Educational Psychology

EDF 303: Seminar in Advanced

Psychology of Education

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CHAPTER 1

Educational Psychology:
A Tool for Effective Teaching

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 Learning Goals

1. Describe some basic ideas about the field of

educational psychology.
2. Identify the attitudes and skills of an effective
teacher.
3. Discuss why research is important to effective
teaching and how educational psychologists
and teachers can conduct and evaluate
research.

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Educational Psychology:
A Tool for Effective Teaching

Exploring
Educational
Psychology

Historical Teaching: Art

Background and Science

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Educational Psychology…

is a branch of psychology
that specializes in
understanding
teaching and learning in
educational settings.

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Historical Background of Ed Psych

1850 1875 1900 1925 1950

William James

John Dewey

E. L. Thorndike

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William James (1842-1910)

Emphasized the
importance of observing
teaching and learning in
the classroom for
improving education

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John Dewey (1859-1952)

 Viewed the child as an

active learner
 Emphasized the child’s
adaptation to the
environment
 Pushed for competent
education for all children

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E. L. Thorndike (1874-1949)

 Initiated an emphasis on
assessment and
measurement
of learning
 Promoted the idea that
educational psychology
must have a scientific base
and that measurement
should be a central focus

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 Educational Psychology’s
Historical Background

Leta Hollingworth (1916) - First to use the

term gifted to describe students who scored
exceptionally high on IQ tests.

George Sanchez (1932) - Researcher who

demonstrated that intelligence tests were
culturally biased against minority children.

Mamie and Kenneth Clark (1939) - Pioneering

researchers who studied African American
children’s self-conceptions and identity.

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 Behavioral Approach

 B.F. Skinner (1938)

 Psychology as the science of
observable behavior and controlling
conditions
 1950s programmed learning

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The Cognitive Revolution

 1950s Bloom’s  1980s Cognitive

Taxonomy of Psychology
Cognitive Skills memory, thinking,
reasoning – to help
student learn

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Teaching as Art & Science

 How is teaching both art and science?

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Educational Psychology:
A Tool for Effective Teaching

Effective
Teaching

Professional Commitment and

Knowledge and
Motivation
Skills

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Reflection & Observation
Reflection:
 What were the characteristics
of the most effective teachers
in your educational
experience?

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 Effective Teaching
Professional Knowledge and Skills

Effective Teachers:
 Exhibit subject matter competence
 Implement appropriate instructional strategies
 Set high goals for themselves and students and
plan for instruction
 Create developmentally appropriate instructional
materials and activities
 Manage classrooms for optimal learning
Cont…

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 Effective Teaching
Professional Knowledge and Skills

Effective Teachers:
 Use effective strategies to promote students’
motivation to learn
 Communicate well with students and parents
 Pay more than lip service to individual variations
 Work effectively with students from culturally
diverse backgrounds
 Have good assessment skills
 Integrate technology into the curriculum

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 Effective Teaching
Commitment and Motivation

Effective Teachers:
 Have a good attitude
 Care about students
 Invest time and effort
 Bring a positive attitude and enthusiasm
to the classroom

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Characteristics of Best Teachers

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Characteristics of Worst Teachers

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Educational Psychology:
A Tool for Effective Teaching

Research in
Educational
Psychology

Program
Why Research
Evaluation
Is Important
Research, Action
Research, and the
Teacher-as-
Researcher
Research
Methods

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Research in Educational Psychology

Research Is Important
 Based on the scientific method,
researchers
 Conceptualize the problem
 Collect data
 Draw conclusions
 Revise research conclusions
and theory
 Theory
 Hypothesis
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 The Scientific Research Approach

The scientific research STEP 4

approach is objective, Revise Research
systematic, and testable. Conclusions & Theory
STEP 3
Draw Conclusions

STEP 2
Collect Information

STEP 1
Conceptualize the Problem

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Research Methods
Descriptive Research
 Observations
 Laboratory
 Naturalistic observation
 Participant observation
 Interviews and questionnaires
 Standardized tests

Cont…

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Research Methods
Descriptive Research
 Case studies
 Ethnographic Studies
 Focus Groups
 Personal Journals and Diaries

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 Research Methods

Correlational Experimental
Research Research
 Measures the strength  Random assignment
of a relation between  Experimental vs. control
two variables groups
 Does NOT establish  Independent vs.
causal relation dependent variables

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 Possible Explanations of
Correlational Data

Observed correlation Possible explanations for this correlation

Permissive causes Children’s lack

teaching of self-control
As permissive
Children’s lack causes Permissive
teaching of self-control teaching
increases,
children’s Other factors, Permissive
such as genetic teaching
self-control tendencies, cause
and
decreases poverty, or both
sociohistorical Children’s lack
circumstances of self-control

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 Experimental Research
Independent variable:
The manipulated, influential experimental factor.
Dependent variable:
The factor that is measured in an experiment.
Control group:
A comparison group, no manipulation.
Experimental group:
The group whose experience is manipulated.
Random assignment:
Participants are assigned by chance.

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Experimental Research
A study of the effects of time management on
students’ grades
Participants randomly assigned
to experimental and control groups

Experimental Control Group

Group (no time management
(time management program)
program)

Students’
grades in school

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 Time Span of Research

Cross-sectional Longitudinal
 Studying groups of  Studying the same
people at one time individuals over time
 Researcher doesn’t  Evaluates how children
have to wait until change over time
subjects grow older  Time consuming and
 Provides no costly
information about the
stability of data over
time

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Program Evaluation, Action Research, and
Teacher-As-Researcher

Program Evaluation: Designed to make

decisions about a particular program.
Action Research: Used to solve a
particular classroom or
school problem.
Teacher-As-Researcher: Teachers
conduct their own studies to
improve their teaching.

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Enter the Debate
Should teachers conduct research using
their students as subjects?
YES NO

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 Crack the Case
The Case of the Curriculum Decision

1. What issues would need to be considered in

conducting such a study?
2. What type of research would be most
appropriate? Why?
3. If she compared the two different curricula
and their outcomes, what would the
independent variable be?
Cont...

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Crack the Case
The Case of the Curriculum Decision

4. If she compared the two different curricula

and their outcomes, what would the
dependent variable be?
5. How should Ms. Huang go about
conducting her study?

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