NATURE
OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
1. Introduction:
Psychology is a Greek word which means “Science of
Soul”.Plato, Aristotle and other ancient philosophers believed that psychology
is a science which deals about causes of behaviour and the relationship between
mind and body.1600s and 1700 few philosophers believed the mind was divided
into several inborn faculties like thought, will, reason etc. and few believed
the mind is empty at birth and that a person must have experiences in order to
develop ideas.In 1879 Psychology was established as a science based on careful
observation and experiments.Psychology is a behavioural science, especially
interested in the study of human behaviour.
Definition of Psychology:
o
Psychology as a
Positive science which deals with behaviour of an organism as a whole . - William Mc Dougall.
o
Psychology as a
science of human behaviour - Walter Bowers.
o
Psychology can be
broadly defined as the investigation of human and animal behaviour and of the
mental and Physiological processes associated with the behaviour.
o
Psychology is a
study of Adjustments of organisms especially the human organism to changing
environment - C.V. Good.
Behavior has three parts; they are
cognitive, conative, and affective
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EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
·
Educational
Psychology is an application of psychology in the field of education.
·
Educational
Psychology covers the entire range of behaviour and personality as related to
education. - Skinner.
·
Educational
Psychology describes and explains the learning experience of an individual from
birth through old age. - Crow and Crow.
·
Educational
Psychology is a systematic study of Educational growth. -
J. M. Stephen.
·
Educational
Psychology is a science of modifying learner behaviour.
|
o
Modification
of learners behaviour means Modification in
1.
Physical
Development
2.
Cognitive
Development
3.
Social
Development
4.
Aesthetic
Development
5.
Moral
Development
|
Nature of Educational Psychology:
(Nature, Characteristics (or) Elements of Educational
Psychology)
1.
Educational
Psychology is a positive science and not a normative science:
·
Normative
Science: The science which decides the aims of education i.e. Ethics and
Philosophy.
·
Positive Science:
It deals with discovery of techniques by which goals can be achieved.As a
positive science educational Psychology not defines the aims of education but
it deals with methods of education.
2.
Education
Psychology is a behaviour science.
3.
Education
Psychology is an applied science:
Teachers are primarily
concern with group of children and their subject knowledge not different
theories of Psychology and experiments but their knowledge of Psychology is
constantly being applied to unique set of circumstances.
|
“Educational Psychology is an application of Psychology in
the field of education”.
|
4.
Educational
Psychology is a social science:
Educational Psychologist not
only concern with the effect of group (family, peer, professional, cultural or
social) upon the individual but are also interested in a wide variety of the
personal interactions also.
5.
Educational
Psychology is a counseling psychology
6.
Educational
Psychology is an educational science:
The domino of psychology is
very broad, including the study of collective behavioural problems of
individuals in educational situations.
7.
Educational
Psychology is concerned with human factors in learning.
8.
Educational
Psychology is a growing science.
Educational Psychology began
with William James and Edward Thorndike in USA 1808. Since then the field of
Educational Psychology has been developed by research scholar. Now Educational Psychology invades in
computer education also.
Aims of Educational Psychology:
1.
To assist in
defining and setting up educational objectives and standards in terms of
desirable behaviour and organizing educational climate.
2.
To develop
systematic attitude in teacher
3.
To provide a body
of facts and principles, this can be used in solving the problem of teaching.
4.
To aid teachers
to have better perspectives about their job and others.
5.
To assist the
teacher for analyzing students behaviour.
6.
To assist in
setting up, defining and maintaining progressive teaching procedures, guidance
programmes and functional firms of organization and administration.
7.
To make the
learning process so simple and easy to understand.
8.
To improve the
learning environment.
The Focal Areas of Educational Psychology (Or) Scope
of Education Psychology(or)Limitation of a Educational Psychology
According to Lindgren Educational Psychology is concerned with
understanding of learner, the learning process and the learning situation. So
the scope of educational Psychology may be discussed under the following heads.
1.
The Learner
2.
The Learning
Process
3.
The Learning
Situations
4.
The Learning
Experiences
5.
The Teacher
The Learner:
§
The Learner is
very important around him only all the activities are planned and performed.
§
Sir John Adams
says “Teacher teaches John Latin” the teacher must have the knowledge of John’s
Psychology. Therefore, the teacher must
know about learners need, interest, attitude, aptitude etc.
§
Individual
difference of a learner should given due importance. Any two person differ in their need, taste,
hobbies, talents, skills etc because of their unique heredity, environment and
life situations. So according to that
educational activities should be planned.
§
The learner also
differ in his level of motivation, Personality, Developmental characters,
mental health, intelligence etc so educational activities should be planned and
organized around learners.
The Learning Process:
Learning is a process by which we acquire and retain
attitudes, knowledge, understanding skills and capabilities.Capacity for
learning depends on innate physical and psychological factors.Rate of learning
depends on both inherited and environmental factors.The learning process should
contain different types of learning like 1) Affective learning 2) Cognitive
learning and 3) Psychomotor learning:
o
Affective
Learning: The Teacher has to do with feelings and values of the learner so he
influences his attitude and personality.
o
Cognitive
Learning: This can be achieved by mental
process such as reasoning, remembering and recall.
o
Psychomotor
Learning: It related to developing of
skills, which needs effective coordination between brain and muscles.
Learning Situations:
Learning
situations covers all life experience that modifies learner’s behaviour. In the academic point of view learning
behaviour refers to classroom setting which is composed of (1) Student (2)
Teacher (3) Room atmosphere and (4) Interaction of the student and teacher. This
interaction is the main tool of relationship.
There
is a possibility of getting 2 types of interactions in learning
situations. They are interactions in
learning situations. They are
1)
Interaction
between Teacher and Student
2)
Interaction among
students
These
interactions helpful in bringing
1)
Many desired
relationships
2)
Motivates pupils
3)
Creates many
social skills
4)
Brings many
cognitive and psychomotor
5)
Decides learning
climate
Learning
Experience:
It is
a process of integration a learner, learning process, learning situation, and
subject matter. This includes usage of
AV Aids, text books, student activities and all these have to be organized so
that the environment will promote necessary learning experiences.
The
teacher has to realize that every child enters the new learning experiences
with the accumulated facts of previous learning. He also attitudes on the basis of which he
will have to learn new ways of behaviour.
The Teacher:
1.
The teacher must
understand the children as learner and must recognize characteristics of
children which are significant in helping each to learn more effectively.
2.
The teacher must
understand the difference between growing up and grow bigger. i.e. he must understand
Developmental tasks and related emotional, physical physiological changes.
3.
The teacher must
understand individual difference normal and abnormal behaviour, based on that
he should decide his educational process.
4.
Teacher must
understand student’s physical, mental personality characteristics and relevant
facts about his environment and recording “child study” is very important.
Unlimited
scope of educational Psychology:
There is no limitations for the educational psychology. Because it in trying harder and harder with
the results of new researches and experiments in its field. In the beginning educational development
psychology concentrates on child psychology only during recent years
Adolescence, Adulthood, and Old age development also have drawn increased
attention.
We
can’t limit the scope of educational psychology with in the above 5
situation’s. It is widened every
year. Because education is not only
subject centered but also student centered and community centered.
Significance
of Educational Psychology to the teacher
Educational
Psychology is a science of modifying learner’s behaviour.
Introduction:
The
effectiveness of learning depends on teacher’s capability and capacity to
coordinate all the focal areas of educational psychology. Teacher can solve all his day to day problem
with the help of educational psychology so he needs it every walks of his
life. The important facts in this
connection are the following.
1.Understanding oneself:The teacher become aware of his own ability and incapacity. He should review himself and decide whether
he processes the qualities required of a good teacher. This realization can be gained with the help
of educational psychology.
2.Understanding the Educand (Learner)The Knowledge about learner developmental characters,
attitude, aspirations, interest, motivation, personality can be helpful for the
teaching profession.
3. Evaluation and Testing:Evaluation and Testing of Knowledge and Development of
the learner.
4. To Reform Curriculum:In drawing up the curriculum, the teacher should be
aware of the needs of the individual and society and the methods of learning
that can best fulfill these needs. The
teacher should have sufficient knowledge of Educational Psychology to achieve correspondence
between the level of development and method of learning to be applied.
5.Betterment of Human Relations:Teaching and learning afford adequate opportunity for
group and individual relationship. The
atmosphere of the school depends apart from the relations between teachers and
the taught or relations among the students themselves, the relations that exist
between teacher themselves, and with Principal.
Psychology renders assistance in achieving best relationship in
educational situations.
6. Adjustment and Discipline:The knowledge of educational Psychology helps the
teacher to guide students to adjust themselves to the situations. The problem of discipline are also basically
problems of motivation and goals. Sometimes
naughtiness is a sign of adjustment process and in this case the teacher must
encourage rather than prevent them.
7.Experimentations and Research:Educational Psychology helps in experimentations and
Research to the problems which arises in the learning process.
8. Class room problems:Educational Psychology helps the teacher to diagnose and solve the
problems that arises in class room situations.
9. Develops positive attitude:Develops confidence in trainees to face the problems
and adaptability to deal with unexpected problems in daily class-room
teaching. Training colleges provide knowledge
of organizing the subject matter in sequential order which suits the needs of
the class.
10.Understanding of group dynamics:In recent years educational psychologists have
recognized the importance of social behaviour and group dynamics in class-room
teaching-learning. The teacher must know
about the operations which work in total social environment and their effect on
learning.
11.Whole development :To Bring whole development which include Physical, Mental, Emotional
developments, Skill development in aesthetic sense, and Social responsibility.
12. To understand group dynamics
13. To develop professional aim.
Contribution
to Practice of Education:
1.Problem of discipline: “Spare the rod
and spoil the child” was the slogan of traditional teachers who tackled the
problems of indiscipline by dint of corporal punishment. Now teachers who have the knowledge of modern
educational psychology realize that use of corporal punishment is inhumane.
2.
Use of audio-visual aids: Use of
audio-visual aids makes the difficult concept more clear and definite and
learning is more lasting.
3.
Democratic administration: Former
autocratic method of administration in school and class-room has been changed
by democratic way of life. The
administration and teacher are democratic, co-operative and sympathetic. Problems of administration are now solved by
mutual discussion among the various agents of school.
4.
Time table: Now subjects are kept in the time table
keeping into consideration their difficulty level and fatigure index. No two difficult subjects are taught in
successive periods.
5. Co-curricular activities: Teachers used
to give undue importance to the theoretical subjects in schools. Activities like debate, drama, scouting and
games were supposed to be a wastage oftime.
Now we give these activities due importance for the harmonious development
of the personality of children.
6.
Use of innovation:
Several innovative ideas have
been introduced to improve the teaching-learning process. Activity centred teaching, discussion method,
micro-teaching, programmed instruction and non-graded school classes at the
primary stage are some of the important innovations.
7.
Production of text books: We
now write text books keeping in to consideration the intellectual development
of children, needs and their interests at different age levels.
METHODS OF
EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
The
main objectives of educational psychology is to develop necessary skills and
competencies in the prospective teacher to enable him to understand, control
and predict the behaviour of learners in educative process at different
levels. In order to accomplish its main
objective, educational psychology employs various methods and techniques to
collect data on problems of behaviour of the learners.
The
important methods and techniques of collecting data in Educational Psychology
are as follows:
1.
Introspection
methods
2.
Extraspection /
Observation Method
3.
Case study method
4.
Experimental
method / Scientific Method
5.
Anecdotal Method
1. Introspection
Method:
§ ‘Intro’ Means inward, ‘spection’ means looking
§ Looking into oneself or observing oneself to know what
he is and how he is in his thoughts, feelings and action is introspection.
§ The other names are self study and self analysis or
self observation
§ This method is developed by structuralisms.
§ It is a process of examining one’s own mental process
of thought, feelings and motives.
Merits of
introspection:
1.
This is the
easiest method and is readily available to the individual
2.
This method does
not require specific time place and equipment as in experimentation.
3.
The informations
are first hand and quite reliable.
4.
It is the
cheapest and most economical method.
5.
Introspection has
generated research which gradually led to the development of more objective
method.
Limitations
of introspection method:
1.
The data
collected by introspection cannot be verified.
2.
The data
collected by introspection is highly subjective.
3.
Introspection can
be done by normal or superior individuals alone.
4.
This method
cannot be done by children
5.
There is a scope
for getting conflicting reports.
2. Extraspection
/ Observation Method:
Observation literally means
looking outside oneself. This method
deals with the overt behaviour of persons in appropriate situations. Here overt behaviour is measured without any
instrument. The overt behaviour is the
manifestation of covert conditions within the organism. The study of overt behaviour gives indirectly
the clue to the mental conditions of the organisms.
Observation may be of different types:
1.
Direct and
indirect method
2.
Natural and
artificial method
3.
Scheduled and
unscheduled method
4.
Participative and
non-participative method
Merits of
Observation Method:
1.
Being a record of
the actual behaviour of the child, it is more reliable and objective.
2.
It is a study of
an individual in a natural situation and is therefore more useful than the
restricted study.
3.
This method can
be used with children of all ages.
4.
It can be used
with a little training.
5.
This can be used
in every situation ( Physical Activities, Workshop, class rooms)
6.
It is adaptable
both to the individual and groups.
7.
Does not require
any special tool.
Limitations
and Demerits:
1.
It is useful
collect data about overt behaviour
2.
Subjectivity of
interpretation is another limitation sampling error and observers error.
3.
Recording may not
be accurate.
4.
It reveals only
the overt or expressed behaviour.
3. CASE STUDY
METHOD:
A person (place, nation) with a
problem is called a case. A thorough
investigation about a case is called case study. Steps involved in case study
methods are
1.
Study Phase
2.
Diagnosis Phase
3.
Treatment Phase
4.
Follow up Phase
Study Phase:
Since
this technique is barrowed from medical science following criteria to be collected
A)
Social History is
collected from following sources
1.
Preliminary
information: Name, Age, Sex, Parentage,
Education, Occupation, Income, No. of Children, Socio Economic Status
2.
Past History:
-
Conditions of
mothers during Pregnancy
-
Any incident
after birth
-
Physical, mental,
emotional social – illness
-
Relationship
between parents and other members of the family
-
Achievement of
the child
-
Parents death,
birth order etc.
3.
Present
Conditions: Informations may be
collected from collateral resources.
-
Physical health
-
Mental ability
-
Social
Environment – Family, School friends, home
-
Emotional level
-
Interest
-
School
achievements
Diagnosis
Phase:
Based
on the collected information the root causes of maladjustment and behavioural
problems are identified by the experts.
Treatment
Phase:
During
this phase remedial measures are suggested for the rehabilitation of
maladjusted cases. Group therapy,
individual therapy relation therapy are some of the best methods used in this
phase.Educationalist, Psychologists, Psychiatrist and social workers are
utilized in all the phases of case study.
Follow up
Phase:
Home
visit, and Re-reference are the some of the procedures involved in this phase.
Advantages:
1.
It is an in-depth
study of an individual specific behaviour / behaviours.
2.
It is an
intensive investigations
3.
This method is
the only method that helps to study the special features of an individual
behaviour.
4.
This method
suggests remedial measures and follow up programmes.
Limitations:
1.
Time consuming
2.
Too subjective,
Casual, uncontrolled and lacking in precise measurement
3.
Only
professionals can do better.
Experimental
Method
An
experiment is a controlled observation.
Experiment method is more objective, systematic and scientific way of
investigation. One of the major contribution
of behaviourism is the development of Experimental method. Experimental method is a procedure by which
single designed factors are studied by applying on one or group of factors
under controlled conditions. The
experiment method uses a systematic procedure called experimental design. Experimental design provides important
guidelines to the researcher to carry out his research systematically normally
following steps may be involved.
1.
Identification of
the problem
2.
Formulating
hypothesis
3.
Selecting an
appropriate design
4.
Collection of
data
5.
Analysing the
data and interpreting the results
6.
Discussion and
conclusion
The Experimental Design can be
divided on the basis of two important factors (1) The control / Procedure (2) The Number of groups
Following
are the samples of experimental designs
(1) One group Design - a) Post Test Design, b) Pre-Test_
Post Test Design
(2) Two group Design – a) Pre-Test_ Post Test Design b) Randomized control _ group Design c) Matched two group Design
(3) Multi-group Design
(4) Small N_Design
1. One group Design:
Post-Test
Design:
The data are collected through test after
or at the end of a treatment. In this
type of experiments no formal comparison can be made. Eg. At the end of three months treatment for
Anti-drug Addiction. How many students
give up drug.
Pre-Test_
Post Test Design:
In this design the experimenter first tests a group on
some aspects of behaviour and then gives special treatment (X) to the same
group. The test performance of group
after the treatment are collected and statistically analyzed.
2. Two group Design:
Pre-Test_
Post Test Design:
In this design both experimental and
control group are administered pre-test and then the experimental group is
given special treatment (x) where as the control group is not given any type of
treatment. After the special treatment
post-test is administered to both the groups.
Merits of Experimental Method:
1.
Experimental
method is the most systematic procedure of solving problem.
2.
The results are
verifiable by other investigators under identical conditions
3.
It provides
objectives and precise information about the problem.
4.
It gives cause –
effect relationship.
5.
It provides
innovative ideas for further experimentation.
Limitations
1.
It is time
consuming and costly
2.
This method needs
specialized knowledge
3.
Human behaviour
is dynamic, so one may not act exactly in the same manner, even in identical
situations.
4.
Experiments are
conducted in artificially determined pattern of behaviour. In real life situation is quite different.
5.
Experimental data
do not provide insight into total behaviour.
6.
Not possible to
construct tools that will make accurate measurements.
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