Course: Educational Psychology and Guidance (6501)Semester: Autumn, 2021Assignment No.1Q. 1 Discuss the nature of educational psychology. How can you, as a teacher, get help from educationalpsychology in your classroom teaching?Educational psychology involves the study of how people learn, including topics such as student outcomes, theinstructional process, individual differences in learning, gifted learners, and learning disabilities. Psychologistswho work in this field are interested in how people learn and retain new information.Thisbranch of psychologyinvolves not just the learning process of early childhood and adolescence butincludes the social, emotional, and cognitive processes that are involved in learning throughout the entirelifespan.The field of educational psychology incorporates a number of other disciplines, includingdevelopmentalpsychology,behavioral psychology, andcognitive psychologySome of the different topics that educational psychologists are interested in include:Educational Technology:Looking at how different types of technology can help students learnInstructional Design:Designing learning materialsSpecial Education:Helping students who may need specialized instructionCurriculum Development:Creating curriculums can maximize learningOrganizational Learning:Studying how people learn in organizational settingsGifted Learners:Helping students who are identified asgiftedlearnersThroughout history, a number of figures have played an important role in the development of educationalpsychology. Some of these well-known individuals include:John Locke:An English philosopher who suggested the concept of tabula rasa, or the idea that the mindis essentially a blank slate at birth that knowledge is then developed through experience and learning.William James:An American psychologist who was also known for his series of lectures titled "Talksto Teachers on Psychology," which focused on how teachers could help students learn.Alfred Binet:A French psychologist who developed the first intelligence tests.John Dewey:An influential American psychologist and educational reformer who wrote extensivelyabout progressive education and the importance of learning through doing.Jean Piaget:A Swiss psychologist who is best known for his highly influential theory of cognitivedevelopment.B.F. Skinner:An American behaviorist who introduced the concept of operational conditioning. Hisresearch on reinforcement and punishment continues to play an important role in education today..
