INRRODUCTION TO EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY IN WHICH YOU CAN FIND LEARNER CHARACTERISTICS, LEARNING PROCESS ETC

1. Introduction to Educational
Psychology
Chapter 1

2. Lecture Outline
• Education and Educational Psychology
• Definitions of Educational Psychology
• Nature of Educational Psychology
• Educational Psychology with regard To teaching and learning
• Psychology Methods

13. • A learning environment is more than just a classroom—it's a
space in which students feel safe and supported in their pursuit
of knowledge, as well as inspired by their surroundings.
• A learning environment can be defined as an area that provides
opportunities for students to learn through many different
methods, including lectures, seminars, discussions, and hands-
on activities.
• Some examples of learning environments are classrooms and
libraries.

18. • Introspection method: examination of one’s own conscious thoughts
and feelings or mental state directly by directing attention towards a
particular experience with a particular purpose..
• In psychology the process of introspection relies exclusively on
observation of one’s mental state.
• For example, a student has been asked to answer a question. He has to recall
certain facts learned by him to organize them in a particular manner and then
to report what way he tried to recall, what he thought and felt when trying to
recall. Thus, it is a method in which the individual observes, analyses and
reports his own feelings, thoughts or all that passes in his mind during the
course of a mental act or experience.

19. Forms of Introspection method
1. Anecdotal method: One of the forms of introspection that is used in
educational psychology is the anecdotal method.
• It consists of the recording of personal impressions about some
aspect of pupil behaviour which seems significant to the observer.
• According to Brown and Martin, “anecdotes are descriptive accounts
of episodes or occurrences in the daily life of the student.”
• These accounts are written out of memory of the teacher or observer.

20. • 2. Questionnaire: The questionnaire is another form of the introspective
method, which is used in the appraisal of personal qualities, attitudes,
opinions and beliefs of individuals.
• A questionnaire is a series of printed or written questions which the
individual is supposed to answer.
• Questions should be so framed that the answers can easily be given, or the
right answer easily checked.
• The answers obtained are then compiled, classified and analyzed or
categorized and interpreted. The questionnaire is a type of introspective
method because the answers to various questions evoke ‘retrospective
processes’ as in pure introspection.

21. • The Observation method or Objective observation: The observation
and description of a subject’s behavior.
• Researchers utilizing the observational method can exert varying
amount of control over the environment on which the observation
takes place.
• The behaviour observed may be expressed in the form of bodily
changes, bodily action, gestures, facial expression and speech.
• The psychologist may sit down and take notes of the behaviour of a
subject under particular conditions.

24. Types of Research in Educational
Psychology
• Descriptive Studies
• Correlation Studies
• Experimental Studies

25. Correlation Studies
• Correlation is a number indicating the strength and direction of a
relationship between two events or measurements
• Correlations range from 1.00 to -1.00
• The closer the correlation is to either 1.00 or -1.00, the stronger the
relationship
• Positive correlation indicates that the two factors increase or decrease
together
• Negative correlation means that increases in one factor are related to
decreases in the other e. g., for example, the less you pay for a theater or
concert ticket, the greater your distance from the stage.
• Correlations do not prove cause and effect.
• Educational psychologists identify correlations so they can make predictions
about important events in the classroom.

26. Experimental Studies
• Investigate cause and effect by introducing changes and
observing the results
• Comparable groups of participants are created using random
procedures
• Quasi-experimental studies use existing groups, such as
classes or schools
• One or more groups have an aspect of the situation changed to
see if it has an expected effect
• Statistical tests are conducted to determine if differences are
statistically significant

27. • Identifying Cause-and-Effect Relationships
• Field experiments take place in real classrooms
• Quasi-experiments use existing classes or groups
• Researchers look at improvement in a specific area to
determine if there is an effect
• Example: If teachers receive training in how to teach spelling
using word parts (cause), will their students become better
spellers than students whose teachers did not receive training
(effect)?

28. • Conclusion
• Educational psychologists use different types of research to
understand classroom events and make predictions about
important outcomes
• Descriptive studies describe events in a class or several
classes
• Correlation studies show the strength and direction of
relationships between events or measurements
• Experimental studies investigate cause and effect by
introducing changes and observing the results

29. • Single-Subject Experimental Designs
• Goal: Determine the effects of a therapy, teaching method, or other
intervention
• ABAB experiment: Observe individual for a baseline period (A), try
an intervention (B), return to baseline conditions (A), and reinstate
the intervention (B)
For example, a teacher might record how much time students are out of their seats
without permission during a week-long baseline period (A), and then try ignoring those
who are out of their seats, but praising those who are seated and record how many are
wandering out of their seats for the week (B). Next, the teacher returns to baseline
conditions (A) and records results, and then reinstates the praise-and-ignore strategy
(B) (Landrum & Kauffman, 2006).
• Result: Praise-and-ignore strategy increased time spent in seats (C.
H. Madsen et al., 1968)

30. • Clinical Interviews and Case Studies
• Jean Piaget pioneered clinical interview approach to
understand children's thinking
• Open-ended questioning to probe responses and follow-up
answers
• Example: 7-year-old's understanding of lies and truth
• “What is a lie?—What isn’t true. What they say that they haven’t done.—
Guess how old I am.—Twenty. No, I’m thirty.—Was that a lie you told me?—I
didn’t do it on purpose.— I know. But is it a lie all the same, or not?—Yes, it is
the same, because I didn’t say how old you were.—Is it a lie?—Yes, because I
didn’t speak the truth.—Ought you be punished?—No.—Was it naughty or
not naughty?—Not so naughty.—Why?—Because I spoke the truth
afterwards!” (Piaget, 1965, p. 144).

31. • Researchers also use case studies to investigate one person or
situation in depth
• Example: In-depth studies of highly accomplished individuals (B. S.
Bloom et al., 1985) to try to understand what factors supported the
development of outstanding talent. The researchers interviewed family
members, teachers, friends, and coaches to build an extensive case study of
each of these highly accomplished individuals

32. • Ethnography
• Ethnographic methods borrowed from anthropology to study
naturally occurring events in the life of a group to understand
their meaning
• Educational psychology research: Study how students in
different cultural groups are viewed by their peers or how
teachers’ beliefs about students’ abilities affect classroom
interactions
• Participants observation: Actually participating in the group to
understand actions from the perspectives of the people in the
situation

33. The Role of Time in Research
• Longitudinal studies: Observe subjects over many years as changes
occur
• Cross-sectional research: Focus on groups of students at different
ages
• Microgenetic studies: Study cognitive processes in the midst of
change while it is occurring
• Example: Analyzing how children learn a particular strategy for adding two-
digit numbers over the course of several days or weeks (over a short period)
(Siegler & Crowley, 199…)
• The goal is to explain the underlying mechanisms of change—for example,
what new knowledge or skills are developing to allow change to take place.

34. • In short:
• longitudinal research studies the same group of individuals over
an extended period, cross-sectional research studies different
groups of individuals at the same point in time, and
microgenetic research studies changes in behavior or thinking
as they occur in real-time over a short period.
• Mention that longitudinal research is useful in studying
developmental changes and aging, cross-sectional research is
useful in studying individual differences and cultural variations,
and microgenetic research is useful in studying cognitive
processes and learning.

35. What is the difference between qualitative
and quantitative research?
• Qualitative Research
• Define qualitative research
• Examples of qualitative research, such as case studies and
ethnographies.
• In this type of research words, dialogue, events, themes, and
images as are used data
• Interviews and observations are key procedures

36. • Goal of Qualitative Research
• The goal of qualitative research is not to discover general
principles, but rather to explore specific situations or people in
depth and to understand the meaning of the events to the
people involved in order to tell their story.
• Provide an example of a qualitative research study and how it
achieved its goal.

37. • Quantitative Research
• Define quantitative research
• Both correlational and experimental types of research generally
are quantitative because measurements are taken and
computations are made.
• Quantitative research uses numbers, measurement, and
statistics to assess levels or sizes of relationships among
variables or differences between groups.

38. Types of Questions Answered by Different
Research
• Qualitative research questions:
• Examples of research questions that can be answered through
qualitative research, are:
• What are the experiences of women who have undergone breast
cancer treatment?
• How do teachers use humor in the classroom to improve student
engagement?
• What are the cultural beliefs and practices related to death and dying
in a particular community?
• How do young adults perceive social media use and its impact on
their mental health?

39. • Quantitative Research Questions
• Examples of research questions that can be answered through
quantitative research, are:
• What is the correlation between study hours and exam performance?
• Does a new medication significantly reduce symptoms of depression
compared to a placebo?
• How does parental income relate to children's academic achievement?
• What is the prevalence of smoking among teenagers in a specific
region?

40. • Differences Between Qualitative and Quantitative Research
Questions
• Compare and contrast the types of research questions that can
be answered through qualitative and quantitative research.
• Qualitative research aims to explore complex phenomena and
understand meanings, while quantitative research aims to
measure variables and test hypotheses.
• Qualitative research questions are open-ended and exploratory,
while quantitative research questions are specific and testable.

41. • Applications of Different Types of Research
• Qualitative research is useful in exploring complex phenomena
and generating hypotheses,
• while quantitative research is useful in testing hypotheses and
making predictions.
• Qualitative and quantitative research are used in different fields,
such as psychology, sociology, education, and healthcare.