Educational psychology and the adult learner

The middle years of life, from the 20s through the 50s, have been neglected by psychology in general and educational psychology in particular. The current increase in numbers of mature learners calls for more, better, and better-understood psychological data so that learning can be enhanced in this age group. This issue of Contemporary Educational Psychology addresses five relevant questions: (1) What does research tell us about the capacities of adults to learn and retain? (2) What factors other than cognitive functioning affect adult performance? (3) How and in what ways does the adult wish to involve himself as a learner? (4) How might we go about guiding the mature learner, using present knowledge? (5) What theoretical concerns arise from consideration of the foregoing?     

Educational psychology at the university of Wisconsin

A 44 item questionnaire and free response instrument was given to 280 students selected from two different kinds of introductory educational psychology courses: (a) A “module”; approach involving selection of 3 five‐week modules from a list of such courses; and (b) A specially prepared composite learning and development course covering 1 semester. Analysis of the results lead to the following conclusions: (1) “In theory”; students preferred the module approach; (2) “In practice”; students preferred the composite 1 semester course; (3) The outstanding variable contributing to students’ assessment of relevancy, and teaching procedures, was the instructor. The implication of these findings for innovations in teaching students is discussed.     

Educational psychology within teacher education

In a context where the role of the teacher and teacher education are undergoing considerable change, the role of educational psychology in teacher preparation is discussed within a new framework. Educational psychology is now perceived as an inherent component within teacher training and professional development, having previously been an additional course and often considered irrelevant to teaching practice. The current paper discusses the relationship between educational psychology and teacher preparation. Educational psychology's contribution to teachers' professional development is delineated through the constructs of teachers' prior beliefs about teaching, reflective practice and self‐efficacy, while its contribution to the improvement of teacher–pupil interaction is viewed through the lenses of instruction theories, social and emotional learning, special educational needs and classroom management. It is argued that through a productive dialectic dialogue between educational psychology and education, educational psychology provides the knowledge defined by its field to be utilized by teachers, whereas at the same time, teachers gain a wider reconceptualization of their practice.     

Educational psychology and the reform of teacher education

Benton and Hoyt (1989) perform a service for educational psychology by obtaining empirical evidence about educational psychologists' reactions to changes in teacher education proposed by the Holmes Group and the Carnegie Commission. Their paper should serve to stimulate debate about the proper role of educational psychology in teacher education. In this paper, we challenge the empirical findings reported by Benton and Hoyt and suggest reasons why the findings may misrepresent educational psychologists' interest in teacher education. We argue that some of the Holmes and Carnegie recommendations contradict the emerging consensus among cognitive psychologists about the contextually bound nature of knowledge. Benton and Hoyt conceptualize educational psychology according to the traditional middleperson viewpoint and make recommendations with respect to educational psychology that presume this conceptualization. We counter that the middleperson viewpoint is being made obsolete by changes in psychology, and describe an alternative conception of educational psychology. This alternative conception leads to a set of alternative recommendations about the appropriate role of educational psychology in the reform of teacher education.     

Educational psychology: Some questions of status

This article provides a synoptic account of historically changing conceptions and practices of social justice in Australian higher education policy. It maps the changes in this policy arena, beginning with the period following the Second World War and concluding with an analysis of the most recent policy proposals of the Bradley Review. Concurrently, it explores the different meanings ascribed to social justice, equity and social inclusion over this time span and what these have meant and will mean for students, particularly those from low socio-economic backgrounds. It concludes that a relational understanding of social justice – ‘recognitive justice’ – is yet to inform student equity policy in higher education, although this is now what is required in the context of the planned shift from mass to universal participation.     

从受众心理角度探讨英语新闻标题的汉译

标题作为新闻的头面在报刊英语中占有十分重要的地位。本文分析了新闻受众的两种心理效应:从众效应和逆反效应。在探讨英语新闻标题的特点和基本翻译原则的基础上,结合受众的心理效应,分析大量实例,提出一些实用的翻译技巧。笔者认为在对英语新闻标题翻译的过程中,除了结合一定的翻译原则外,还需要注重译文受众的心理分析,方能达到理想的效果。     

Educational psychology: Practice what we teach! 1

This paper questions three fundamental assumptions which have permeated our thinking and have hampered the teaching of educational psychology especially in the instruction of prospective and current teachers. Beliefs that to know good is to do good, that the good teacher is a junior educational psychologist, and that applied researchers are nothing more than academic blue collar workers are examined in light of current practice and empirical research. In lieu of substantiated relationships between teacher behavior and student behavior, traditional approaches to the teaching of educational psychology flourish. The article concludes with the idea that competency‐based teacher education programs afford educational psychologists the best opportunity to practice what they teach.     

Educational psychology has fallen,but it can get up

Educational psychology has fallen, but it can get up. It has fallen because of its uncertainty, as a field, as to its own core. I argue that the core of the field ought to be in the multifaceted analysis of the teaching—learning process. A useful construct for analyzing this process is that of expertise—what is it that makes for an expert teacher and an expert learner? Expertise is a prototype, and so in order to understand expertise, we need to understand the prototypes we have formed for expert teachers and students. I discuss the prototype of the expert teacher in terms of knowledge, efficiency, and insight; and the prototype of the expert student in terms of the kinds of abilities that are currently valued in schools and that we might further value. This discussion therefore points out that prototypes are not fixed: We can decide what we value, and thereby, what constitutes expertise in a given domain.     

Educational psychology service contribution to community cohesion: an appreciative inquiry

ABSTRACT

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child (UNCRC) calls for education to prepare children for ‘ … responsible life in a free society, in the spirit of understanding, peace, tolerance, equality of sexes, and friendship among all peoples, ethnic, national and religious groups and persons of indigenous origin’. The current study examines the potential role of Educational Psychologists (EPs) in addressing the UNCRC call to promote community cohesion through their work in schools. Through an Appreciative Inquiry cycle EPs considered facilitators of and barriers to working with communities. Facilitators included EP practices, skills and knowledge and seeing schools as communities in themselves. Barriers included public service funding and aspects of service delivery. A multi-level approach to promoting community cohesion is put forward, including acknowledgement of the context within which the work takes place as well as positing a continuum of community cohesion to community conflict.     

Educational psychology as an evolving discipline: trends and synthesis in Asia Pacific Education Review

Educational psychology has seen rapid growth as an academic discipline in recent years. The current study reviewed research articles published in Asia Pacific Education Review (APER), a journal that has been gaining greater international recognition, to reveal recent trends in educational psychology research in Asia Pacific. Specifically, the study reviewed general (country, research methods and academic subject) and topical trends among 84 articles published in APER from 2005 to 2013. Findings of the study revealed that studies on diverse age groups were conducted in various countries. Although quantitative research greatly outnumbered qualitative research, qualitative research appeared to be increasingly accepted. Topics from special education and counseling were actively studied, with the greatest focus on learner characteristics highlighting individual differences. Outlined research trends and related discussions in this study may be useful for educational psychology researchers in East Asia.