Educational Psychology - Meaning

 Educational Psychology

Meaning of Educational Psychology

Educational Psychology is the branch of psychology that studies how individuals learn and develop in educational situations. It applies psychological principles to teaching and learning.

Educational Psychology is the scientific study of the learner, learning process, teaching process, and factors that influence learning in an educational environment.

It helps teachers understand what learners learn, how they learn, why they learn, and what difficulties they may face while learning.

Main components of Educational Psychology

Learner → Learning → Teaching → Learning Environment → Evaluation

For example, suppose a teacher teaches the topic “The French Revolution” to a class.

• The teacher needs to understand the age and intellectual level of learners.
• The teacher has to select an appropriate teaching method.
• Some students may learn better through pictures, videos, or maps.
• Others may learn better through discussion or reading.
• The teacher assesses whether the students have understood the topic.

All these processes are related to educational psychology.

Important characteristics

Educational psychology is:

• Scientific – It uses systematic observation, experimentation and research.
• Learner-centred – It gives importance to the learner.
• Practical – It helps solve actual classroom problems.
• Developmental – It studies development at different stages.
• Applied – It applies psychological principles to education.
• Dynamic – Human behaviour and learning are continuously changing.