Why Study Educational Psychology?

Citation: Huitt, W. (2019). Why study educational psychology? Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta,
GA: Valdosta State University.

There is some discussion among practicing educators about the importance of

studying educational psychology. One way to think about this issue is to define
some terms.

Education The process of:

(1) developing the capacities and potential of the individual

so as to prepare that individual to be successful in a specific
society or culture. From this perspective, education is serving
primarily an individual development function.

(2) the process by which society transmits to new members

the values, beliefs, knowledge, and symbolic expressions to
make communication possible within society. In this sense,
education is serving a social and cultural function.
Psychology the scientific study of the mind and behavior (or behavior
and mental processes), especially as it relates to individual
human beings.

The definition of education becomes a little more complicated when one

recognizes the three categories of education: informal, non-informal, and formal
(Fordham, 1993; LaBelle, 1982). Informal education begins at birth and continues
throughout life. It is provided by parents, siblings, friends, and so forth; it is
constant and ongoing. Non-formal education involves somewhat structured
guidance of learning, but is done without a lot of formal structure. Attending
Sunday school or Boy or Girl Scout meetings would involve this category of
education.

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