INTRODUCTION TO EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY

EDU 301 EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY

EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY IS…A journey that promises you two things and

requires anotherPromises to :i. Promises to introduce a deeply interesting

matter – aspects of teaching-learning process

ii. Promises a practical undertaking – prepare for classroom challenges, instructional strategies, and why some instructional strategies are more effective than others

Educational PsychologyRequires :i. Critical thinkingii. Active reflection

Critical thinking -Able to differentiate fact from opinionSee holes in argumentSpot illogicEvaluate evidenceTell whether cause and effect have been

established

Active Reflection - Generating conjectures to explain the

surprising eventGather information needed to make

decisions about what would constitute the most effective course of action

Active Reflection -

Teachers and TeachingTeaching is …. combines knowledge about the teaching-

learning processExpertise in the subject matter being taughtSensitivity to the needs of different kinds of

learnersPlanning and organizational skillsInterpersonal and leadership skillsA great deal of hard workThe interpersonal effort to help learners

acquire knowledge, develop skill, and realize their potential

Model for studying classroom teaching (Dunkin and Biddle, 1974)

Interrelation Between Child, Teacher, and Curriculum

Teacher Development Beliefs that teachers hold about teaching

and learning.Beliefs about teachers’ own confidence in

the classroom.

Differences Between Experts and Novice TeachersArea Novice Teachers Expert teachersCurriculum Planning -Plan for the class as a

whole-Focus more on short-term planning, with highly structured plans

-Differentiate individual differences among students-Focus on both long-term and short-term planning, with more loosely structured plans

Instruction -Simpler view of instructional process and fewer instructional strategies

-More complex views of the instructional process; better able to shift among methods

Teaching Routines -Difficulty in shifting from one activity to another-Present fewer ideas in a given amount of time-Difficulty in questioning comprehension

-Smooth transitions between activities-Present more ideas in a given amount of time-Ease and consistency in probing for comprehension

Demonstrations -Less variety and detail-Lack of appreciation of areas of possible misperception or misunderstanding

-More variety and detail-Solid appreciation of areas of possible misperception or misunderstanding

Differences Between Experts and Novice TeachersArea Novice Teachers Expert teachersFeedback -Focus more on student interest

level on understanding-Focus on student comprehension

Perceptions and Reflections -Focus on behavior and efficacy; concern with classroom management-Less elaborate representation of classroom events/activities-Effective instruction believed to be focused on clear communication to students

-Focus on student learning-More elaborate representation of classroom events-Effective instruction focused on concepts such as advanced organization, examples and analogies, and assessment of progress

Classroom Management -Focus on solving problems in the here and now-More likely to focus on teacher behavior than on student behavior-Attribution of success or failure to problems or lack of problems with students-Less able to recall events of instruction

-Focus on anticipating and defining management problems, generating multiple interpretations of behavior and possible approaches-More likely to focus on student behavior-Attribution of success or failure to planning, organization, etc.-Better able to recall events of instructions

Communication -Less well organized and thematic-Does not incorporate ongoing evaluation of student progress

-Organized around a central theme-Evaluation of progress incorporated into discourse

Approaches to Teaching1. Promote meaningful learning2. Discovery learning3. Direct instructions

Meaningful LearningDeveloped by Ausubel (1965)Meaning occurs when a learner actively interprets

experiencesDistinction between rote and meaningful learningRote learning – involves memorizationMeaningful learning – involves connecting new

information to what the learner already knows and understands

3 conditions for meaningful learning – i. learner approach the task with a learning strategy

to extract meaning ii. Task must be potentially meaningful to learner Iii. Relationship between the new information and

what the learner knows must be clear

Discovery LearningCharacterized by inductive reasoningInvolves bottom-up processingRequires support – teachers provide some

directionEg : students attempt to categorize rock

correctly on an underlying principle (density). Teachers may help by asking students to consider which rocks are heavier or bigger

Direct InstructionsKnown as explicit teaching, linked to the work

Rosenshine (1979, 1987)A systematic form of instruction used to master

basic skills and facts6 teaching functions for effective instruction

(Rosenshine, 1988) Review previous material Present new material Provide guided practice Provide feedback Provide independent practice Review weekly and monthly

Aspects of Teaching (Brophy, 2006) Supportive classroom climate Opportunity to learn Curriculum alignment Establish learning orientations Coherent content Thoughtful discourse Practice and application activities Assistance in student’s task engagement Strategy teaching Cooperative learning Goal-oriented assessment Achievement expectations

Leinhardt (1993) lists 4 types of explanations

Good instructions is the

quality of the explanation

teachers present to

students or students

present to themselves.

Explanations lead

students from a state of

not understanding or not

being able to do

something to a state of

understanding or the

ability to perform

Providing Explanations

Provided by teachers, texts, or other materials that are designed to teach

Hattie and Timperley (2007) discuss 4 different levels of feedback

Is an important aspect of

instruction that teachers can

use to promote meaningful

learning.

Mayer (2003) distinguishes 3

kinds of learning that can be

enhanced by providing

feedback – i. Response learning

ii. Concept learning

iii. Skill learning

Assessing and providing feedback

Learning and HomeworkWhat are the benefits of homework?How does it improve learning?Does it improve the quality of teaching?Can learning take place without

homework?

I. Homework based on material taught in class

II. Homework based on new material

III. Homework that expands and extends beyond classroom learning

3 types of homework