what is the importance of educational psychology in education

 What is educational Psychology?

The study of how people learn, including teaching strategies, learning processes, and individual learning characteristics, is called educational psychology. Knowing how individuals acquire knowledge and retain it is the aim. Besides the social, emotional, and cognitive processes that are involved in learning throughout the lifespan, this area of psychology also studies the learning processes that occur in early childhood and adolescence. 

Developmental psychology, learning theories, and cognitive psychology are some of the other fields that are included in the field of educational psychology. The issues that educational psychologists research, professional opportunities, and some of the differing perspectives within the area of educational psychology are covered in this article.

The study of educational psychology focuses on how people acquire knowledge and retain it in educational environments like classrooms. This covers the learning processes that are social, emotional, and cognitive. The areas of attention may include education, techniques of testing and evaluation, psychometrics, school or learning settings, and learning, social and behavioral issues that may obstruct learning, as well as the use of technology in education. Graduates hold employment in research universities, school systems, the assessment industry, governmental organizations, and the private industry. They also serve as professors, education experts, learning analyzers, and program assessors.

 Lev S. Vygotsky said

Every step of the way, psychology tells us that while two different types of activity may share a similar external presentation, whether it be in source or essence, their natures may be extremely different.

History of educational psychology

An area of psychology that is still developing substantially is educational psychology. Since psychology did not become a distinct science until the late 1800s, educational philosophers were largely responsible for the initial interest in educational psychology.

Herbart thought that a student's interest in a subject had a significant impact on the outcomes of their learning. When choosing the best kind of instruction, he thought teachers ought to take this into account.

 William James, a philosopher, and psychologist, later made substantial contributions to the field. The first textbook on educational psychology is regarded as his famous 1899 book "Talks to Teachers on Psychology."

Binet, a French psychologist, was creating his famous IQ tests at the same time. 13 The French government initially created the examinations to aid in identifying children who had developmental delays and developing special education programs.

John Dewey had a huge impact on education in the United States.

Progressive in his thinking, Dewey thought that students should come first in the classroom rather than certain subjects. He advocated active learning, saying that practical application was a crucial component of the procedure.

 More recently, educational psychologist Benjamin Bloom created a taxonomy that is crucial for classifying and explaining various educational goals.

 He listed three top-level domains for learning objectives: cognitive, affective, and psychomotor.

Careers in educational psychology

In order to determine how to effectively support kids' learning, educational psychologists collaborate with educators, administrators, teachers, and students. This frequently entails figuring out how to spot pupils who might require additional help, devising programs for students who are having problems, and even coming up with novel teaching techniques.

 Many educational psychologists have direct contact with schools. Some are professors or teachers, while others collaborate with teachers to create new course curricula and test out novel teaching strategies for their students. An educational psychologist might even train to be a counselor, personally assisting pupils in overcoming obstacles to learning.

Research is done by other educational psychologists. For instance, they might be employed by a government agency like the U.S. Department of Education, influencing choices regarding the most effective ways for children to learn in classrooms all over the country.

Psychology is an interdisciplinary field that offers a wide range of job options. For instance, you may work as a substance abuse therapist if you wish to assist people in overcoming their drug and alcohol addictions. As an alternative, you could opt to become an organizational psychologist and assist managers in finding and developing new talent while working in a commercial environment.



Importance of educational psychology

Particularly in this day and age, educational psychology is an essential component of the learning process. It is crucial for educators and students alike. Let's examine a few advantages educational psychology has for teachers.

•It aids the teacher in evaluating both his own teaching potential and the abilities of the students.

•It helps the teacher recognize the process of learning.

•Assessing each student and understanding where he or she stands and how much they've changed helps the teacher.

•It aids the teacher in adapting his teaching strategy to the needs of the student.

•It aids the teacher in resolving each student's learning challenges.

•It aids the teacher in inspiring the pupil to learn and develop his memorization skills.

•Knowing the differences each student has in accordance with his or her individual limitations aids the teacher.

•It aids the instructor in directing the pupils' talents with the appropriate caution.

Scope of educational psychology


  • The student is at the center of educational psychology's subject matter. Consequently, it is important to understand the student and how to get to know him well.
  • The rules, concepts, and educational theory are covered in Educational Psychology after determining the learner and what educational experiences should be offered.
  • It investigates human behavior in contexts of education. Since behavior is the subject of psychology and behavior is the subject of education, educational psychology permeates the entire area of education.
  • It investigates individual differences because every person is unique.
  • The role that Heredity and Environment play in an individual's development and how this information may be applied to ensure that a kid develops to their full potential are important aspects of educational psychology.
The two key focuses of educational psychology are psychology and education. These two factors are equally important in creating a society with a promising future. The following are some of the topics that educational psychology can address. They do;

  • Development and growth of a youngster.
  • Studies on how people behave.
  • How to maximize learning effectiveness.
  • The personality characteristics of a person.
  • The unique characteristics of each person.

 

 




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