EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
The
word, ‘Psychology’ is derived from two Greek words, ‘Psyche’ and ‘Logos’.
Psyche means ‘soul’ and ‘Logos’ means ‘science’. Thus psychology was first
defined as the ‘science of soul”.
1.
Psychology as the Science of Soul. In ancient days, the Greek philosophers like
Plato and Aristotle interpreted Psychology as the science of the soul and
studied it as a branch of Philosophy. But soul is something metaphysical. It
cannot be seen, observed and touched and we cannot make scientific experiments
on soul.
2.
Psychology as the Science of the Mind. It was the German philosopher Emmanuel Kant
who defined Psychology as the science of the mind. William James (1892) defined
psychology as the science of mental processes. But the word ‘mind’ is also
quite ambiguous as there was confusion regarding the nature and functions of
mind.
3.
Psychology as the Science of Consciousness. Modern psychologists defined psychology as
the “Science of Consciousness”. James Sully (1884) defined psychology as the
“Science of the Inner World”. Wilhelm Wundt (1892) defined psychology as the
science which studies the “internal experiences’. But there are three levels of
consciousness – conscious, subconscious and the unconscious and so this
definition also was not accepted by some.
4. Psychology
as the Science of Behaviour. At the
beginning of the 20th century, when psychologists attempted to develop
psychology into a pure science, it came to be defined as the science of
behaviour. The term behaviour was popularized by J.B. Watson. Other exponents
are William McDugall and W.B. Pillsbury. According to R.S. Woodworth, “First
Psychology lost its soul, then it lost its mind, then lost its consciousness.
It still has behaviour of a sort.
5. Psychology
is the study of the mind and behavior, according to the American Psychological
Association. It is the study of the mind, how it works, and how it affects
behavior.
Definition of 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.
• According to Charles Skinner the aims of
educational Psychology is cultural and Professional.
• Culture aim means the educational Psychology
has to enrich the life of educator himself by changing the learners
thoughts, feelings, altitudes ideas, standards of values and conduct
professional aim means improvement in quality of education and modification in
learners behaviour.Professional aim means improvement in quality of
education and modification in learner’s behaviour.Modification of learners
behaviour means Modification in Physical Development, Cognitive Development, Social
Development, Aesthetic Development and Moral Development
The
Focal Areas of Educational Psychology (Or)Scope of Education Psychology
(or)Limitation of an 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
Teacher Student
2 Student
1
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
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.
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 are
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.
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, and
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 of time. 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.
