Educa&onal Psychology

The need for Psychology in educa&on and schooling

 Objec&ves
• Trace the historical antecedent and
trajectory of Psychology in the educa&onal
se:ng.
• Explain the importance of Psychology in
educa&onal se:ng.
• Explain the significance of Psychology in
addressing issues in the field of educa&on
and learning.
• Iden&fy systema&c approaches to address
issues related to the improvement of
learning and teaching.
The branch of Psychology that specialize in
understanding how the learners learn, and
how to beDer teach them. (Santrock, J.W., 2018)
 Early antecedent of
Educa&onal Psychology
• Late 19th century: some of the
pioneers of the field
– William James (1842-1910)
• Contradicts Wundt’s (and Titchener)
Structuralist view
• Applica&on of Psychology to educate
children
• Important idea:
– To start lessons at a point beyond the
child’s level of knowledge and
understanding to stretch the child’s
mind.
– Naturalis&c classroom observa&on on
how learning and teaching happens in
improving educa&on

(Santrock, J.W., 2018)

– John Dewey (1859-1952)
• Prac&cal applica&on of Psychology
• Established first Educa&onal Psychology Lab in
the US.
• Important ideas:
– 1) Child is an ac&ve learner
– 2)Educa&on should be holisitc and emphasize
adap&ve abili&es
– 3) ALL children deserve competent educa&on
(covers all sexes and SES)
- E.L. Thorndike (1874-1949)
• The use of assessment and measurement as
scien&fic ground in understanding learning
• To endorsing learning theory, psychometrics,
and applied research for school-related
subjects.
• Important ideas:
- Measurement should be the scien&fic basis in
Educa&onal Psychology
(Santrock, J.W., 2018)
 • Mamie Clark (1917-1983) and
Kenneth Clark (1914-2005)
– Racial inclusion in research
– Ques&ons the culture free intelligence
test, rather biased against ethnic
minority children and women.
• B.F. Skinner (1904-1990)
– Zeitgeist 1950’s: The rise of
Behavioral approach
– Influenced by Thorndike’s principles
– ADempts to precisely determine the
best condi&on for learning
– Focuses only on observable behavior
and controlling condi&ons.
– Uses reinforcement in learning

(Santrock, J.W., 2018)

 • Jean Piaget (1896-1980)
– Child’s cogni&ve development
– Construc&vism: people ac&vely
interacts with the world and in
crea&ng their knowledge through
direct experience with the
environment.
• Benjamin Bloom (1913-1999)
– The taxonomy of cogni&ve skills-
Bloom’s taxonomy
• Remembering, comprehending,
synthesizing, and evalua&ng; will guide
teachers in facilita&ng students in
developing and use these cogni&ve skills
– Zeitgeist 1980’s: Cogni&ve Revolu&on:
advocates applying cogni&ve
psychology to help students.
(Santrock, J.W., 2018)
 • 21st century
– Focused on socio-emo&onal aspects of learning
– The role of culture
– 21st century competencies

(Santrock, J.W., 2018)

 What should be the goal of
Educa&on?
• Address issues on:
– Gender gaps in learning
– Student’s unclear occupa&onal goals
– Student’s decreasing mo&va&on for learning

• Some of the goals in Educa&on where

Psychology can help:
– Prepare students for an appropriate
occupa&onal goals
– Prepare students for social and ci&zenship
responsibili&es
– Assist students to find and explore sa&sfying
ac&vi&es for learning and recrea&on
(Flanagan, C.J.,1973)
 What should be the goal of
Educa&on?
– To cater the individual student’s needs and
development.
– Help student to develop self-regula&on in
learning (decision making, planning, and goal
se:ng)
– To come up efficient instruc&onal programs
(clear intended learning outcomes)
– To provide sugges&ons for effec&ve teacher’s
role

(Flanagan, C.J.,1973)
 Teacher’s role

• Experienced guide and valued companion of

student’s self-realiza&on.
• Con&nuously monitor progress in achieving
the student’s goal.

(Flanagan, C.J.,1973)
 Why do we need Psychology in
Educa&on?
• Psychology and Educa&on are mutually dependent to
each other
• Educa&on has prac&cal problems which Psychology can
offer scien&fically sound research methods and tested
theory to validate methods of instruc&on in Educa&on.
• Psychology needs Educa&on to provide prac&cal
problems to study. Without the prac&cal u&lity of
Psychology, it will be a fruitless science.

(Mayer, 2001)
 The science and
art of teaching:
Research and
Prac&ce
• In General, research can be:
– Descrip&ve study (Quan&ta&ve or Qualita&ve)
– Correla&onal study (Quan&ta&ve)
– Experimental study (Quan&ta&ve)

• Research guides prac&ce and enhances understanding

of the salient factors of student’s learning.
• Remember that teaching is also an art

(Ormrod, J.E., 2014)

 References
• Flanagan, C.J. (1973). Educa&on: How and
for what. American Psychologist, 551-556
• Mayer, R.E. (2001). What good is
Educa&onal Psychology? The case of
cogni&on and instruc&on. Educa5onal
Psychologist, 36(2), 83-88.
• Ormrod, J.E. (2014). Essen&als of
Educa&onal Psychology big ideas to guide
effec&ve teaching (3rd ed.). UK, Pearson
Educa&on Limited.
• Santrock, J.W. (2018). Educa&onal
Psychology (6th ed.). New York, NW,
McGraw-Hill Educa&on.