Cognitive psychology in classroom.
Submitted by Alifiya Zavery
How can teachers apply cognitive psychology in classroom?
Cognitive psychology is defined as the branch of psychology devoted to studying mental processes. The
word cognition comes from the Latin word “to know” and cognition refers to behind-the-scenes behaviours
like perceiving, attending, remembering, thinking and decision making.
A teacher aware of cognitive psychology can make a difference in teaching and can come across as an
insightful educator capable of handling different situations and varied learners efficiently.
The four categories required for teaching success by Rossetti and Fox (2009) are as follows:
Presence of the Teacher:
Being there for the students, getting acquainted with them and cultivating mutual trust and respect.
Promotion of learning:
Taking an interest in student’s learning and finding meaning in their education.
Teachers as learners:
Staying current in the discipline and teaching strategies and updating and upgrading oneself continuously.
Passion:
Showing enthusiasm for teaching and learning and instilling that passion in the learners.
Cognitive psychology can be applied in the following ways in the classroom:
Guiding learning process and giving a direction to learners.
Planning your teaching based on prior learning experiences.
Staying mindful of the learner’s prior learning before judging their performance.
Guided lesson plans for early learners to facilitate development of skills.
Encouraging critical thinking and problem solving through various means.
Being attentive to learners when they are trying to reason out.
Encouraging activities that demonstrate comparing to select appropriate teaching and learning method.
Conclusion: Few benefits for students on applying cognitive psychology
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Reflect on their experiences.
Find new solutions to problems.
Explore and understand how ideas are connected.
Justify and explain their thinking.