EAPY 677: Perspectives in Educational Psychology Dr. K. A. Korb University of Jos 14 May 2009

Course outline  Theories of Learning  Cognitive Theories  Constructivist Theories  Schema Theory  Situated Cognition  Theories of Motivation  Theories of Cognitive Abilities  Psychology of Instruction  Cognitive and Academic Assessment  Educational Research Methods

Course goals  Meaningful Learning  Thorough understanding of the content  Ability to apply the content to an educational context  Evaluation  Critical consumer of theories and research Understanding, not memorization, is key to learning!

Expectations for Students Put forth a strong effort to study despite challenges Regular classroom attendance Completion of reading assignments prior to class Independent completion of assignments Utmost integrity in terms of academic honesty Dr. K. A. Korb University of Jos

Academic Honesty Wise and Foolish Builders (Matthew 7:24-27) – Wise Man: Put God’s Word into practice – Honesty – Working with all your heart House does not fall – “Well done, good and faithful servant.” – Bear fruit in your teaching – Foolish Man: Does not put God’s Word into practice Fall with a great crash Dr. K. A. Korb University of Jos

plagiarism  Plagiarism: Presenting another person’s ideas and words as your own  According to all the following are considered plagiarism:  Turning in someone else’s work as your own  Another person completes your assignment in part or whole  Copying answers from a peer  Brining a cheat sheet into the exam  Completing an assignment as a group unless the instructor explicitly states that it is a group assignment

Plagiarism  Copying words or ideas from someone else without giving credit  Plagiarism : Piaget had four stages of cognitive development  Must cite where you received the information  Giving incorrect information about the source of a quotation  Correct: Kephart believed that a child’s first encounter with the environment through their motor activities is the prerequisite for later learnings (Kephart, 1964, as cited in Kirk, 1972)  Kirk’s reference goes in the References section.

Plagiarism  Failing to put a quotation in quotation marks  Correct: “Education in any society tends to reflect the political philosophy of that society” (Kirk, 1972, p. 3).  Changing words but copying the sentence structure of a source without giving credit  Plagiarism: Education in all societies often reflects the philosophy of the society.  Correct: The political philosophy of a society influences educational practices.  Copying so many words or ideas from a source that it makes up the majority of your work, whether you give credit or not.  First write an outline of your paper before finding sources.  Use multiple sources of information for each project.

Setting Goals  Set Goals  Specific  Immediate  Moderately challenging  Set Strategies to Achieve your Goals  Strategies to meet goal  Strategies to overcome obstacles  Monitor Progress toward your goals  Increase belief in your abilities  Provide motivation to change behavior Dr. K. A. Korb University of Jos

Monitoring Progress to Goals Continually ask yourself questions about the effectiveness of your learning strategies – Am I taking too few or too many notes? – Am I writing down important ideas or unimportant details? – Am I simply reading my notes when I study or do I attempt to elaborate on them with examples? – Do I spent enough time studying? – Is my study time free from distractions? Dr. K. A. Korb University of Jos

Study Skills Ask the following questions of each concept taught in class – What is another example of this idea? – How is this topic similar to or different from the previous topic? – How does this idea relate to other big ideas I have been learning? – How can I apply this idea in education? Dr. K. A. Korb University of Jos

Study Skills  Write notes in your own words to help you understand  Read and re-read  Summarize the material in lecture or reading by making a concise description of the material  Try to guess what questions will be on the exam and ensure you can answer them  Continually ask yourself: How can I learn more effectively, given my goals and the nature of the task? Dr. K. A. Korb University of Jos

Suggested Study Schedule Activity Evening Review notes, Revise and/or Rewrite. Note unclear topics for clarification. 1-3 Learn 3 to 4 key topics. 4-5 Read next week’s assigned reading. 6 Quiz yourself over previous lecture’s points. Review reading for next day Dr. K. A. Korb University of Jos

Expectations for Instructor Treat all students with respect Be prompt and prepared for each lecture Be available outside of class for additional assistance as needed Be fair and honest in evaluation Whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant. Dr. K. A. Korb University of Jos

Psychology  Psychology: Scientific study of human behavior and mental functions  Scientific Study: Systematic, objective methods of observing behavior and mental functioning  Behavior: Activity that can be observed, recorded, and measured  Mental Functions: Infer from observable behavior  Areas of Study: Perception, Cognition, Development, Emotion, Personality, Motivation, Interpersonal relationships

Psychology  Psychology: Study of behavior and mental processes  Assumption: People are similar across cultures  Hypothesize factors within cultures that influence mental processes  Anthropology: Study of human beings in all places and at all times  Cultural Anthropology: Systematic comparison of different cultures  Assumption: People are different across cultures  Needs Assessment: Studies that determine and address gaps between current conditions and desired conditions  Assess local opinions about development and aid projects

Psychology Purpose of Psychology: Understand, explain, predict, and control behavior – Observe human behavior Response time Frequency of behaviors Performance on cognitive tasks Self-report on questionnaires – Develop hypothetical constructs that explain patterns of performance in human behavior

Psychology  Deterministic: One variable completely determines another  Guarantee  Probabilistic: One variable increases the probability of another  Substantial number of variables that influence each outcome  Free will  Psychology is probabilistic

How will the research be used? BasicApplied Research conducted to test theories and build a foundation of knowledge. Research conducted to solve practical human problems. How does memory work? How does learning occur? Why do people do what they do? (Motivation) How can we help our students memorize facts? What teaching methods can we use to help our students learn more effectively? How can we use principles of motivation to help our students succeed? Dr. K. A. Korb University of Jos

What is Educational Psychology? Application of psychological findings and principles to the process of education The study of learning and teaching with the goal of improving educational practice Two commonalities: – Applying psychological findings/Study of learning and teaching Scientific – Process of education/Improving educational practice Purpose is to make education more effective Dr. K. A. Korb University of Jos

Revision What is psychology? How is psychology relevant for education? What is educational psychology? Why is educational psychology an important subject for teachers?