Educational Psychology –
Meaning of Educational Psychology
Educational Psychology is a branch of psychology that deals with the study of human behavior in educational situations. It applies psychological principles to understand learning, teaching, development, motivation, and individual differences among learners.
Definition:
According to E.A. Peel: Educational psychology is the science of education.
According to Skinner: Educational psychology is the branch of psychology that deals with teaching and learning.
Nature of Educational Psychology
Educational Psychology has the following characteristics:
It is both a science and an art
It studies learner behavior
It is goal-oriented
It uses scientific methods
It is dynamic and practical
It focuses on individual differences
Scope of Educational Psychology
The scope is wide and includes:
1. Growth and Development
Physical, mental, emotional, social, and moral development
Understanding developmental stages of learners
2. Learning Process
How learning takes place
Laws of learning (Trial and Error – Thorndike)
Types of learning: cognitive, affective, psychomotor
3. Individual Differences
Differences in intelligence, aptitude, interest, attitude, personality
Importance of adapting teaching methods.
4. Intelligence and Creativity
Measurement of intelligence (IQ tests)
Development of creativity and problem-solving skills
5. Motivation
Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation
Role of reinforcement and rewards
6. Personality and Adjustment
Emotional adjustment
Mental health of students
7. Teaching Methods
Effective teaching strategies
Classroom management
8. Evaluation and Assessment
Tests, examinations, grading
Continuous and comprehensive evaluation (CCE)
Importance of Educational Psychology
Educational Psychology is important because it:
Helps teachers understand learners
Improves teaching methods
Aids in classroom management
Helps in guidance and counseling
Promotes mental health
Supports effective evaluation
Helps deal with learning difficulties
Role of Teacher in Educational Psychology
A teacher should:
Understand students’ abilities
Motivate learners
Use suitable teaching methods
Maintain discipline
Encourage creativity and critical thinking
Conclusion
Educational Psychology plays a vital role in making the teaching-learning process effective. It helps teachers understand learners better and create a supportive learning environment, leading to the overall development of students.
📘 Exam-Oriented MCQs on Educational Psychology
Educational Psychology is concerned with the study of:
a) Teaching only
b) Learning only
c) Teaching and learning process
d) School administration
Answer: c
The term Educational Psychology was first used by:
a) William James
b) John Dewey
c) Edward Thorndike
d) Skinner
Answer: c
The main objective of Educational Psychology is to:
a) Discipline students
b) Control classroom
c) Improve teaching–learning process
d) Prepare curriculum
Answer: c
Learning is best described as:
a) Temporary change
b) Permanent change in behavior due to experience
c) Physical growth
d) Maturation
Answer: b
Which learning theory is based on Stimulus–Response connection?
a) Gestalt
b) Cognitive
c) Connectionism
d) Humanistic
Answer: c
Trial and Error learning theory was propounded by:
a) Pavlov
b) Kohler
c) Thorndike
d) Skinner
Answer: c
Law of Effect is related to:
a) Reinforcement
b) Motivation
c) Memory
d) Intelligence
Answer: a
Insight learning theory was given by:
a) Skinner
b) Pavlov
c) Kohler
d) Bandura
Answer: c
Classical conditioning theory was proposed by: a) Watson
b) Pavlov
c) Thorndike
d) Skinner
Answer: b
Operant conditioning emphasizes: a) Reflex action
b) Reinforcement
c) Insight
d) Maturation
Answer: b
Learning through imitation is explained by: a) Skinner
b) Pavlov
c) Bandura
d) Kohler
Answer: c
Which factor does NOT affect learning? a) Motivation
b) Interest
c) Intelligence
d) Height
Answer: d
Motivation is the: a) Outcome of learning
b) Process of learning
c) Driving force behind behavior
d) Habit formation
Answer: c
Intrinsic motivation arises from: a) Rewards
b) Punishment
c) Inner satisfaction
d) Teachers
Answer: c
Extrinsic motivation is related to: a) Interest
b) Curiosity
c) Rewards and punishment
d) Self-actualization
Answer: c
Intelligence is defined as the ability to: a) Think logically
b) Solve problems
c) Learn and adapt
d) Memorize
Answer: c
IQ is calculated by: a) CA / MA × 100
b) MA / CA × 100
c) MA – CA
d) CA – MA
Answer: b
Multiple Intelligence theory was proposed by: a) Spearman
b) Binet
c) Gardner
d) Thurstone
Answer: c
Which intelligence is related to music? a) Linguistic
b) Logical
c) Musical
d) Spatial
Answer: c
Emotional intelligence refers to ability to: a) Solve problems
b) Control emotions
c) Understand and manage emotions
d) Learn quickly
Answer: c
Memory is the power to: a) Think
b) Learn
c) Retain and recall
d) Reason
Answer: c
The stages of memory are: a) Learning and forgetting
b) Encoding, storage, retrieval
c) Attention and perception
d) Thinking and reasoning
Answer: b
Short-term memory capacity is about: a) 2–4 items
b) 5–9 items
c) 10–15 items
d) Unlimited
Answer: b
The main cause of forgetting is: a) Learning
b) Practice
c) Interference
d) Intelligence
Answer: c
Personality means: a) Physical traits
b) Mental traits
c) Total pattern of behavior
d) Emotional traits only
Answer: c
Psychoanalytic theory of personality was given by: a) Skinner
b) Watson
c) Freud
d) Maslow
Answer: c
Id works on the principle of: a) Reality
b) Moral
c) Pleasure
d) Logic
Answer: c
Ego follows the principle of: a) Pleasure
b) Reality
c) Morality
d) Conscience
Answer: b
Maslow’s theory is related to: a) Intelligence
b) Learning
c) Motivation
d) Memory
Answer: c
The highest need according to Maslow is: a) Safety
b) Love
c) Esteem
d) Self-actualization
Answer: d
Individual differences mean: a) Similarity among students
b) Differences in abilities and traits
c) Intelligence only
d) Personality only
Answer: b
Guidance is a process of: a) Teaching
b) Advising
c) Helping individuals make decisions
d) Discipline
Answer: c
Counseling mainly deals with: a) Teaching
b) Group instruction
c) Personal problems
d) Discipline
Answer: c
Measurement in education means: a) Evaluation
b) Testing
c) Quantification of behavior
d) Judgment
Answer: c
Evaluation includes: a) Measurement only
b) Judgment only
c) Measurement and judgment
d) Testing only
Answer: c
Formative evaluation is done: a) At the end of teaching
b) Before teaching
c) During teaching
d) After examination
Answer: c
Summative evaluation is conducted: a) Daily
b) Weekly
c) At the end of instruction
d) During teaching
Answer: c
Reliability of a test refers to: a) Accuracy
b) Consistency
c) Objectivity
d) Validity
Answer: b
Validity of a test means: a) Consistency
b) Objectivity
c) Measuring what it intends to measure
d) Practicality
Answer: c
Which type of learning is based on understanding? a) Rote learning
b) Trial and error
c) Insight learning
d) Conditioning
Answer: c
Transfer of learning means: a) Forgetting
b) Memorization
c) Application of learning in new situations
d) Relearning
Answer: c
Positive transfer occurs when: a) Learning hinders new learning
b) Learning helps new learning
c) Learning has no effect
d) Learning is forgotten
Answer: b
Classroom discipline aims at: a) Punishment
b) Control
c) Orderly behavior
d) Authority
Answer: c
Educational Psychology is both a: a) Science and art
b) Science only
c) Art only
d) Philosophy
Answer: a
Which psychologist is associated with behaviorism? a) Maslow
b) Watson
c) Freud
d) Piaget
Answer: b
Cognitive development theory was given by: a) Skinner
b) Watson
c) Piaget
d) Bandura
Answer: c
The concrete operational stage occurs at: a) 0–2 years
b) 2–7 years
c) 7–11 years
d) 12–18 years
Answer: c
Learning is most effective when the learner is: a) Passive
b) Forced
c) Active
d) Silent
Answer: c
Which is NOT a characteristic of learning?
a) Continuous
b) Permanent
c) Goal-oriented
d) Temporary
Answer: d
Educational Psychology helps teachers mainly to:
a) Control students
b) Understand learners
c) Conduct exams
d) Prepare syllabus
Answer: b
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