Psychology is not only an integral part of the educational curriculum as a subject but also a fundamental part of its design. Not every college student studies Psychology as their major. However, they all experienced the principles and approaches of Educational Psychology in their studies. Why is psychology important? How is it applicable in education? This article will explain.
The Role of Educational Psychology
The main goal of this branch of Psychology is to understand how people learn, what techniques work best, and how to apply them effectively. To put it simply, it covers all the aspects of preparing and presenting the curriculum. Most of the research in Educational Psychology focuses on the early stages of life—childhood and adolescence. However, there is enough data on how young adults and adults learn as well.
Learning is a continuous process that goes far beyond lessons and lectures. It involves environment, social interactions, and personal experiences. That’s why it is such a complex subject with so many variables. There is no one ultimate answer, and there is no super curriculum that will work for every individual. Educational Psychology focuses on:
- Biological factors of how people process and retain information
- Cognitive factors
- Emotional factors
- Social factors.
All of them impact how a person learns and how successful a specific learning instrument is. For instance, there are different styles – some retain visual information better, and others need an audio form. You’ve probably noticed that some of your peers prefer to study while listening to music. In contrast, others cannot concentrate if there is any noise around.
Besides the general population, Educational Psychology also explores the specifics of learning of people with specific challenges. It is where the curricula for groups with individual educational needs come from. A person with hearing difficulties will need a different approach than those without it. However, if you’ve never had such an experience, you might not have thought about it.
A professional approach based on research and verifiable data is essential here, as well as in any other type of academic work. Imagine that you have to write a winning paper – you’ll start with the basics, such as finding relevant, trustworthy information. Or you can decide to buy argumentative essay from experts, and they’ll do it for you. In any case, it all starts with fundamentals. The same goes for any educational curriculum. It starts with the audience, purpose, and the best practices to be applied.
Different Perspectives on the Educational Process
Is psychology a social science? Why is it so important for educators? What perspectives does it have in this regard? Yes, it is a social science that is crucial to educators. It allows teachers to understand how the audience perceives information, what can improve this perception, and how to ensure that pupils/students will remember it.
For instance, one might think that repetitive exercises in learning a new language are dull. Although they might be, they are here for a good reason. Spaced repetition is one of the most effective ways to remember information for a long time. It is a scientifically proven method. That’s why all teachers use it, not because they do not want to come up with new exercises. As for perspectives, Educational Psychology works with the following ones.
Behavioural science
Certain behaviours can be learned through reinforcement. For instance, praise and recognition of effort motivate a student to work better. That’s why there is always an element of reward, especially in elementary and middle school.
Developmental processes
It means the specifics of an individual’s cognitive, emotional, and social development at different stages of life. This aspect is crucial in school education, as even a couple of years can make a huge difference in how students perceive and retain information.
Cognitive science
This factor covers everything related to thinking, attention, memory, and other brain processes. It also concerns how personal attitudes, values, beliefs, and motivations contribute to learning. The easiest example is if you feel like you are in your place and you are studying to pursue a profession of your dreams, you are most certainly motivated to do more.
Constructivist approach
It is a more holistic view of how people construct their worldview and what goes into it. For example, our beliefs impact how we access information. A person who is certain that the Moon landing was fake will not be perceptive to any other information on spacecraft, NASA research, or astronomy.
Experiential factor
It is quite similar to the previous one but covers how our experiences shape how we perceive and approach information.
Summing Up
So, what does psychology do to a curriculum? It gives educators principles and instruments to create efficient and audience-oriented lessons. It enhances emotional intelligence, promotes a personalized approach to learning, and promotes curiosity and critical thinking. It allows educators to understand students’ needs, wants, and potential biases and gives them different options for addressing them.
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