth of children toward defined objectives.

More specifically, we can say educational psychology is concerned with an understanding of:

• The child, his development, his need and his potentialities.

• The learning situation including group dynamics as the affect learning.

• The learning processes its nature and the ways to make ineffective. Stated differently, the Central theme of Educational Psychology is Psychology of learning.

NATURE OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY

Following are the important characteristics of the nature of educational psychology:

• It is an applied branch of fundamental Psychology.

• It combines two fields i.e. education and psychology.

• It is the scientific study of human behavior in educational situation.

• It is concerned with these factors, principles and techniques which relate to the various aspects of child’s growth and development.

• It is concerned with learning situation and process by which learning can be more efficient and effective.

• Educational Psychology draws heavily from various branches of psychology, biology sociology and anthropology

• Educational Psychology is not as exact as natural sciences since the human behavior cannot be predicated exactly, because it is dynamic.

• Educational Psychology is a science of education dealing primarily with how, when and what of education.

• It is not a normative a science as it is not concerned with the value of educational and doesn’t concern itself with and ‘What ought to be.” It only describes what it is; it is an applied positive science.

• While psychology deals with the behavior of all individuals in all walks of life. Educational Psychology limits its dealing with the behavior of the pupil in relation to Educational environment.

• It does not concern with what and why of education it gives the necessary knowledge and skill (Technical Guidance) forgiving education the pupil in a satisfactory way.

SCOPE OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY

Five major areas covered by Educational Psychology are:

• The Learner

• The learning Process

• The learning Situation

• The Teaching Situation

• Evaluation of Learning Performance

• The Teacher

The Learner

Educational Psychology acquaints us with need of knowing the leaves and deals with the techniques of knowing him well. Following are the topics studied included in it: the innate abilities and capabilities of the individual differences and their measurements, the overt, convert, conscious as well as unconscious behavior of the learner, the characteristics of his growth and development at each stage beginning from childhood to adulthood.

The Learning Process

After knowing the learner and deciding what learning experiences are to be provided, the emerging problem is to help learner in acquiring these learning experiences with ease and confidence. Hence, it deals with the nature of learning and how it take place and contains the topics such as laws, principles and theories of learning; remembering and forgetting, perceiving, concept formation, thinking, reasoning process, problem solving, transfer of training, ways and means of effective learning etc.

Learning Situation

It also deals with the environment factors and learning situation which come midway between the learner and the teacher. Topics like classroom climate and group dynamics techniques and aids which facilitate learning, evaluation techniques, and practices, guidance and counseling etc. which help in the smooth functioning of the teaching learning process.

Teaching Situation

It suggests the techniques of teaching. It also helps in deciding what learning situation should be provided by teacher to learner according to his mental and physical age, his previous knowledge and interest level. By describing the learner’s characteristics, what teaching aids are appropriate for the particular subject?

Evaluation of Learning Performance

Main objective of education is all-round development of the learner. It includes cognitive, affective and psychomotor aspects of personality. Educational Psychology suggests various tool and techniques for assessment and evaluation such as performance test, oral test and written test. It does not stop at measurement only, after the testing results of the test are analyzed causes for poor performance, backwardness in any aspect of development is corrected by maladjustment are helped by guidance and counseling study habit, examination techniques and learning styles are analyzed and helped the learner so that he can overcome the difficulties.

The Teacher

Educational Psychology emphasizes the need of knowing the self for a teacher to play his role properly in the process of education. It throws light on the essential personality traits, interests, aptitudes, the characteristics of effective teaching etc., soaps to inspire, help teacher handle the stress, conflict and anxiety by giving insight in their own personality.

QUESTIONS FOR PRACTICE

1.     What is Psychology?

2.     Write down branches of Psychology.

3.     Define Educational Psychology.

4.     What is meant by Case Study?

5.     Define-Gestalt.

6.     List out types of observation method.

7.     Explain Scope of Educational Psychology.

8.     Write brief note on Experimental method.

9.     What is meant by Behaviorism? Explain it.

10.            Briefly explain Psycho analytic theory.

11.            Narrate Functionalism.

12.            Give brief account on Gestalt school of Psychology.

13.            Explain Humanistic Psychology.