What is Psychology?
The word, ‘Psychology’ is derived from two Greek words, ‘Psyche’ and ‘Logos’. Psyche means ‘soul’ and ‘Logos’ means ‘science’. Thus psychology was first defined as the ‘science of soul”.
According to earlier psychologists, the function of psychology was to study the nature, origin and destiny of the human soul. But soul is something metaphysical. It cannot be seen, observed and touched and we cannot make scientific experiments on soul.
In the 18th century, psychology was understood as the ‘Science of Mind’. William James (1892) defined psychology as the science of mental processes. But the word ‘mind ‘ is also quite ambiguous as there was confusion regarding the nature and functions of mind.
Modern psychologists defined psychology as the “Science of Consciousness”. James Sully (1884) defined psychology as the “Science of the Inner World”. Wilhelm Wundt (1892) defined psychology as the science which studies the “internal experiences’. But there are three levels of consciousness – conscious, subconscious and the unconscious and so this definition also was not accepted by some.
Thus psychology first lost its soul, then its mind and then its consciousness. At present only its behaviour exists. William McDugall (1905) defined psychology as the “Science of Behaviour”, W.B. Pillsbury (1911) and J.B. Watson (1912) also defined psychology as the science of behavior.
Behaviour generally means overt activities which can observed and measured scientifically. But one’s behaviour is always influenced by his experiences. So when we study one’s behaviour we must also study his experiences.
Psychology should, therefore, be defined as a “science of behaviour and experiences on human beings” (B.F. Skinner)
According to Crow and Crow, “Psychology is the study of human behaviour and human relationship’”.
What is Educational Psychology?
Educational psychology is that branch of psychology in which the findings of psychology are applied in the field of education. It is the scientific study of human behaviour in educational setting.
According to Charles. E. Skinner, “Educational psychology deals with the behaviour of human beings in educational situations”.
Thus educational psychology is a behavioural science with two main references– human behaviour and education.
In the words of E.A. Peel, “Educational Psychology is the science of Education”.
Education by all means is an attempt to mould and shape the behaviour of the pupil. It aims to produce desirable changes in him for the all-round development of his personality.
The essential knowledge and skill to do this job satisfactorily is supplied by Educational Psychology. In the words of E.A. Peel, “Educational psychology helps the teacher to understand the development of his pupils, the range and limits of their capacities, the processes by which they learn and their social relationships.”
In this way, the work of the Educational Psychologists resembles with that of an Engineer, who is a technical expert. The Engineer supplies all the knowledge and skill essential for the accomplishment of the job satisfactorily… for example, construction of a bridge.
In the same way Educational Psychologists, who is a technical expert in the field of Education, supplies all the information, principles and techniques essential for understanding the behaviour of the pupil in response to educational environment and desired modification of his behaviour to bring an all-round development of his personality.
In this way, it is quite reasonable to call Educational Psychology as a science and technology of Education.
Thus, Educational Psychology concerned primarily with understanding the processes of teaching and learning that take place within formal environments and developing ways of improving those methods. It covers important topics like learning theories; teaching methods; motivation; cognitive, emotional, and moral development; and parent-child relationships etc.
In short, it is the scientific discipline that addresses the questions: “Why do some students learn more than others?” and “What can be done to improve that learning?”
NATURE OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
Its nature is scientific as it has been accepted that it is a Science of Education. We can summarize the nature of Educational Psychology in the following ways:
1. Educational Psychology is a science. (Science is a branch of study concerned with observation of facts and establishment of verifiable general laws. Science employs certain objective methods for the collection of data. It has its objectives of understanding, explaining, predicting and control of facts.) Like any other science, educational psychology has also developed objective methods of collection of data. It also aims at understanding, predicting and controlling human behaviour.
2. Educational Psychology is a natural science. An educational psychologist conducts his investigations, gathers his data and reaches his conclusions in exactly the same manner as physicist or the biologist.
3. Educational psychology is a social science. Like the sociologist, anthropologist, economist or political scientist, the educational psychologist studies human beings and their sociability.
4. Educational psychology is a positive science. Normative science like Logic or Ethics deals with facts as they ought to be. A positive science deals with facts as they are or as they operate. Educational psychology studies the child’s behaviour as it is, not, as it ought to be. So it is a positive science.
5. Educational psychology is an applied science. It is the application of psychological principles in the field of education. By applying the principles and techniques of psychology, it tries to study the behaviour and experiences of the pupils. As a branch of psychology it is parallel to any other applied psychology. For example, educational psychology draws heavily facts from such areas as developmental psychology, clinical psychology, abnormal psychology and social psychology.
6. Educational psychology is a developing or growing science. It is concerned with new and ever new researches. As research findings accumulate, educational psychologists get better insight into the child’s nature and behaviour.
W.A. Kelly (1941) listed the nature of Educational Psychology as follows:
i. To give a knowledge of the nature of the child
ii. To give understanding of the nature, aims and purposes of education
iii. To give understanding of the scientific methods and procedures which have been used in arriving at the facts and principles of educational psychology
iv. To present the principles and techniques of learning and teaching
v. To give training in methods of measuring abilities and achievement in school subjects
vi. To give a knowledge of the growth and development of children
vii. To assist in the better adjustment of children and to help them to prevent maladjustment
viii. To study the educational significance and control of emotions and
ix. To give an understanding of the principles and techniques of correct training.
Thus, educational psychology is an applied, positive, social, specific and practical science. While general science deals with behaviour of the individuals in various spheres, educational psychology studies the behaviour of the individual in educational sphere only.
SCOPE OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
The scope of educational psychology is ever-growing due to constantly researches in this field. The following factors will indicate the scope of educational psychology:
1. The Learner. The subject-matter of educational psychology is knitted around the learner. Therefore, the need of knowing the learner and the techniques of knowing him well. The topics include – the innate abilities and capacities of the individuals, individual differences and their measurements, the overt, covert, conscious as well as unconscious behaviour of the learner, the characteristics of his growth and development and each stage beginning from childhood to adulthood.
2. The Learning Experiences. Educational Psychology helps in deciding what learning experiences are desirable, at what stage of the growth and development of the learner, so that these experiences can be acquired with a greater ease and satisfaction.
3. Learning process: After knowing the learner and deciding what learning experiences are to be provided, Educational Psychology moves on to the laws, principles and theories of learning. Other items in the learning process are remembering and forgetting, perceiving, concept formation, thinking and reasoning, problem solving, transfer of learning, ways and means of effective learning etc.
4. Learning Situation or Environment. Here we deal with the environmental factors and learning situations which come midway between the learner and the teacher. Topics like classroom climate and group dynamics, techniques and aids that facilitate learning and evaluation, techniques and practices, guidance and counselling etc. For the smooth functioning of the teaching-learning process.
5. The Teacher: The teacher is a potent force is any scheme of teaching and learning process. It discusses the role of the teacher. It emphasizes the need of ‘knowing thyself’ for a teacher to play his role properly in the process of education. His conflicts, motivation. Anxiety, adjustment, level of aspiration etc. It throws light on the essential personality traits, interests, aptitudes, the characteristics of effective teaching etc so as to inspire him for becoming a successful teacher.
Though the entire scope of Educational Psychology is included in the above mentioned five key-factors, it may be further expanded by adding the following:
6. It studies Human Behaviour in educational situations. Psychology is the study of behaviour, and education deals with the modification of behaviour; hence, educational psychology pervades the whole field of education.
7. It studies the Growth and Development of the child. How a child passes through the various stages of growth and what are the characteristics of each stage are included in the study of educational psychology.
8. To what extent Heredity and Environment contribute towards the growth of the individual, and how this knowledge can be made use of for bringing about the optimum development of the child; form a salient feature of the scope of educational psychology.
9. Educational psychology deals with the Nature and Development of the Personality of an individual. In fact, education has been defined as the all-round development of the personality of an individual; personality development also implies a well-adjusted personality.
10. It studies Individual Difference: Every individual differs from every other individual. It is one of the fundamental facts of human nature which have been brought to light by educational psychology. This one fact has revolutionalised the concept and process of education.
11. It studies the nature Intelligence and its Measurement. This is of utmost importance for a teacher.
12. It Provides Guidance and Counselling: Education is nothing but providing guidance to the growing child.
We can conclude by saying that Educational Psychology is narrower in scope than general psychology. While general psychology deals with the behaviour of the individual in a general way, educational psychology in concerned with the behaviour of the learner in an educational setting.
i want the author name for this
Perfect world of forms, as well as imperfect world of physical appearance
Dr. John Parankimalil, PhD, Principal, Don Bosco College, Tura and Former Principal of Don Bosco College of Teacher Education, Tura, Meghalaya, India,
Can you tell me About “Educational Psychology” (Human Learning).
Dr. John Parankimalil, M.A. (Eng), M.Ed, PhD (Education)
”It is a meaning full document”.
Thank ‘u.
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The methods of educational psychology must be added to it like introspection method and and others. some more explanation of the scope of psychology with examples of daily life must be added .
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explanations BY MBISE
What about these three categor ; cogintive domain, Effective domain, and psychomotor domain in educational psychology
It is very helpful to us to understand what educational psychology is.Thank you so much.
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Recollect n learn many ideas, it help alot..
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it is very important for the student,teacher& parent to understand the usefulness of pshcology
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I ALWAYS TRY TO UNDERSTAND BEHAVIOUR OF PUPILS THIS WILL
HELP ME TO KNOW MORE ABOUT PSYCHOLOGY THANKS !!!!!!!!
Can you please provide this information in urdu
THANKS SIR
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Gud stuff that.I also view E .P as study of how one studies no matter what be-haviour.
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include notes on da branches & relevance of educational psychology.thanks 4da job wel done
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More important and advantages of edu psycho.k.
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This note is very useful for a teacher,education students and others.
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Al-hamdulillah.
May the Good Lord richly bless you…Aameen.
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Knowledge shared is knowledge gained. You have done it. Thank you. But I am so disappointed with some of the comments we have made above. Remember that those are the main challenges of educ’l psychology. Please, keep on moving. You are on the right path.
vry helpfull notes…thanxxx
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Thank You.
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It is realy helpful,but no more about pure psychology.Thank you.
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NICE , WONDERFUL & KNOWLEDGEABLE BUT I NEED MORE ABOUT CONTENT
It surpluses our knowledge.
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GOLDEN RASTA
thanks for the useful information
author name please…………..??????
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I want notes on the topic methods of educational psychology
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Good but not so easy to understand make some more easy to learn
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education psychology as the positive science of behaviour- By WATSON DEFINITION. SKINNER- Education psychology as the science of behaviour and experience.
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EDUCATION AND PSYCHOLOGY-1- Psychology and aims of education: It is educational psychology which helps the educatiors in the realization of aims and objectives of education……………2-Psychology and curriculum:-Education Psychology offers New view points in the curriculum by emphasizing the role of co- curriculum activities of physical, mental, emotional, social importance in the school.3-PSYCHOLOGY AND TEXT BOOK:- Education psychology has helped in the planning of text book. 4-PSYCHOLOGY AND DISCIPLINE:- Education Psychology helps the Teacher to solve the problem of discipline the child for Maladjustment.
NATURE OF EDUCATION PSYCHOLOGY.1-PSYCHOLOGY IS AN SCIENCE:-SCIENCE is the branch of study with concarned. 2-PSY CHOLOGY IS AN SOCIAL SCIENCE.3:-PSYCHOLOGY IS AN POSTIVE SCIENCE:-Normative science deals with logic or ethic deals with the fact ought to be. A positive science deals with fact they oprate. SO it is a positive science.4-PSYCHOLOGY IS AN NATURAL SCIENCE.5–PSYCHOLOGY IS AN APPIED SCIENCE:-Education psychology is application of psychological principles in the education.
Thank you
What a helpful one,I like it due to the simple english you used,soo self explainatory… Padle on.
I am so happy
It help alot for education student thank alot
Wow this data is really vital thanks so much
Data are vital really they are helpful too thanks a lot
Please help by notifying us by email on regular basis on Psychological happenings to help save us the time of searching regularly
Its really a very good article. I need a lot to know about psychology. Thanks for the article
strictly according to the syllabus of kashmir univerisity
old is gold sir
Thanks very much for sharing your knowldge with others
THANK YOU SIR.
Education is the development of the inborn powers.
Nice ans sir.
Thank you Sir, your work is really enlightening and helpful.
Very helpful, how i wish you will have ample time to shed lights on some theorist of learning.
Thank you
That very good education is way of life.
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Thank You
Very helpful for students
This is great, it is simple and to the point. thanks
thank u very much.this has help me enough as a Teacher.
Thank you sir, this is a good explanation about Educational Psychology, it has really helped me a lot as a student.
This is very helpful for every student.
I want to be an educaational psycologist and want to work on education at a large extent..
as well as i want to dO css..
please respested One are requested to help me..
very good this topic is helpin us alot just try hard and give us more explanation about educational psychology and try to make it so essy for every one thanks for usual contribution.
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Huge contribution in educational psychology, thanks alot
Thank you all
Everything is good, but i did not see the branches of educational psychology
Thank you very much sir for this fantastic explanation of psychology and also educational psychology God richly bless you.
Thank you sir it helps me alot for teaching to class 4th year students
I have really enjoyed reading this educational psychology.Lots of thanks.
very helpfull for me….thanks
I want to thank you for giving us so important article.
excellent ! Bankole , PH , Nigeria
I’m also the one enjoying your notes.Thanks
thank u 4 all the info.
It very imfortant to all teachers and students in education
Thank you for writing this, it is so well articulated without falling into the (sometimes tempting) trap of debating the political issues surrounding this recent announcement. I would extend your myth-busting to teachers at all levels, who have received particularly harsh treatment by the news media in recent years. Although specifics of the demands on teachers’ time differ based on the institutions where they work, it is a profession filled with hard-working, dedicated men and women who deserve our respect and support.LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanx writer.
Thank u very much sir it is very helpful for me
it is helpful…thank u.
Its very importanat to the students and very helpfull to the teachers
Thank you for this outstanding article. I have started this class with little knowledge of what it was, but with this I will ace my tests! Thank you once more.
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thanks sincerely…u just saved a life..padle on…FROM UDUS SOKOTO..EDU 102..
Seriously i am greatful. Becouse this side, help me alot. iam have an assignmen that require all this information. thanks for the writter.
Ok it has helped….thank u
nice
thanx for give more ditail….
thanx for give more ditail…
Thnks too much, may Allah swt keep guid us in a right path.
Thanks to you may the Almight Lord award you as to your needs
This is a good contribution to education. Thanks. Please review regularly to include resent experiences.
Thank you so much, it has been very important.
Through this article l’have gained alot..its helpful for me and my fellows in studies.. Thancx alot
nice language is so simple
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its good to be rising ur name.ur refrerences help further education..thank u very much sir
its easy to learn..so simple language.everyone can teach and taught
thank u sir really enjoyed it
Nice lines plotted, go ahead bro….
Very good explanations about educational
psychology
Perfectly written very good
And put some more awareness about nature of educational psychology
If nature of education could little more explain.
Nice piece. Can you help me with the critical ares in educational psychology
Thank you so much for this piece of information on educational psychology. I’m a student of 11 standards taking Psychology as an elective subject. It is written in simple English and so it helped me a lot in my studies.
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Nice….very useful to me…