Educational Psychology: Foundation for Teaching

lEducational Psychologists

–We want more objective source of information

lPsychological and educational research

Aim of Research in EdPsy

lTest various theories that guide actions of teachers

Example: What is theory behind teacher behavior?

lTeacher 1: rewards best attendance

–rewarding attendance will increase it

lTeacher 2: rewards most improved attendance

–poor attenders need incentives to come to class

lTeacher 3: rewards no one but instead provides creative fun lessons

lTeachers need to understand the combination of factors that shape the classroom and thus be able to apply the most appropriate theory

Groups

lWhat is the difference between teaching and learning?

lWhat makes a teacher effective?

lHow do students learn best?

Teaching versus Learning

Upon summers end, two boys were taking their dogs for a walk.

One boys asks, “What did you do this summer.”

“Well, I taught my dog to talk.”

“Really” says the first boy.

“Yes, really, I spent all summer teaching him to talk.”

“That great, but I haven’t heard him talk.”

“Well, I said I taught him to talk, I didn’t say he learned to talk.”

What Makes a Good Teacher?

Mastering Teaching Skills

Determinants of Good Teaching

The Intentional Teacher

Characteristics of the Intentional Teacher

Brief History of EdPsy

lWm. James - Stretched Mind; Psych to children

lJohn Dewey - Hands on learning!

lE.L. Thorndike - Assessment, Reasoning, Statistics

lLeta Hollingsworth - EO for Women/Minorities

lLink: http://courses.ed.asu.edu/berliner/readings//journey.htm (100 year journey of edpsy)

Research

Why do educational psychologists spend so much time conducting research? Why is it important?

What does it provide for teachers?

Research – Why?

ltried and true recipe; proof

lEdPsy Research helps answer following:

–Describe – What is nature of behavior?

–Understand – Why does it occur?

–Predict – Can we predict when it will occur?

–Control – What conditions affect it?

–Prevent – How can we best prevent it?

lWhat are some types of research used by educational psychologists?

Descriptive Research

lSurvey or Interview

–Pros? Cons?

lObservations

–Pros? Cons? 

Experiments

lExample:

–Teachers wants to know effect of study guide on test scores

–Random assignment

lG1: study guide

lG2: no study guide

–Measure test results

Correlational Research

lMost often used in EdPsy

lRelationship of 2 events, characteristics

–Is there a rx between age and IQ? Study time and test score?

lPositive, Negative, No relationship

lAdvantages? Disadvantages?

Positive or Negative?

lNumber of books a student reads in a year and reasoning achievement score

lTeacher-child ratio and student attention

lShoe Size and IQ?

lDays absent and grades?

Which type of research should I use?

lDepends on the question being asked

Descriptive, Experimental or Correlational?

What kinds of aggressive behaviors do we see in our schools, and with what frequencies do we see them?

Are students more likely to be aggressive at school if their parents are physically violent at home?

Which method is most effective in reducing aggressive behavior- reinforcing appropriate behavior, punishing aggressive behavior, or a combination of both?

Summary

•What Makes a Good Teacher?

•What Is the Role of Research in Educational Psychology?

•What Research Methods Are Used in Educational Psychology?