Educational Psychology- Definition, Nature, Scope, Importance and Issues.
1.
2. Contents
• Definition
• Nature of Educational Psychology
• Scope of Educational Psychology
• Importance and Issues in Educational Psychology
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGeUd1dZNlY&t=30s)
3. Educational Psychology
Educational Psychology deals with the problems, products and processes of education.
It is applicable for improving the methods and products of teaching-learning process in a
scientific way.
It refers to practice, product and problem solving in education, and studies how one goes
on learning as a result of interaction with his environment and how he can learn
effectively.
“Educational Psychology is the science of learning.” (Peel, 1956)
“ Educational Psychology is the branch of psychology which deals with teaching and
learning.” (Skinner, 1958)
“Educational Psychology describes and explains the learning experience of an individual
from birth to old age.” (Crow and Crow, 1978)
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5. It is scientific in nature.
It is a positive science rather than normative, generating facts, developing theories
and focusing attention on ‘how’, ‘when’, and ‘where’ of education instead of ‘what ought
to be’.
It has well organized, systematic and universally accepted body of facts supported
by relevant psychological laws and principles.
It is relatively changing and constantly in search of truth, i.e. can be challenged,
modified and altered in terms of latest findings.
It inculcates logically viable, objective, reliable and valid processes and products.
6. It employs scientific methods and adopts scientific approaches i.e. hypotheses,
objective observation, controlled experimentation, clinical investigation &
generalization based on adequate similar evidence.
It emphasizes on definite causes linked with behaviors instead of accepting hearsay
or taking anything for granted.
It is concerned with the ‘what’ and ‘why’ of the happenings of the present behavior
of the learner and the repercussions if it were to continue unchanged.
The generalizations and conclusions are reliable and can be used for future
predictions in similar situations.
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8. To deal with the problems of teaching & learning and help the teacher in modifying the
learners’ behavior & bringing about an all round development of their personality.
To Attend to the basic questions of teaching- learning process satisfactorily-
WHO IS BEING EDUCATED ? (concerning individual differences in terms of
abilities & capacities- attitude, aptitude, interest, intelligence, creativity, etc.)
BY WHOM IS THE LEARNER TO BE TAUGHT ? (pertaining to the teacher’s
personality traits & characteristics, duties & responsibilities, ability to manage
one’s own conflict, anxiety & tension, motivation, level of aspiration, adjustment &
mental health)
9. WHAT IS TO BE TAUGHT ? (grade wise organization of syllabus, content or
curriculum)
HOW ARE THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE TO BE PROVIDED ? (nature, laws &
theories of learning, means of effective learning & memorization, concept
formation, transfer of learning or training, interest & attitude formation-
thinking, reasoning, problem solving, etc.)
WHEN AND WHERE ARE THE LEARNING EXPERIENCES TO BE PROVIDED
? (classroom climate, institutional climate, factors affecting attention, role of
rewards & punishments, group behavior & group dynamics, guidance & counseling,
individual/ self supervised/ group study)
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11. It is psychology applied in the field of education for improving the methods &
products of teaching- learning process, helping in better teaching & better learning.
It studies the development of an individual in terms of his learning achievement
during his life span.
It covers how one goes on learning as a result of interaction with his environment
and how he can learn effectively.
12. It is meant to solve practical problems related to the field of education & the
process of teaching- learning.
It employs scientific methods & adopt scientific approach in studying learner’s
behavior & constantly search for truth.
It is a positive science concerned with the ‘what’ & ‘why’ of the present
happenings, focusing attention on present problem behavior of the learner- its
causes & repercussions if it were to continue unchanged, and thereby help to
develop reliable generalizations for similar situations in future.
13. • Discipline & Security
(school violence)
• Race, ethnicity &
equality (managing
diverse social class &
family background)
• Bilingual education
• Mainstreaming
• Lack of funds (inadequate &
improper distribution)
• Expensive higher education
• Mass illiteracy
• Political/ bureaucratic involvement
• Environmental setting issues
• General education oriented
• Faculty education policies
• Brain drain & wastage of
human resources
• Lack of awareness &
indifferent approaches