Irish Pauline L.

Ereño

PS2B

1. Educational psychology is a branch of Psychology that focuses on the teachers and the learners,
the nature and effects of various learning environments, and the psychological effects of various
methods, resources, organization, and nonschool experience on the educational process. It
enhances the children’s learning and enabling teachers to become more aware of the social
factors affecting teaching and learning. It tackles the problems encountered by young people in
education, which may involve learning difficulties and social or emotional problems. It Includes
instruction in learning theory, human growth and development, research methods, and
psychological evaluation.

2. Importance of Educ Psych

Each student in a classroom is different - they learn in different ways, they have different likes
and dislikes, they have different upbringings. So although you may never open the education
psychology books ever again when you get into your own classroom as a teacher, you do need
to ensure you are catering for each student’s individual needs in order to be an effective
teacher. Education psychology helps you to better understand where each student is coming
from so you can cater for them efficiently.

3. A. Cognitive Development Theory—Jean Piaget

The term “cognitive” refers to how a person perceives, thinks, and gains understanding of his or
her world through the interaction of genetic and learned factors. It consists of information
processing, intelligence , reasoning, language development , and memory. The theory states
that a child's knowledge is composed of schemas. It’s the basic units of knowledge used to
organize past experiences and serve as a basis for understanding new ones. Schemas are
continually being modified by two complementary processes that Piaget termed assimilation
and accommodation. Assimilation refers to the process of taking in new information by relating
them to things they already know. On the other hand, accommodation is what happens when
the schema itself changes to accommodate new knowledge. According to Piaget, cognitive
development involves an ongoing attempt to achieve a balance between assimilation and
accommodation that is called equilibration.

a. Sensorimotor stage (0-2): In this period, intelligence is demonstrated through motor

activity without the use of symbols or language. Knowledge of the world is limited, but
developing, because it is based on physical interactions and experiences. Children
acquire object permanence at about seven months of age. Physical development allows
 the child to begin developing new intellectual abilities. Some linguistic abilities are
developed at the end of this stage.
b. Pre-operational stage (2-7): In this period, intelligence is demonstrated through the use
of symbols, language use matures, and memory and imagination are developed, but
thinking is done in a non-logical, non-reversible manner. Egocentric thinking
predominates.
c. Concrete operational stage (7-11): In this stage, intelligence is demonstrated through
logical and systematic manipulation of symbols related to concrete objects. Operational
thinking develops (mental actions that are reversible). Egocentric thought diminishes.

d. Formal operational stage (11 and above): In this stage, intelligence is demonstrated
through the logical use of symbols related to abstract concepts. Early in the period there
is a return to egocentric thought. Only 35 percent of high school graduates in
industrialized countries obtain formal operations; many people do not think formally
during adulthood.

B. Socio-cultural Theory of Development—Lev Vygotzky

Vygotsky focused on the connections between people and the sociocultural context in
which they act and interact in shared experiences (Crawford, 1996). According to Vygotsky,
humans use tools that develop from a culture, such as speech and writing, to mediate their
social environments. Initially children develop these tools to serve solely as social functions,
ways to communicate needs. Vygotsky believed that the internalization of these tools led
to higher thinking skills. Many schools have traditionally held a transmissionist or
instructionist model in which a teacher or lecturer ‘transmits’ information to students. In
contrast, Vygotsky’s theory promotes learning contexts in which students play an active
role in learning. Roles of the teacher and student are therefore shifted, as a teacher should
collaborate with his or her students in order to help facilitate meaning construction in
students. Learning therefore becomes a reciprocal experience for the students and
teacher. The belief that social exposure to various cultures expands a child's pool of
knowledge seems reasonable. The more experiences that a child has, the richer their world
becomes. Developmental advancements, dependent upon the people and the cultural
tools provided to the child, will help him to form his perceptions of the world. Vygotsky's
theory suggests that there are three ways in which learning is passed along to an individual.
Imitative learning is the first, where the child simply copies another person. Second is
instructed learning, where a child recalls direction given by a teacher and then puts it into
play, and the third is collaborative learning. Collaborative learning happens when a peer
group cooperates to learn or achieve a specific goal while working to understand one
 another. Clearly, in order to achieve the highest level of development possible, believers in
Vygotsky's theories would advise that parents expose their children to a variety of social
situations, since each interaction is considered a learning experience. It is especially
important to introduce children to people and ideas that operate above their current
knowledge level, giving them access to new ideas and concepts. Guiding children to look
for answers by imitating what they see in others, listening to instruction and working as
part of a group all provide opportunities for them to expand their current base of
knowledge. And if Vygotsky is correct and development continues until death, parents
themselves may wish to look for opportunities to keep on learning and growing.

4. Psychology is an extraordinarily diverse field with hundreds of career paths. What all
psychologists have in common is a shared interest in mind and behavior, both human and
animal. In their work they draw on an ever-expanding body of scientific knowledge about how
we think, act, and feel, and apply the information to their special areas of expertise. In studying
educational psychology, we’re all being stimulated and challenged to work closely with children,
young people, teachers and parents and help them find solutions to a range of issues. We will
learn all the necessary skills to assist people in their learning. As we progresses, this educational
psychology class will give us more in-depth knowledge, skills, and expertise that are necessary in
one of the many specializations in psychology. Those with an educational background in
educational psychology can apply their knowledge and skills to many different professional
specializations.