Educational Psychology
Importance of Educational Psychology is same as the importance of any other branch of psychology and it is becoming even more significant.
In the words of E.A. Peel, “Educational Psychology is the science of Education”.
Educational psychology equips teachers with tools to make informed decisions by understanding group dynamics, cohesive and destructive forces in learner groups.
Aims and objectives of educational psychology
Importance of Educational Psychology
Educational psychology, psychology’s primary applied branch, is important for education, teachers and learners. It has transformed educational institutions, enhancing education psychologic
We can broadly outline educational psychology’s importance:
1. Understanding Student Development: In the first importance of Educational Psychology, students progress through infancy, childhood and adolescence, each with unique characteristics. Educational psychology refines teaching methods by making teachers aware of these developmental stages. Teachers adjust educational objectives accordingly.
2. Classroom Learning Understanding: another importance of Educational psychology is that it provides insights into psychological processes and classroom learning. This helps teachers craft comprehensive learning theories considering students’ abilities, personality traits and knowledge bases.
3. Learner Problem Understanding: importance of Educational psychology is it helps teachers understand learner challenges, giving support to their needs.
4. Curriculum Construction: importance of Educational psychology is that it is very easy to construct a curriculum by keeping its basic elements in mind. The basic element of educational psychology emphasizes on keeping in mind the needs of students, their development characteristics, learning pattern and the needs of the society.
Teachers and educational psychology create a curriculum keeping these basic elements in mind, which not only maintains the scientific nature of the lesson but also strengthens its comprehensiveness. That’s why it is important to know the importance of Educational Psychology.
5. Understanding Group Dynamics: In recent years, educational psychologists have described the factors of social behavior and group dynamics as important in classroom teaching and learning. Understanding these factors improves teacher-taught interaction. Learners are able to interact with each other in the classroom.
They maintain good discipline and their teachers are also able to provide them proper guidance in this endeavour. It has a great impact on the learners and the learning process. An adequate atmosphere for teaching and learning is created in the classroom and ultimately it has a very positive impact on the level of education.
6. Guidance for Exceptional Children: Educational psychology provides special guidance in the education of exceptional children, such as intelligent children and mentally retarded children, which helps to overcome the practical difficulties of such children and brings speciality in the educational environment.
The result of emphasising the basic elements of educational psychology is that the syllabus of such children is kept different from the syllabus of normal students and the teachers who have the responsibility of teaching such children are specially trained.
7.Conducting Research: Educational psychology also encourages new research in the field of education, which increases the importance of psychology.
8. Guidance and Counseling:
Educational psychology helps a lot in exposing the problems and finding out their causes. Students of different age-levels show different problems which educational psychology helps teachers to identify. After these problems are identified, educational psychologists solve them with proper educational guidance and counselling and are able to bring about substantial improvement in the level of education.
9. Understanding Individual Differences:
There are many differences among learners in terms of ability, aptitude, attitude, traits etc. This creates some problems in the class. The teacher’s teaching work starts getting hampered because his teaching is excellent for some students and boring for others. Educational psychology helps a lot in dealing with this problem. By making the teacher aware of the basic elements (principles) of individual differences, this psychology helps the teacher in dealing with these problems.
10. Developing Positive Attitudes:
Educational psychology puts more emphasis on improving the mental health of learners. Similar emphasis is also put on improving the mental health of teachers. When good mental health develops in the learners, they develop a positive attitude towards the lesson, towards the teachers, towards their friends. Due to this, their mental and physical development takes place in a very favorable manner and authenticity increases in the educational environment.
11. Effective Teaching Methods:
One of the importance of Educational psychology is it helps in identifying effective teaching methods. Educational psychology focuses on the relative usefulness of different methods of teaching. Teachers identify the best method from these different methods and use it in the class. This not only strengthens the educational outcome of the students but also their interest in studies, attitude etc.
Here, we can understand the importance of Educational Psychology in the field of education.
The Scope of Educational Psychology
1. Heredity
Educational psychology studies how genetics affect learning and behavior. It helps teachers understand individual differences.
2. Development
Educational psychology examines cognitive, social and emotional growth stages. It informs teaching strategies.
3. Individual Differences
Educational psychology recognizes unique learner traits. It promotes personalized teaching.
4. Personality
Educational psychology explores personality’s impact on learning. It guides positive development.
5. Exceptional Child
Educational psychology supports special educational needs. It fosters inclusive learning.
6. Learning Process
Educational psychology analyzes effective learning methods. It optimizes teaching.
7. Curriculum Development
Educational psychology ensures relevant, effective curricula aligned with learner needs.
8. Mental Health
Educational psychology promotes teacher and learner well-being, stress management and emotional intelligence.
9. Teaching Methods
Educational psychology identifies best teaching practices.
10. Guidance & Counseling
Educational psychology provides emotional, social and academic support principles for teachers.
Problem-solving method and its steps
Gagne’s 8 Conditions of learning
Albert Bandura & Social Learning Theory
Discover more from Educational Psyche
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