Educational Psychology & Teacher Decision Making Chapter One Educational Psychology: Developing Learners 6th edition Jeanne Ellis Ormrod

Educational Psychology What is educational psychology? A discipline that encompasses the nature of learning, development, motivation, diversity, and assessment Specifically applicable to classroom practice Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 All rights reserved. Jeanne Ellis Ormrod Educational Psychology: Developing Learners, sixth edition

Teaching as Decision Making Teachers are continually choosing strategies to help students learn, develop, and achieve Wise decisions rely on good research Decisions can influence students’ learning, development, and long-term success Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 All rights reserved. Jeanne Ellis Ormrod Educational Psychology: Developing Learners, sixth edition

Types of Research Studies Descriptive Studies Describe things and situations Allow us to draw conclusions about the current state of affairs “How many students are involved in extracurricular activities?” Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 All rights reserved. Jeanne Ellis Ormrod Educational Psychology: Developing Learners, sixth edition

Types of Research Studies Correlational Studies Explore possible relationships among variables Allow predictions about one variable if the status of the other variable is known “Do students involved in extracurricular activities have higher grades than those students not involved in extracurricular activities?” Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 All rights reserved. Jeanne Ellis Ormrod Educational Psychology: Developing Learners, sixth edition

Types of Research Studies Experimental Studies Attempt to discover a cause-and-effect relationship among variables Independent variable is manipulated by the researcher to possibly discover an effect on the dependent variable “Will joining two extracurricular activities impact students’ grades?” Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 All rights reserved. Jeanne Ellis Ormrod Educational Psychology: Developing Learners, sixth edition

Theories in Classroom Decision Making A theory is an integrated set of concepts and principles that explains a particular phenomenon Often the result of descriptive, correlational, and experimental studies As additional data are discovered, theories are continually expanded and modified A theory can help explain and predict a phenomenon Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 All rights reserved. Jeanne Ellis Ormrod Educational Psychology: Developing Learners, sixth edition

Importance of Assessment Assessment is more than tests, quizzes, papers, etc… Assessment should occur in other contexts as well Playground, field trips, extracurricular activities, etc…. Regular assessments & observations provide valuable insights into students’ learning, development, and motivation Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 All rights reserved. Jeanne Ellis Ormrod Educational Psychology: Developing Learners, sixth edition

Diversity in the Classroom Teachers should take diversity into account when identifying teaching strategies Recognize that all students are unique individuals Be sensitive to group differences Be sensitive to individual differences Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 All rights reserved. Jeanne Ellis Ormrod Educational Psychology: Developing Learners, sixth edition

Developing as a Teacher Continue to take courses in teacher education Learn as much as you can about your subject Increase your pedagogical content knowledge Continue to reflect and critically examine your own beliefs and assumptions Believe that you can make a difference in students’ lives (self-efficacy) Learn as much as you can about the culture(s) of the community in which you are teaching Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 All rights reserved. Jeanne Ellis Ormrod Educational Psychology: Developing Learners, sixth edition