The Review of Contemporary Scientific and Academic Studies
An International Multidisciplinary Online Journal
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ISSN: 2583-1380 Vol. 4 | Issue No. 4 | April 2024 Impact Factor: 4.736 (SJIF)
Significance of Educational Psychology in the Process of Teaching and Learning
Ch. Satya Sri (satya14sri@gmail.com)
Faculty of Science and Researcher, Hyderabad, India
V C Sekhar (vcsekhar1@gmail.com), Professor Emeritus, Hyderabad, India
Copyright: © 2024 by the authors. Licensee The RCSAS (ISSN: 2583-1380). This article is an open access
article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial 4.0 International
License. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). Crossref/DOI: https://doi.org/10.55454/rcsas.4.04.2024.002
Abstract: The applied subfield of psychology combining of psychology with education is known as educational
1
psychology. Educational psychology assists teachers in planning lessons and assessing students' progress. The
historical process of merging psychology with education and progressively created as educational psychology. The
study of educational psychology looks at a variety of topics pertaining to how people learn and are taught from birth
to old age. The study of educational psychology plays a significant role in supporting and advising educators to
ensure that students learn as intended. Teachers and aspiring teachers can learn significantly from educational
psychology. The effectiveness of the learning process is deeply enhanced by educational psychology in the
classroom.
Keywords: Educational Psychology, Learning Environment, Teaching and Learning
Article History: Received: 25 March- 2024; Accepted: 15 April- 2024; Published/Available Online: 30 April- 2024
Introduction
Educational psychology is a significant subfield of psychology that focuses on the growth of children and
adolescents. It investigates the factors influencing people's personal development and growth. It assists
teachers in planning lessons and assessing students' progress by assisting them in understanding what
students need to achieve.
"Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed, and my own specified world to bring them up in and I'll
guarantee to take anyone at random and train him to become any type of specialist I might select—doctor,
lawyer, artist, merchant-chief, and, yes, even beggar-man and thief, regardless of his talents, penchants,
tendencies, abilities, vocations, and race of his ancestors. I am going beyond my facts and I admit it, but so have
the advocates of the contrary and they have been doing it for many thousands of years." - John B. Watson
The word psychology, which is derived from the two Greek words psyche (soul) and logia (science of study),
is formed by combining the Greek words psychē and logia; so, psychology is the study of souls. As per J.B.
Watson’s definition, Psychology is the "Science of Behavior"; and in the words of McDougal, psychology is
a science that tries to help us comprehend and regulate an organism's behavior as a whole. The scientific
study of the mind and behavior is hence known as psychology. According to Boyack, Klavans, and Borner
(2005), psychology is regarded as a "Hub Science" with close ties to the social sciences, medical sciences,
and educational fields.
Then, education is defined as the act or process of learning broad knowledge, refining one's ability to think
and make decisions, and overall preparing oneself or others intellectually for maturity.
The applied subfield of psychology that combines psychology and education is known as educational
psychology. Psychology is a scientific field that studies human learning, including both cognitive and
behavioral aspects. Its principles, laws, and techniques are applied to the development of educational
strategies, teaching-learning situations, results, and findings.
The scientific field of educational psychology makes use of psychological concepts and instruments to
comprehend how learners, teachers, learning tasks, learning environments, and educational settings interact
in order to alter or influence the behaviors of learners in classroom settings.
Emergence and Development of Educational Psychology
As viewed and cited by Wright and Buchanan (2019), Educational psychology emerged during the late
nineteenth to early twentieth century (Charles 1987). A wider movement of "progressive" educational ideas
and social reforming practices, especially in North America, Great Britain, and continental Europe (Charles
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Significance of Educational Psychology in the Process of Teaching and Learning
Ch. Satya Sri and V C Sekhar https://doi.org/10.55454/rcsas.4.04.2024.002
The Review of Contemporary Scientific and Academic Studies
An International Multidisciplinary Online Journal
www.thercsas.com
ISSN: 2583-1380 Vol. 4 | Issue No. 4 | April 2024 Impact Factor: 4.736 (SJIF)
1987), as well as a general shift toward specialization and the "scientification" of knowledge (Klein 1990),
were all factors in its development. Psychology had also evolved from a subfield of philosophy to an
independent discipline (Wooldridge 2006). The development of psychology as a field and educational
psychology specifically is recognized to have benefited from pre-nineteenth-century antecedents, which
range from Ancient Greek philosophers like Aristotle to Renaissance and Enlightenment thinkers like Bacon,
Rousseau, and Descartes (Charles 1976; Evans 1969).
The emergence of educational psychology as a disciplinary specialism is attributed to historical sources that
date back to the late nineteenth century, a time when psychology was forging its own identity apart from
physiology and philosophy (Charles 1987; Hilgard 1996). The historical process of merging psychology with
education and progressively creating an independent field is known as the creation of educational 2
psychology. As the 19th century came to a conclusion, educational psychology emerged as a distinct field of
study.
Throughout the history of education, numerous educators have tailored their instruction to the psychological
states of their students. For example, the educational psychology theory of "I am not to give people
knowledge, but to make knowledge produce its own midwife" was advanced by the ancient Greek educator
Socrates, and the Chinese educator Confucius proposed the teaching technique of "no anger, no revelation,
no explanation."
According to the book General Education (1806), Herbart claims to have been the first academic to formally
suggest psychology as the theoretical underpinning of teaching. He wrote the Outline of Education in 1835,
which included several concepts from educational psychology. The establishment of educational psychology
has been greatly aided by his attempt to integrate psychology and education. The field of educational
psychology developed subsequently thanks to the work of numerous educators and psychologists, including
Thorndike. Education psychology thus gained official recognition as a separate field of study.
Furthermore, the development period of educational psychology began in the 1920s and continued until the
1950s. At this point, educational psychology incorporates research findings from psychometrics and child
psychology studies. Over time, subject psychology becomes a crucial component of educational psychology.
Educational psychology now covers a wider range of topics. Thus, education psychology has been steadily
developing and improving since the 1960s.
The Role of Educational Psychology
The speedy expansion of science and technology needs individuals to acquire their maximum potential. The
study of educational psychology looks at a variety of topics pertaining to how people learn and are taught
from birth to old age, with a focus on the impact of environment on learning and teaching (Amin, 2005).
It is necessary to understand how education functions in order to become a teacher or to teach. The educator
needs to be aware of the state of their students with relation to both inherited (innate) problems and those
influenced by the local social milieu.
The learning environment itself has a significant impact on what makes for effective and efficient teaching
and learning. In this instance, the physical state, social circumstances, family economic circumstances, and
the surrounding environment are all included in the learning climate. Furthermore, it is important to correctly
examine and comprehend the issue of students' mental states, which includes their interests, capabilities,
attitudes, values, personality features, and range of abilities. These circumstances are intimately linked to
educational psychology's existence.
Individuals have a good comprehension of the phenomena that appear on the surface, as well as the nature,
definition, and objectives of educational psychology. Amin (2005) states that educational psychology
performs the following roles or responsibilities:
A professional and competent approach to teaching and learning will be prepared by educational
psychology for future educators.
The demands of educational growth are taken into consideration while developing and improving the
curriculum in schools. Educational psychology plays a role in this process by providing teachers
with guidelines for effective teaching and learning processes that suit their students.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Significance of Educational Psychology in the Process of Teaching and Learning
Ch. Satya Sri and V C Sekhar https://doi.org/10.55454/rcsas.4.04.2024.002
The Review of Contemporary Scientific and Academic Studies
An International Multidisciplinary Online Journal
www.thercsas.com
ISSN: 2583-1380 Vol. 4 | Issue No. 4 | April 2024 Impact Factor: 4.736 (SJIF)
The concept and execution of administrative and instructional monitoring, which leaders and school
owners will carry out to manage the seamless operation of education in schools in accordance with
the requirements of the applicable curriculum, can be influenced by educational psychology.
Educational psychology endeavors to provide guidance to educators and aspiring educators
regarding the causes of certain phenomena, problem-solving techniques, and the essential activities
that are deemed necessary for learning.
Significance of Educational Psychology
The majority of definitions focus on the idea that educational psychology is a subfield of psychology that
focuses on enhancing the procedures and outcomes of education in order to help teachers teach more 3
effectively and students learn more efficiently with the least amount of work. With its broad scope and
scientific foundation, educational psychology supports educators in achieving their personal and professional
goals. Additionally, it aids in the teachers' comprehension of the student, the learning environment, and the
learning process.
It is supposed that a person who aspires to become a successful doctor needs to possess the necessary
professional training, expertise, and understanding of the type of patient they intend to treat. In a similar
vein, one needs to be knowledgeable with the science of student behavior if one is to hope to become a great
teacher. Children go through several developmental phases, including childhood, adolescence, and infancy.
Each of these stages of growth has unique qualities. Knowing these traits will enable the aspiring educators
to use them to train students and shape their behavior to meet the objectives of education. The process of
teaching and learning requires an understanding of educational psychology.
The study of educational psychology plays a significant role in supporting and advising educators to ensure
that students learn as intended. The use of psychological principles in the field of education is one of the
advantages of educational psychology for learning. Teachers can help students acquire some learning
experiences to develop their personalities and maturity by applying psychological concepts. It is crucial to
realize that educational psychology plays a significant role in the teaching and learning process. Teachers
should prioritize having knowledge and comprehension of educational psychology since they are the front-
runners in the educational process.
There is no one philosophy that dictates how lessons are taught in the classroom. It is connected to and
makes use of several teaching-learning theories. To effectively plan his classroom instruction, a teacher
needs to be knowledgeable about a variety of theories. Through educational psychology, they can learn about
the various strategies that have been developed to address the challenges associated with teaching at various
age levels.
The Advantages of Educational Psychology for Teachers
It is well acknowledged that teachers and aspiring teachers can learn greatly from educational psychology.
The effectiveness of the learning process is greatly enhanced by educational psychology in the following
circumstances:
Individual Differences in Students: Each student in a class has unique traits, thus a teacher has to manage a
group of students carefully. In order to design a learning process that is both successful and efficient, it is
crucial to comprehend the distinct qualities of these students at different stages of growth and development.
Teachers and aspiring teachers can benefit from educational psychology by better understanding the unique
qualities of these children.
Conducive conditions for classroom learning: A thorough awareness of the classroom environments
utilized during the teaching process is highly beneficial to the teacher's ability to instruct students. To ensure
that the learning process proceeds smoothly, the teacher must establish a favorable learning environment. To
improve teaching and learning outcomes, a teacher needs to be knowledgeable about various teaching
philosophies and methodologies. The field of educational psychology is involved in assisting educators in
fostering a positive socio-emotional environment in the classroom.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Significance of Educational Psychology in the Process of Teaching and Learning
Ch. Satya Sri and V C Sekhar https://doi.org/10.55454/rcsas.4.04.2024.002
The Review of Contemporary Scientific and Academic Studies
An International Multidisciplinary Online Journal
www.thercsas.com
ISSN: 2583-1380 Vol. 4 | Issue No. 4 | April 2024 Impact Factor: 4.736 (SJIF)
Learning Techniques and Strategies: The features of student growth are taken into consideration when
choosing teaching strategies. Teachers can benefit from educational psychology's assistance in choosing
effective teaching tactics that take into account each student's unique qualities and features.
Guiding To Students: In the classroom teachers have to play different roles, like guiding students, in
addition to carrying out the curriculum. Guiding students is one kind of assistance to resolve students’ issues.
Teachers who possess an understanding of educational psychology are better equipped to offer students of
different ages the learning and career help they require.
Learning Outcomes: Teaching and assessing are two crucial tasks that teachers must complete in the
classroom. Measuring student learning outcomes is made easier by evaluation activities. Educators can create
more equitable student learning assessments with the aid of educational psychology.
4
Learning Objectives: Learning objectives are the behavioral shifts that students undergo as a result of their
education. As a learning objective, educational psychology assists the instructor in identifying the ideal type
of behavior modification.
Learning Media: Teachers must be knowledgeable about educational psychology in order to carefully plan
the learning materials that will be used. It is supposed to use audio-visual materials to provide students a
realistic picture.
Study Schedule: It is imperative to organize the lesson plan in accordance with the students' psychological
needs. In particular, courses like mathematics that are thought to be challenging for the students are
introduced to the material at the beginning of the session, when students are still engaged and eager to learn.
Planning, arranging, and assessing instructional strategies in classrooms is generally assisted by educational
psychology.
Conclusion
Therefore, the applied subfield of psychology that combines psychology and education is known as
educational psychology. Educational psychology is a significant subfield of psychology that assists teachers
in planning lessons and assessing students' progress. Psychology is a scientific field that studies human
learning, including both cognitive and behavioral aspects. The historical process of merging psychology with
education and progressively creating an independent field is known as the creation of educational
psychology; and at the end of 19th century, educational psychology emerged as a distinct field of study.
The study of educational psychology looks at a variety of topics pertaining to how people learn and are
taught from birth to old age. The educator needs to be aware of the state of their students with relation to
both inherited (innate) problems and those influenced by the local social milieu. The study of educational
psychology plays a significant role in supporting and advising educators to ensure that students learn as
intended. The use of psychological principles in the field of education is one of the advantages of educational
psychology for learning.
Thus, it is greatly acknowledged that teachers and aspiring teachers can learn significantly from educational
psychology. The effectiveness of the learning process is deeply enhanced by educational psychology in the
classroom. The Significance of Educational Psychology in Teaching/Learning Process is immense and
greatly influenced.
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Significance of Educational Psychology in the Process of Teaching and Learning
Ch. Satya Sri and V C Sekhar https://doi.org/10.55454/rcsas.4.04.2024.002
The Review of Contemporary Scientific and Academic Studies
An International Multidisciplinary Online Journal
www.thercsas.com
ISSN: 2583-1380 Vol. 4 | Issue No. 4 | April 2024 Impact Factor: 4.736 (SJIF)
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Significance of Educational Psychology in the Process of Teaching and Learning
Ch. Satya Sri and V C Sekhar https://doi.org/10.55454/rcsas.4.04.2024.002
