Chapter 1 - Educational Psychology Flashcards
Define educational psychology.
The branch of psychology that specialises in understanding teaching and learning in educational settings.
Who are 3 key pioneers of educational psychology?
William James, John Dewey and E. L. Thorndike
Why was William James important?
He emphasised the importance of classroom observation.
Why was John Dewey important? (4)
He emphasised
1. the child as an active learner
2. education of the whole child
3. emphasis on the child’s adaptation to the environment and
4. the democratic ideal that all children deserve a competent education
Why is E. L. Thorndike important?
He emphasised the importance of developing a child’s reasoning skills.
What did Skinner contribute to the historical development of psychology of education? And when?
Behaviourism. The mid-20th century.
What are the three classification areas for research data-gathering methods?
Descriptive, correlational and experimental
Observation, interviews and questionnaires are examples of which type of data-gathering method?
Descriptive.
Standardised tests, case studies and personal journals are examples of which type of data-gathering method?
Descriptive.
What is the goal of correlational research?
To describe the strength of the relation between two or more events or characteristics.
Why is experimental research so valuable?
It is the only truly reliable method of establishing cause and effect.
What are the necessary variables for experimental research? (5)
- Independent variable (manipulated)
- Dependant variable/s (measured)
- Randomly assigned participants
- Experimental group/s
- Control group/s
What is program evaluation research?
Research designed to make a decision about the effectiveness of a program.
What is active research?
Research used to solve a specific classroom or social problem.
What is quantitative research? And which data-gathering method/s reflect it?
The employment of numerical calculations in an effort to discover information about a particular topic.
Experimental and correlational research methods reflect quantitative research.
