Significance of educational
psychology for teachers and others:
1. Catering to individual differeces:
No two persons are exactly alike. There is individual difference. Pupils always
differ in their level of intelligence, aptitudes, likes and dislikes and in
other propensites and potentialities. Different minds are to be trained by the
teacher. There are gifted, backward, retarde, talented and handicapped
children. All of them should not be treated in the same manner. The knowledge
of educational psychology helps the teacher to cater to individual differences
of children.
2. Understanding the learner:
Acquisition of knowledge is no more the main object of education but it is
still very significant in the process of education. Acquisition of knowledge is
also a sort of modification in the behaviour of the child. For this purpose the
educator will have to consider the mental processes of the child and not only
the quality of knowledge which he is going to put into the living mind.
3. Understanding developmental
characteristics: Children or the learners pass through
different stages of development – Infancy, childhood and adolescence, etc. Each
developmental stage has its own characteristics. The teacher must be acquainted
with the characteristics of each stage and utilise these characteristics in
imparting instruction and their effect on learning.
4. Understanding group dynamics:
In recent years, the importance of social behaviour has acquired a great
significance. The teacher, terefore, must know the operations of group dynamics
in classroom teaching-learning as well as total school and social environment
and their effect on learning.
5. Understanding the nature of
classroom learning: The knowledge of educatinal psychology
helps the teacher to adapt and adjust his teaching according to the level of
the learners. A teacher is teaching in a class but a large number of the
students do not understand the subject-matter which is being taught. The
teacher concerned has to identify the cause. It may be that many other
explanations. The teacher in such a situation may change his instructional
strategy. It is the knowledge of science of behaviour which is helpful.
6. Understanding effective methods of
teaching: Educational psychology has discovered several new
approaches, principles and techniques of teaching which are very helpful in
elimination many traditional practices which have become obsolete in the
present context. Recent researches made in the field of educational psychology
give us valuable suggestions regarding better methods of teaching and
memorizing, for developing desirable habits. Educational psychology tells us
how significant play and recreation are for the children and how play-way
methods turn learning into an interesting task.
7. Curriculum construction:
Psychological principles are used in formulating curriculum for different
stages. Attempts are made to provide subjects and activities in the curriculum
which are in conformity to the needs of the students, their developmental
characteristics, learning patterns and also needs of the society.
8. Measurement of learning outcomes:
Educational psychology has made many strides in this respect quite recently. It
has produced many reliable tests and instruments of mental measurement which
are proving to be extremely useful in the field of education. We can quite
easily measure mental capacities, basic intelligence, temperamental attitudes
and special inclinations of children and base educational programmes on these
findings. These measurements show that all the children differ and that every
child is a unique being. The teacher can know that children with I.Q below 90
cannot do well in medical, engineering, administrative or other similar
vocations. But he knows that such young ones are not doomed if they cannot do
well in intellectual callings. He can easily explore some other fields where
such children can also flourish.
9. Understanding the leaning process:
Teaching and learning go side by side. All education depends upon the learning
of new responses and the capacityof a human child to learn new responses.
Educational psychology discusses the nature of learning theories and types of
learning for different age levels and situations. Therfore, knowledge of
educational psychology becomes essential to a teacher to study all these
problems.
10. Knowledge of mental health:
Mental health of the teacher and the taught is very important for effective
teaching-learning. A study of educational psychology helps the teacher to know
the various factors which are resposible for the mental ill-healthe and
mal-adjustment. He accordingly attempts to eliminate such factors and creats a
healthy mental enviroment.
11. Developing scientific attitude:
Knowledge of educational psychology is helpfil in making the teacher more
scientific in his educational practices and consequently he may become more
methodical, objective and rational in his work.
12. Educational psychology and nervous
system: The entire education depends on the function of
the brain and nervous system. It becomes essential for a teacher to study the
nervous system which controls human behaviour. He must have the knowledge of
sensory organs which are the gateways of knowledge.
13. Educational psychology and play:
Play is a natural tendency having great educational potentials. Knowledge of
educational psychology helps the teacher to provide for a variety of activities
for children.
14. Educational psychology and
productive activities: A great stress is being laid these
days on work experience and socially useful productive work. Educational
psychology helps the teacher to know how various activities in these fields can
be used for the fulfilment of the basic needs of children.
15. Understanding the significance of
research: Educational psychology helps in developing tools
and devices for the measurement of various variables which influence the
behaviour and performance of the learners as well as teachers.
16. Guidance for the education of the
exceptional children: Educational psychology has contributed
a lot for making specific provision and organisation of educational programmes
for the exceptional children who remained neglected inthe past wer devoid of
suitable educational facilities.
17. Character development:
Educational psychology helps a lot to the formation and development of
character. The comes to know the methods he should adopt in inculcating
character traits, and moral principles among the children.
18. Constructive and creative discipline:
The slogan of the traditional teachers was “Spare the rod and spoil the child” ‘Flogging
the child’ was the chief instrument. Corporal punishment was inflicted upon the
tender child to make him submissive. Now teachers adopt a cooperative and scientific
approach to modify the behaviour of the students. Emphasis is laid on
self-discipline through creative and constructive activities. The teacher now
plays the role of a democrat and not of an autocrat.
19. Use of audio-visual aids or new
instructional technology: It has been experimentally proved
that the use of audio-visual aids holds the attention andinterests of the
children for a longer period and makes the difficult concepts more clear and
learning becomes more lasting. Parrot-like memorisation no longer holds good.
20. Time-table framing:
Psychological principles are kept in view in framing the time-table. Now
efforts are made not to teach difficult subjects in successive periods or in
the last period befor interval or at the end of the school day.
21. Provision for co-curricular
activities: For the balanced and harmonious development of
children, it is now realised that there should be and adequate provision for
activities like debates, discussions, dramas, social service activities, games
and sports.
22. Use of innovation and projects:
For the improvement of the teaching-learning, several innovative ideas are
being introduced. Some of the important innovations are microteaching,
programmed instruction, non-graded school at the elementary stage and team
teaching.
23. Production of suitable textbooks:
Now textbooks are written keeping in view the intellectual development of
children, their needs and interests at different levels. Emphasis is laid on
providing sufficient illustrations in textbooks.
24. Democratic administration and
management: Democratic practices in functioning of educational
institutions are taking the place of autocratic practices. Teachers and
students are associated in several areas of school adminstration.
25. Educational psychology and the
parents: An elementary knowledge of educational psychology
is very essential for parents also. After all children spend a good deal of
their time in the home. There is no doubt that parents are the first teachers.
Educational psychology is very helpful to the parents.
o
It enables the parents to understand the
process of development and growth of their children.
o
Educational psychology acquaints the
parents with the emotional, mental and physical needs of the children.
o
Educational psychology impresses upon
the parents of the necessity of providing wholesome environment to the children
so that they lead a happy life and are free from anxiety.
o
Educatinal psychology enables the
parents to know that they shoul not take recourts to repression and punishment
which adversely affect the mental health of children.
o
Educational psychology enables the
parents to observe keenly the behaviour of children. It enable them to control
their habits.
o
The knowledge of educational psychology
point out to the parents that they should show love and affection to their
children. They should bear in mind tht maxim, “Love the child and the child
will love you. Hate the child and he will hate you”.
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