Learning, Teaching, and

Educational Psychology
Chapter 1

Educational Psychology, 11th Edition

ISBN 0137144547
2010 Pearson Education, Inc.
All rights reserved.

The Role of Psychology in Education

I.
II.
III.
IV.

V.

Learning and Teaching Today

What is Good Teaching?
The Role of Educational Psychology
Preview: Theories for Educational
Psychology
Diversity and Convergences

Educational Psychology, 11th Edition

Anita Woolfolk
0137144547

2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

All Rights Reserved.

What Would You Do?

n

Read What Would You Do? on p. 3

n

What would you do to help all your students to

progress and prepare for the testing?
How would you use the intern so that both she
and your students learn?
How could you involve the families of your nonEnglish speaking students and students with
learning disabilities to support their childrens
learning?

Educational Psychology, 11th Edition

Anita Woolfolk
0137144547

2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

All Rights Reserved.

Big Questions
n
n
n
n
n

n
n
n

Who are the students in todays classrooms?

What is the No Child Left Behind Act?
Does teaching matter?
What is good teaching?
What are the greatest concerns of beginning
teachers?
Why should I study educational psychology?
What roles to theory and research play in this field?
Describe three families of theories explaining learning
and development and three issues that run through
these theories.

Educational Psychology, 11th Edition

Anita Woolfolk
0137144547

2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

All Rights Reserved.

Learning and Teaching

n

Dramatic Diversity: Students Today

n Have many different backgrounds
n Come from diverse families
n Face difficult challenges
n Many have disabilities
Teachers are less diverse
n 91% are white

Educational Psychology, 11th Edition

Anita Woolfolk
0137144547

2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

All Rights Reserved.

No Child Left Behind

n

n
n

Reauthorization of Elementary and Secondary School

Act of 1965
All students in grades 3-8 must take standardized
tests once per year
All students must take one standardized test in high
school
AYP- Adequate Yearly Progress
Schools must report results separately for groups
such as minorities and students with disabilities

Educational Psychology, 11th Edition

Anita Woolfolk
0137144547

2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

All Rights Reserved.

Do Teachers Make a Difference?

n

Teacher-Student Relationships
n

The association between the quality of

early teacher-child relationships and later
school performance can be both strong and
persistent

The Cost of Poor Teaching

n

Less effective teaching can contribute to

lower academic gains

Educational Psychology, 11th Edition

Anita Woolfolk
0137144547

2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

All Rights Reserved.

What is good teaching?

n

A science, or an art? Are teachers

sages on stages or guides on the side?
Teachers must be knowledgeable and
inventive
Use a range of strategies
n Use research-based strategies for
managing classes
n Flexibility
n Knowledgeable about your students
n

Educational Psychology, 11th Edition

Anita Woolfolk
0137144547

2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

All Rights Reserved.

Beginning Teachers
n

Concerns
n
n
n
n
n
n

Difference between new and experienced teacher:

n
n

Classroom management
Motivating students
Accommodating students with differences
Evaluating student work
Dealing with parents
Getting along with other teachers

New teacher- How am I doing?

Experienced teacher- How are the students doing?

Educational psychology provides new teachers the

foundation they need

Educational Psychology, 11th Edition

Anita Woolfolk
0137144547

2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

All Rights Reserved.

Role of Educational Psychology

n

Educational Psychology and teaching

n Began with early educators and
psychologists observing children in
classrooms
Educational Psychology today
n Research on teaching and learning
n Child/adolescent development
n Motivation
n Others?

Educational Psychology, 11th Edition

Anita Woolfolk
0137144547

10

2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

All Rights Reserved.

Educational Psychology
n

Is it just common sense?

How do we find answers to many of our
most pressing challenges in the classroom?
n Often, we rely on common sense
responses that may not serve students
well.
n Educational psychology is a field dedicated
to the scientific study of teaching and
learning.
n

Educational Psychology, 11th Edition

Anita Woolfolk
0137144547

11

2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

All Rights Reserved.

Using Research
n

Descriptive Studies
n
n
n

Survey results
Interview responses
Video or audio of classroom interactions

Correlation Studies
n

Ask: what is the relation between two

variables?

Educational Psychology, 11th Edition

Anita Woolfolk
0137144547

12

2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

All Rights Reserved.

Using Research
n

Experimental Studies
n
n

Single-Subject Experimental Designs

n

Random assignment
Cause and effect
Examines the impact of an intervention

Microgenetic Studies
n

Study cognitive processes in the midst of

change

Educational Psychology, 11th Edition

Anita Woolfolk
0137144547

13

2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

All Rights Reserved.

Using Research
n

The role of time in research

n
n

Short term observations

Longitudinal studies

Teachers as researchers
n

Action research (problem-solving

investigation)

Educational Psychology, 11th Edition

Anita Woolfolk
0137144547

14

2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

All Rights Reserved.

Using Scientific Research

n

NCLB- educational programs and

practices receiving federal funds must
be based on scientific research
n
n
n
n

Observations or experiments
Valid and reliable data
Clearly described and repeatable
Must be peer reviewed

Educational Psychology, 11th Edition

Anita Woolfolk
0137144547

15

2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

All Rights Reserved.

Theories for Teaching

n

Theory: an interrelated set of concepts that

is used to explain a body of data and to make
predictions about the results of future
experiments
Principles and theories are both usefuln Principles will help you with specific
problems
n Theories will provide new ways of thinking
about problems

Educational Psychology, 11th Edition

Anita Woolfolk
0137144547

16

2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

All Rights Reserved.

Theory Preview
n

Jean Piaget
n

Lev Vygotsky
n

Sociocultural Theory

Sigmund Freud
n

Natural cognitive development

Dream analysis, sex and aggression

Erik Erikson
n

Psychosocial theory

Educational Psychology, 11th Edition

Anita Woolfolk
0137144547

17

2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

All Rights Reserved.

Contextual Theories
n

Lev VygotskyZone of proximal development

n Development within the context of human
interaction
n

Urie Bronfenbrennern
n

Bioecological model for development

Many diverse contexts for development

Educational Psychology, 11th Edition

Anita Woolfolk
0137144547

18

2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

All Rights Reserved.

Diversity and Convergences

n

Students are increasingly diverse, while teachers

remain primarily white and middle class.
Diverse approaches to research can address a variety
of problems.
No Child Left Behind seeks to close the gap between
high achieving and low achieving students. Is it
working? If not, how would you fix it?

Educational Psychology, 11th Edition

Anita Woolfolk
0137144547

19

2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

All Rights Reserved.