The scope of educational psychology tells us the areas of application. In other words it can be called the subject matter of educational psychology.
1. Human Behaviour: It studies human behaviour in the educational context. Psychology is the study of behaviour and the aim of education is to modify behaviour. Hence, the influence of educational psychology should be reflected on all aspects of education.
2. Growth and Development: It deals with the principles guiding growth and development. The study will throw light on the scientific planning of learner-centred programmes of education and its implementation.
3. Learner: The subject matter of educational psychology is centred on the learner. Henceforth, there is a desire to know about the learner as well as the demand for ways to know well about him. The topics include- innate abilities and their potential, their individual differences, measurement about their individuality, growth as well as covert, conscious and unconscious behaviour manifested among learners regarding their development and every stage starting from childhood to adulthood.
4. Learning experiences: Educational psychology helps to determine what kind of learning experience is desired and at what stage of growth and development on the part of the learner, so that those learning experiences can be achieved more easily and effectively.
5. Learning process: After identifying a learner and deciding on the character of learning experiences to be offered, educational psychology goes further into the laws, principles and theories of learning. Other phenomena in the learning process are remembering and forgetting, perception, conceptualizing, thinking or reasoning, solving problems, transfer of learning, efficient learning methods or means, etc.
6. Learning conditions or environment: We discuss here the environmental factors and learning conditions that come between the learner and the teacher. The topics include, classroom atmosphere, group dynamics, techniques and aids that enable learning and assessment, techniques and practices, counseling and guidance, etc. to facilitate the smooth accomplishment of the teaching-learning cycle.
7. Evaluation of the learning process: There are many things in the teaching process that cannot be done without evaluation. Along with this, evaluation is also necessary when decisions have to be taken in every field of activities. Even when we want to cross the road, we decide whether it is safe to cross the road or not. In my opinion, the effectiveness of the learning process depends on evaluation as it gives knowledge about the results, which helps both the learner and the teacher to make necessary modifications or improvements in themselves. It is mentioned that all those factors, which have been leading to the effectiveness of the learning process, should be clarified in the educational psychology guidebook. Knowing the learner, acquiring an essential skill to teach and evaluate has been the focus of study while studying educational psychology.
8. Individual differences: It has been accepted on the universal platform that every person is different from each other. This factor is also represented by educational psychology.
9. Personality and adjustment: Education has been defined as the all-round development of the personality of an individual. If education is to fulfil this task, all teaching programmes have to be based on the principles governing the nature and development of personality.
10. Teacher: The teacher is a powerful force in any scheme of teaching and learning process. The role of the teacher is discussed herein. It underlines the need for a teacher to ‘know himself’ in order to play his role in the educational process suitably. His struggles, motivation, anxiety, adjustment, level of aspiration etc. It throws light on the essential personality traits, interests, abilities, characteristics of effective teaching etc. to motivate him to become a successful teacher.
11. Counselling and Guidance: Education is not a mere thing but an activity of providing necessary guidance and counselling for the proper development of children. This is indeed very true and relevant in view of the absolutely complex situation arising out of the alarmingly growing global world scenario which everybody has to face in his life time. To the rescue of educational psychology by evolving some appropriate principles and tangible measures to bring an effective guidance and counselling process at work.
We can conclude by saying that the scope of educational psychology is narrower than that of general psychology. In general psychology, the behaviour of the individual is dealt with, while educational psychology is concerned with the behaviour of the learner in the educational setting.
Read Also:
- Introduction To Educational Psychology
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