Educational psychology is the branch of psychology that studies human learning processes from cognitive and behavioral perspectives, examining individual differences in intelligence, cognitive development, motivation and self-concept in order to understand and improve teaching and learning in classrooms and other settings.
Facts
Disputed
Key DebateWhether rewards and praise in the classroom undermine students' intrinsic motivation to learn, as proponents of self-determination theory argue, or whether structured rewards tied to a rising performance standard can enhance motivation instead. 1 Self-determination theorists hold that extrinsic rewards crowd out intrinsic motivation, while other research finds rewards tied to a gradually rising performance standard can increase it instead; the two positions are not reconciled. Central QuestionHow do people learn, and how can teaching, curricula and educational settings be designed to support that learning most effectively? 1 Connections
Associated With
Vygotsky's theory of cultural-historical development, especially his account of social interaction and mediated cognition, became influential in modern educational approaches once his work reached a wider audience outside the Soviet Union.
Source Wikipedia: Lev Vygotsky
Includes
Source Wikipedia: Cognitive Load
Source Wikipedia: Constructivism (learning theory)
Source Wikipedia: Theory of Multiple Intelligences
Source Wikipedia: Jerome Bruner
Source Wikipedia: John Sweller
Source Wikipedia: Triarchic Theory of Intelligence
Source Wikipedia: Theory of Multiple Intelligences
Source Wikipedia: Triarchic Theory of Intelligence
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Educational Psychology
Wikimedia FoundationLead section
The study of learning processes from both cognitive and behavioral perspectives allows researchers to understand individual differences in intelligence and cognitive development.
Behavioral Perspectives section
Despite the demonstrated efficacy of awards in changing behavior, their use in education has been criticized by proponents of self-determination theory, who claim that praise and other rewards undermine intrinsic motivation.
Wikipedia: Constructivism (learning theory)
Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Constructivism, Overview section, mechanisms of learningQuote, Includes: Constructivism, Overview section, mechanisms of learning
Piaget described the mechanisms by which information from the environment and ideas from the individual interact to form internalized structures developed by learners.
Wikipedia: Jerome Bruner
Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Jerome Bruner, Opening paragraph (cognitive and educational psychology)Quote, Includes: Jerome Bruner, Opening paragraph (cognitive and educational psychology)
made significant contributions to human cognitive psychology and cognitive learning theory in educational psychology
Wikipedia: Theory of Multiple Intelligences
Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Howard Gardner, Overview section, what the theory proposes
human intelligence is not a single general ability but comprises various distinct modalities, such as linguistic, logical-mathematical, musical, and spatial intelligences.
Includes: Theory of Multiple Intelligences, Overview section, what the theory proposes
human intelligence is not a single general ability but comprises various distinct modalities, such as linguistic, logical-mathematical, musical, and spatial intelligences.
View the Source Wikipedia: Triarchic Theory of Intelligence
Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Robert Sternberg, Three components section
Sternberg's theory comprises three parts: componential, experiential and practical.
Includes: Triarchic Theory of Intelligence, Three components section
Sternberg's theory comprises three parts: componential, experiential and practical.
View the Source Wikipedia: John Sweller
Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: John Sweller, Lead sectionQuote, Includes: John Sweller, Lead section
best known for formulating an influential theory of cognitive load
Wikipedia: Cognitive Load
Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Cognitive Load Theory, Types of cognitive load section, germane loadQuote, Includes: Cognitive Load Theory, Types of cognitive load section, germane load
Germane load refers to the working memory resources that the learner dedicates to managing the intrinsic cognitive load associated with the essential information for learning.
Wikipedia: Lev Vygotsky
Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: Lev Vygotsky, Reception, United States sectionQuote, Associated With: Lev Vygotsky, Reception, United States section
his ideas have become influential in some modern educational approaches.
Dissenting Readings (1 dissenting reading)
Key Debate
Self-determination theory, the framework Deci and Ryan built around intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation, holds that praise, stars and other rewards a classroom uses to shape behavior can undermine the student's own intrinsic motivation to learn, replacing an internally held reason to engage with an externally supplied one. Educational psychology's own applied behavior analysis tradition disputes that this effect is general: rewards tied to a rising performance standard have also been shown to enhance intrinsic motivation rather than erode it, so the two traditions read the same classroom tool in opposite directions depending on how the reward is structured.
A dissenting reading, from Edward L. Deci and Richard RyanWikipedia: Educational Psychology, Wikimedia Foundation
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