Pre & Primary Teacher Training
Phase -5
Educational Psychology
According to modern Psychologists, Psychology is a science of behavior. That means
Psychology is the scientific study of the behavioral changes which occur in a person due to
the change in environment. Educational Psychology deals with the behavior of all learners
learning either inside or outside the school, whereas general Psychology deals with the facts
and principles of behavior of all individuals in social environment. Educational Psychology is
considered as a branch of practical Psychology. It deals with the behavior of learners in a
learning environment. That is why, the scope of Educational Psychology is relatively narrow
and specific than that of Psychology in general.
However, in its limited scope, Educational Psychology uses all the methods of general
Psychology. The two vital aspects of Education are: to know the learner and to bring out
necessary changes in his/her behavior.
Knowing the learner aids in knowing his/her inherent capacities, instinctive abilities and
distinctive nature.
To bring out the necessary changes in the characteristic nature of the learner, we need to
have a clear knowledge of the numerous methods by which this change can be achieved and
to what extent it can be achieved. Educational Psychology helps us in developing a clear
knowledge about all the features and apply this knowledge in different learning situations.
Educational Psychology teaches us know about the nature and educational significance of
various mental functions of the learner such as feeling, desire, aptitude, attention,
intelligence, etc. With the help of this knowledge we can develop the appropriate learning
situation and the suitable learning process for the learner. The learning process for the learner
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depends on the various mental activities such as perception, thinking, reasoning, memory,
etc. Educational psychology helps us to know the true nature of all these mental activities
with the help of the finding of general psychology and in this way helps the learner in his
learning process.
There is a close relationship between learning and the inherent ability and nature of
behaviour the learner. Educational Psychology explains in details the following aspects of
learning and thereby helps the teacher to develop the appropriate learning situation:
It is the function of Educational Psychology to discuss about the feeling, desire, needs,
aptitude and other mental abilities of the learner and to find out through analysis and
experiments the right avenues in which the desired development of these inherent abilities
can be achieved.
Educational Psychology explains the different stages of growth and development of the
learner by critically observing the ways in which the learner attains his physical, intellectual
and social development through these different stages. It also guides the teacher to adopt
the appropriate teaching methods in accordance with the natural process of the
development.
Educational Psychology examines different problems of learning and tries to solve these
problems:
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How do the learners learn?
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What is the relation between learning and maturation?
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What are the conditions of effective learning?
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What is the relation between learning and motivation?
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How can we develop a suitable learning situation?
Educational Psychology enquires into all these questions and helps in developing effective
learning environment and selecting appropriate subject matter for the learner.
Educational Psychology investigates into the role of heredity and environment in the mental
development of the learner. It evaluates the influence of these two factors in the formation
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of personality and character of the learner and guides the teacher to adopt appropriate
teaching methods.
Because of individual difference among the learners, modern education gives more emphasis
on individual learning. Educational Psychology reveals the true nature of individual learning
and individual difference by careful observation and helps the educator in developing more
effective learning process. To determine the individual difference between learners,
Educational Psychology tries to measure scientifically the intelligence, aptitude, inclinations
and abilities of learners. As these scientific methods help the teacher to measure intelligence,
aptitude, inclinations and abilities of the learner, he/she does not have to depend on
assumptions any longer to devise appropriate teaching methods. Beside this, one of the
important tasks of Educational Psychology is to help develop methods of scientific evaluation
to assess the progress of the learner by the education given by the school.
To sum up, Educational Psychology determines appropriate teaching approaches with
relevance to extensive social environment and guides the teacher to follow these methods.
Modern education gives emphasis on educating the child according to his/her need, desire
and ability. The influence of Psychology on the theoretical aspects of education is considered
as child-centric education. In order to understand the need, desire and ability of the child we
must take the help of a branch called the “Child Psychology” which deals with the behavior
of children. Psychology describes self-activity as a natural instinct of the child and in
accordance with this concept, the system of learning by doing has been introduced in the
schools.
Psychology also has effective influence on modern education in making syllabus and
timetable, in adopting necessary steps to maintain discipline, in helping the students to adjust
effectively with the environment of the school. Modern Education is considered as
psychologically approved education. By making the use of various information regarding
mental activities, Psychology makes learning easy for learner.
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Theories of Learning
Learning is usually defined as a process that brings together the cognitive, emotional, and
environmental influences and experiences for acquiring, enhancing, or making changes in
one's knowledge, skills, values, and world views (Illeris, 2000; Ormorod, 1995). Learning as a
process focuses on what happens when the learning takes place. Explanations of what
happens constitute of the learning theories. A learning theory is an attempt to describe how
people and animals learn; thereby helping us to understand the inherently complex process
of learning. Learning theories have two chief values according to Hill (2002).
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It provides us with vocabulary and a conceptual framework for interpreting the
examples of learning that we observe.
•
It also suggests where to look for solutions to practical problems. The theories do not
give us solutions, but they do direct our attention to those variables that are crucial in
finding solutions.
There are three main categories under which learning theories fall. These are:
•
Behaviorism: Behaviorism focuses only on the objectively observable aspects
of learning.
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Cognitivism: Cognitive theories look beyond behavior to explain brain-based
learning.
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Constructivism: Constructivism views learning as a process in which the
learner actively constructs or builds new ideas or concepts.
Psychologists have examined the learning process of the child thoroughly and have developed
some theories of learning on this basis. Among the theories of learning the most important
theories are-
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Pavlov’s Theory of Conditioning
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Thorndike’s theory of connectionism
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Gestalt Theory of Insight and
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Field theory of learning.
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Behaviorism
The Theory of Behaviorism was primarily developed by B.F. Skinner. It loosely encompasses
the work of people like Thorndike, Tolman, Guthrie, and Hull. Behaviorists describe
‘conditioning’ as the only way of learning. What characterizes these investigators are their
underlying assumptions about the process of learning. In essence, three basic
assumptions are held to be true. First, learning is manifested by a change in behavior. Second,
the environment shapes behavior. And third, the principles of contiguity (how close in time
two events must be for a bond to be formed) and reinforcement (any means of increasing
chances that an event will be repeated) are central to explaining the learning process. For
behaviorism, learning is the acquisition of new behavior through conditioning.
Behaviorism and Classroom practice
To summarize in brief, Behaviorism is based on three principles: learning is manifested by a
change in behavior, the environment shapes our behavior, contiguity and reinforcement are
essential in explaining the learning process. Just as the Little Engine (from- The Little Engine
That Could) that believed he could make it over the hill, students must believe that they are
capable of learning. Much of their success depend on their efforts. One such example is
homework and practice (Pitler, 2007). Frequent practice and repetition of information is
necessary for learning to occur (Smith, 1999). Students should be taught the importance of
effort and how to monitor their own efforts. Teachers should make sure that the amount of
homework is applicable to learning and assigned in appropriate amounts. The length and
amount of homework should vary depending on age and grade level. Parental involvement
should be minimal. Homework should be beneficial in reinforcing learning.
Depending on availability, technology can be incorporated in homework assignments. The
Internet provides a vast variety of sites that can benefit students and learning.
Technology can also play a vital role in monitoring effort. Through the use of electronic
spreadsheets, data collection tools, and survey resources, students can compare efforts and
outcomes (Pitler, 2007).
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The Russian scientist Ivan Petrovich Pavlov's description on how animals (and humans) can
be trained to respond in a certain way to a particular stimulus drew tremendous interest from
the time he first presented his results in 1904. His work paved the way for a new, more
objective method of studying behavior. Pavlov was a behaviorist. This means that his theories
are focused on observable behavior, because unlike thought, behavior can be measured.
Pictorial representation of Pavlov’s Classical conditioning theory
Pavlov (1902) started from the idea that there are some things that a dog does not need to
learn. For example, dogs don’t learn to salivate whenever they see food. This reflex is ‘hard
wired’ into the dog. In behaviorist terms, it is an unconditioned response (i.e. a stimulusresponse connection that required no learning).
In his experiment, Pavlov used a bell as his neutral stimulus. Whenever he gave food to his
dogs, he also rang a bell. After a number of repeated attempts, he tried the bell on its own.
As you might expect, the bell on its own now caused an increase in salivation.
So the dog had learned an association between the bell and the food and a new behavior had
been learnt. Because this response was learned (or conditioned), it is called a conditioned
response. The neutral stimulus has become a conditioned stimulus.
Classical conditioning is "classical" as it is the first systematic study of basic laws of learning /
conditioning.
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This theory has a definite role to play in learning. It is with the help of ‘conditioning’ that the
child learns basic habits like learning language, taking food and studying at a particular time,
etc., By uttering the word ‘mama’ the child gets response from his mother. By getting
repeated response, the word ‘Mama’ becomes conditioned with the image of his mother.
In the same way, some activities which depend on the movements of different parts of the
body like swimming, riding a bicycles etc., can be learned through trial and error. That means
by trials and error the child learns the correct way of doing that activity. Through trial and
error and conditioning the child learns something mechanically.
How is Classical Conditioning by Pavlov relevant to classroom situations?
"Extinction" can be used to remove negative responses to stimulus. This can be useful in a
situation when a student experiences extreme fear or anxiety. For e.g.: when presented with
a math test or when made to read aloud to the class. The fear or anxiety can be linked to the
stimulus through something in the child's past, and this link can be removed by pairing the
stimulus with positive feelings. For example, providing children with math problems whilst
giving them verbal encouragement “You can do it!” can remove the fear or anxiety previously
felt and replace it with the new conditioned response of happiness.
Create a conditioned stimulus to link to your desired behavior. As a teacher, if you want the
learners to pay attention to the task at hand, stand up and pace slowly until the class is
working well. This will make the learners develop the new condition where in your proximity
will produce the desired behavior. In future, standing up and pacing around the room will get
the learners to work well.
Create a positive feeling within the classroom. If you shout and make the children feel
nervous, they could begin to associate your classroom with negative emotions, and feel those
emotions as you enter the classroom in future. Help children form associations between
learning and positive atmosphere. Be bright and cheerful while greeting your class each day.
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According to Thorndike children learn through trial and error.
Thorndike’s Theory of learning: The theory of learning
propounded by Thorndike is called connectionism.
According to this theory, “Learning is the establishment of bounds
between stimulus and response and it follows a mechanical
process of trial and error.”
Edward Lee Thorndike
Thorndike made an experiment on a cat. A hungry cat was put in a box
which can be opened from outside by operating a simple mechanism. A
piece of fish was kept outside the box. Seeing it, the cat indulged in
random movement in order to come out. All its wasteful movements
were errors. But during the frantic attempt to come out, the cat
accidentally operated the mechanism and immediately the door opened. The cat was allowed
to have a bite at the fish (Reward), separated from it and again put into the box. Once again,
it attempted to come out, committed ‘errors’, finally came out and was again allowed to have
another bite at the fish. But it was not allowed to eat the whole fish. Then again it was put
into the box and the procedure was repeated many times. After a few trials the cat was found
to have steered clear of most of the wasteful movements (errors) and it operated the
mechanism with considerable ease. It had learnt to associate the mechanism with the
opening of the door.
This experiment resulted in the 3 Primary Laws of Learning formulated by Thorndike. These
three laws are•
Law of Exercise: The law of Exercise can be stated as follows: When the same stimulus
is given over and again causing a particular response, the connection between that
stimulus and response is strengthened.
•
Law of Effect: The Law of Effect can be stated as follows: When a response to recur
when the same stimulus is present. The connection between stimulus and response
gets strengthened in the same manner, when a response to a stimulus produces
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annoyance the same response is not likely to recur when the same stimulus is present.
The connection between that stimulus and response gets weakened.
•
Law of Readiness: The Law of Readiness can be stated as follows: Learning takes place
provided the learner is ready to learn and a learnt response is retained, provided the
learner has learnt it willingly.
How can Thorndike’s law be used in the classroom?
In a classroom situation, imagine a child being rewarded for his neat handwriting – he/she is
most likely to continue with that as it is connected to a reward, be it intrinsic or extrinsic. This
will also motivate the others to emulate him. However, if he/she is punished or reprimanded
for illegible or untidy handwriting, it is most likely that the same mistake will not be repeated
in future.
All animals, including humans, have the tendency to monitor what happens to us after each
behavior. The continuity of the behavior is dependent on the outcome - good or bad. This
tendency to modify our behavior due to the consequences of that behavior is the basic
foundation for the behavioral perspective in psychology.
Cognitivism
The earliest challenge to the behaviorists came in a publication in 1929 by Bode, a Gestalt
psychologist. He criticized behaviorists for being too dependent on overt behavior to explain
learning. Cognitive theories look beyond behavior to explain brain-based learning.
Gestalt psychology or Gestaltism (German: Gestalt- "essence or shape of an entity's
complete form") of the Berlin School is a theory of mind and brain positioning, that the
operational principle of the brain is holistic, parallel and analog with self-organizing
tendencies.
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The Gestalt Psychologists
Gestalt Psychologists are of the opinion that it is insight which helps the children to
learn. Gestalt theory of insight has great significance in the classroom learning. According to
this theory, in order to solve a problem, we have to consider the whole form or structure of
the problems, not its individual parts. When the teacher asks the students to solve a sum,
they try to get the solution in various ways. In their effort they examine different points of
consideration. Suddenly some of them get the clue and solves the problem. In this case they
solved the problem by following Gestalt theory of Insight.
Insight is an intelligent search for solving a problem. In this type of learning when the child
faces a problematic situation, he goes through the process of ‘discrimination’,
‘generalization’ and suddenly gets the insight or the clue to solve the problem. His thinking,
reasoning and imagination also helps the child to learn. Different children take the help of
different process to learn the same thing because of difference in their intelligence. For
example, when an intelligent child adopts ‘insight learning’ to learn something, a
comparatively less intelligent child takes the help of ‘trial and error’ to learn the same thing.
Gestalt psychologists proposed looking at the patterns rather than isolated events. Gestalt
views of learning have been incorporated into what have come to be labeled cognitive
theories.
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Two key assumptions underlie this cognitive approach:
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Memory system is an active organized processor of information and
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Prior knowledge plays an important role in learning. Cognitivists consider how human
memory works to promote learning Aspects of cognitivism can be found in learning
how to learn, social role acquisition, intelligence, learning, and memory as related to
age.
Cognitivism in the classroom
Cognitivism is a learning theory that emphasizes how information is received, organized,
stored and retrieved by the mind. Cognitivism often helps the mind to work like an
information processor or a computer. It can be used in classroom to generate interest, test
previous knowledge. Important classroom principles from cognitive psychology include
meaningful learning, organization, and elaboration.
Create an environment where there are lots of manipulative tools that help in developing
understandability. A teacher can ask questions to help students refine their thinking and
recognize where they may be wrong. In cognitivism failure may be considered a good thing
as it is a tool to help learners realize that they need to learn more. Role of the instructor is to
monitor the learner’s progress, ask lots of questions and help a learner develop the higher
order thinking skills like problem solving and later critical thinking.
Field theory
Kurt Lewin, as a neo-gestaltist, transferred the Gestalt Model to everyday situations. He was
greatly influenced by Einstein and applied the idea of Einsteinium field
physics to psychology. He proposed that human behavior is a function of
both the person and the environment in which the behavior takes place,
including the social parameters. He believed behavior was purposeful and
visualized the individual as existing in a field of forces which included
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+valence forces which attract people and -valence forces which repel people. According to
Lewin's theory, learning is essential to coping with these opposing force fields.
Imitation too, has an important role to play in learning. Children learn many things from their
parents, friends and teachers by imitating them. In fact, all these theories have equal
importance in classroom learning and one of them cannot be termed as the only way of
learning.
The latest catchword in educational circles is "constructivism”. The term refers to the idea
that learners construct knowledge for themselves- each learner individually (and socially)
constructs meaning- as he or she learns. Constructivism views learning as a process in which
the learner actively constructs or builds new ideas or concepts based upon current and past
knowledge or experience. In other words, "learning involves constructing one's own
knowledge from one's own experiences."
The theory focuses on what the learner is thinking about learning (not on the subject/lesson
to be taught):
There is no knowledge independent of the meaning attributed to experience (constructed) by
the learner, or community of learners.
Constructivist theory follows in the path of Dewey, Piaget and Vygotsky among others.
Principles of learning according to the constructivist thinking
 Learning is an active process in which the learner uses sensory input and constructs
meaning out of it. The more traditional formulation of this idea involves the
terminology of the active learner (Dewey's term) stressing that the learner needs to
do something. Learning is not the passive acceptance of knowledge which exists "out
there" but that learning involves the learner engaging with the world.
 Children learn to learn as they learn: learning consists both of constructing meaning
and constructing systems of meaning. For example, if we learn the chronology of dates
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of a series of historical events, we are simultaneously learning the meaning of
chronology. Each meaning we construct, makes us better able to give meaning to
other sensations which can fit a similar pattern.
 The crucial action of constructing meaning is mental: it happens in the mind. Physical
actions, hands-on experience may be necessary for learning, especially for children,
but it is not sufficient; we need to provide activities which engage the mind as well as
the hands. (Dewey called this reflective activity.)
 Learning involves language: the language we use influences learning. Researchers
have noted that people talk to themselves as they learn. On a more general level,
there is a collection of arguments, presented most forcefully by Vygotsky, that
language and learning are inextricably intertwined.
 Learning is contextual. We do not learn isolated facts and theories in some abstract
ethereal land of the mind separate from the rest of our lives. We learn in relationship
to what else we know, what we believe, our prejudices and our fears. On reflection,
it becomes clear that this point is actually a corollary of the idea that learning is active
and social. We cannot ‘divorce’ learning from our lives.
 One needs knowledge to learn. It is not possible to assimilate new knowledge without
having some structure developed from previous knowledge to build on. The more we
know, the more we can learn. Therefore, any effort to teach must be connected to the
state of the learner must provide a path into the subject for the learner based on that
learner's previous knowledge.
 It takes time to learn: Learning is not instantaneous. For significant learning we need
to revisit ideas, ponder over them, try them out, play with them and use them. This
cannot happen in the 5-10 minutes usually spent in a gallery (and certainly not in the
few seconds usually spent contemplating a single museum object). If you reflect on
anything you have learned, you soon realize that it is the product of repeated exposure
and thought. Even, or especially, moments of profound insight can be traced back to
longer periods of preparation.
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 Motivation is a key component in learning. Motivation is essential for learning. This
idea of motivation as described here is broadly conceived to include an understanding
of ways in which knowledge can be used. Unless we know "the reasons why", we may
not be very involved in using the knowledge that may be instilled in us even by the
most severe and direct teaching.
Constructivist learning, therefore, is a very personal endeavor, whereby internalized
concepts, rules, and general principles may consequently be applied in a practical real-world
context. This is also known as social constructivism. The teacher acts as a facilitator who
encourages students to discover principles for themselves and to construct knowledge by
working to solve realistic problems.
A comparison of the Traditional classroom and the Constructivist classroom
Traditional Classroom
Teacher driven – instruction based.
Constructivist Classroom
Learner centric – teacher is a facilitator –
students construct knowledge through
hands-on activities and critical thinking
Students work independently
Encourages collaboration.
Curriculum is taught in parts – subjects Curriculum is taught as a whole – in an
are independent of one another.
integrated format.
Correct answers are taken as validation of Teachers seek students point of view to
learning
seek students understanding of the matter
Assessment of student learning is based Assessment
on test and separate from teaching
of
student
learning
is
interwoven with teaching.
Other learning theories have also been developed for more specific purposes than general
learning theories. Connectivism is a recent theory of networked learning which focuses on
learning as making connections.
Multimedia learning theory focuses on principles for the effective use of multimedia in
learning.
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There is a theory that asserts learning is a process you do, not a process that is done to you,
which kids can teach themselves and also learn in unsupervised environments. "Traditional
education focuses on teaching, not learning. It incorrectly assumes that for every ounce of
teaching there is an ounce of learning by those who are taught." However, most of what we
learn before, during, and after attending schools is learned without it being taught to us. A
child learns such fundamental things as how to walk, talk, eat, dress and so on without being
taught these things. Adults learn most of what they use at work or at leisure while at work or
leisure. Most of what is taught in classroom settings is forgotten, and much or what is
remembered is irrelevant.
Intelligence
There are probably many definitions of intelligence. However, simply put intelligence is the
ability to learn about, learn from, understand and interact with one’s environment. This
general ability involves a number of specific abilities, which include these specific abilities:
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Adaptability to a new environment or to changes in the current environment
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Capacity for knowledge and the ability to acquire it
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Capacity for reason and abstract thought
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Ability to comprehend relationships
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Ability to evaluate and judge
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Capacity for original and productive thought
Additional specific abilities might be added to the list, but they would all be abilities allowing
a person to learn about, learn from, understand, and interact with the environment.
Environment in this case can also be something as small as a family, the workplace, or a
classroom.
The structure of the brain and the nervous system of an intelligent child are such that when
he comes in contact with a stimulant, his mind quickly reacts to it whereas a dull child fails to
react so quickly to such a stimulant.
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Psychologists have given two comprehensive definitions of intelligence“Intelligence is the ability to undertake activities that are characteristics by: a) difficulty
b) complexity c) abstraction d) economy e) adaptiveness to a goal f) social value and g) the
emergence of originals and to maintain such activities under conditions that demand a
concentration of energy and resistance forces.”(Stoddard-1943)
“Intelligence is the aggregate or global capacity of the individual to act purposefully, to think
rationally and to deal effectively with his environment.”(Wechsler)
Charles Spearman - General Intelligence:
British psychologist Charles Spearman (1863-1945) described a concept he referred to as
general intelligence, or the g factor. After using a technique known as factor analysis to
examine a number of mental aptitude tests, Spearman concluded that scores on these tests
were remarkably similar. People who performed well on one cognitive test tended to perform
well on other tests, while those who scored badly on one test tended to score badly on other.
He concluded that intelligence is general cognitive ability that could be measured and
numerically expressed (Spearman, 1904).
Louis L. Thurstone - Primary Mental Abilities:
Psychologist Louis L. Thurstone (1887-1955) offered a differing theory of intelligence. Instead
of viewing intelligence as a single, general ability; Thurstone's theory focused on seven
different "primary mental abilities" (Thurstone, 1938). The abilities that he described were:
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Verbal comprehension
•
Reasoning
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Perceptual speed
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Numerical ability
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Word fluency
•
Associative memory
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•
Spatial visualization
Howard Gardner - Multiple Intelligences:
One of the ideas to emerge recently is Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences.
Instead of focusing on the analysis of test scores, Gardner proposed that numerical
expressions of human intelligence are not a full and accurate depiction of people's abilities.
His theory describes nine distinct intelligences that are based on skills and abilities that are
valued within different cultures.
The nine intelligences described by Gardner are:
 Visual-spatial Intelligence
 Verbal-linguistic Intelligence
 Bodily-kinesthetic Intelligence
 Logical-mathematical Intelligence
 Interpersonal Intelligence
 Musical Intelligence
 Intra personal Intelligence
 Naturalistic Intelligence
 Existential Intelligence
Robert Sternberg - Triarchic Theory of Intelligence:
Psychologist Robert Sternberg defined intelligence as "mental activity directed toward
purposive adaptation to, selection and shaping of, real-world environments relevant to one’s
life" (Sternberg, 1985, p. 45). While he agreed with Gardner that intelligence is much broader
than a single, general ability, he instead suggested some of Gardner's intelligences are better
viewed as individual talents. Sternberg proposed what he refers to as 'successful intelligence’,
which is comprised of three different factors:
 Analytical intelligence: This component refers to problem-solving abilities.
 Creative intelligence: This aspect of intelligence involves the ability to deal with new
situations using past experiences and current skills.
 Practical intelligence: This element refers to the ability to adapt to a changing environment.
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It is possible solving a problem only when knowledge is applied in the right manner with the
help of intelligence. According to Woodworth, “Intelligence means intellectual put to use.”
Attention and Interest
Attention is the cognitive process of selectively concentrating on one aspect of the
environment while ignoring other things. Examples include: listening carefully to what
someone is saying while ignoring other conversations in a room or listening to a cell phone
conversation while driving a car.
Interest, on the other hand, is a feeling or emotion that causes attention to focus on an object
or an event or a process. In contemporary psychology of interest, the term is used as a general
concept that may encompass other more specific psychological terms, such as curiosity and
to a much lesser degree surprise.
The emotion of interest does have its own facial expression, of which the most prominent
component is having dilated pupils.
Psychologists of earlier days thought that attention can be increased by practice. But modern
psychologists do not subscribe to this concept they think that attention is a mental process.
By this mental process we respond to a certain stimulant after selecting it from numerous
other stimulants. Attention is selective. There are several objects within the field of our
consciousness. Most of these objects exist on the threshold of our consciousness. If we bring
one of these objects into the focus of our consciousness and try to understand the true nature
of it, then we have to take the help of a mental process which is called attention.
Attention is must for knowing (Cognition), feeling (Affection) and doing (Conation). We are
conscious of many things but attend to only one thing which is in the focus of attention.
Attention improves efficiency, sensation, perception, retention. Attention improves
efficiency, sensation, perception, retention and is a must for acquiring knowledge and skill.
To understand the true nature of attention we must have a clear idea about the
characteristics of attention:
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 A student cannot pay attention to many things at a time. He selects only one
stimulant from numerous stimulants. Attention is thus selective. Because shifting
is one of the main characteristics selective.
 We cannot attend to any one thing continuously for a long time,
because shifting is one of the main characteristics of the attention process. The
attention of children constantly changes from one thing to another. They cannot
listen to the teaching for a longer duration.
 Anxiety, tension, loud noise etc. disrupt the process of the student. He can pay
attention only when he gets used to external disturbances.
 While paying attention we experience some changes in physical gesture, nervous
system, sensory organs and in our muscle system.
 The area of attention is very limited. Because we cannot pay attention to many
things at a time.
 Attention is exploratory. Novelty, strangeness, unfamiliarity attract attention. So,
the teacher must employ variety of teaching techniques.
 Attention is purposive. One pays attention only to the thing one desires to. We are
conscious of many things but we select and attend to those things which we like
to have.
 Attention establishes mutual relation between different things.
 Although attention always shifts its focus, there is some continuity in it. It is a
continuous and unified process.
 Attention is analytical and synthetically mental process.
 Loud noise, strong smell or bright colors attract attention. Teacher’s voice should
be loud enough to attract attention of pupils.
 The larger the size the greater will be its power to catch attention. Aids used by
the teacher should be large enough.
 Sudden change catches attention. Teacher must modulate his voice while
teaching.
 Contrast always attracts attention. An ink blot on a white shirt immediately arrests
attention. The principle of contrast is essential in preparing visual aids.
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The word “interest”, in Latin means ‘it matters’ or ‘it concerns’, whatever creates pleasant
feeling within us becomes our object of interest. Interest can be native or hereditary as well
as acquired. The native drives or urges endow us with native interest. For example, our
interest towards food is native. When we cultivate interest in something by practice then our
interest is acquired.
There is close relationship between attention and interest. When we have interest in
something it attracts our attention very easily. There are some stimulants which easily attract
our interest. We do not need any mental preparation to attend to these things. For example,
a loud noise easily attracts our attention. This is, however, not true for every stimulant. There
are some stimulants which do not ordinarily attract our attention on their own. But if we
become interested in them, we then pay our attention to them. Interest is thus the desire of
mind to respond to some stimulant. When the desire remains inactive or latent in our mind
we call it attention. That is why McDougall said, “Interest is latent attention and attention is
interest in action”.
By analyzing the nature of attention and interest, Psychologists described attention as a
mental act with the help of which we respond to some stimulant. And interest is a mental
structure which controls this mental act of attention. According to Psychologists Ross, “They
(Attention and Interest) are, merely different ways of looking at the same thing-like two sides
of a coin. The fact underlying both is an organized disposition in the mental structure. We use
the word interest for the structure itself, while we use the word attention to describe the
experience which the structure is always ready to determine”.
Motivation
Motivation refers to the state of a person that directs behavior of the individual towards
certain goals.
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Some students seem naturally enthusiastic about learning, but many need-or expect-their
instructors to inspire, challenge, and stimulate them: "Effective learning in the classroom
depends on the teacher's ability... to maintain the interest that brought students to the course
in the first place". (Ericksen, 1978, p. 3)
Unfortunately, there is no single magical formula for motivating students. Many factors affect
a given student's motivation to work and to learn (Bligh, 1971; Sass, 1989): interest in the
subject matter, perception of its usefulness, general desire to achieve, self-confidence, selfesteem, as well as patience and persistence. And, of course, not all students are motivated by
the same values, needs, desires, or wants. Some of your students will be motivated by the
approval of others, some by overcoming challenges.
Researchers have begun to identify those aspects of the teaching situation that enhance
students' self-motivation (Lowman, 1984; Lucas, 1990; Weinert and Kluwe, 1987; Bligh, 1971).
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To encourage students to become self-motivated independent learners, instructors can do
the following:
•
Give frequent, early, positive feedback that supports students' beliefs that they can
do well.
•
Ensure opportunities for students' success by assigning tasks that are neither too easy
nor too difficult.
•
Help students find personal meaning and value in the material.
•
Create an atmosphere that is open and positive.
•
Help students feel that they are valued members of a learning community.
Research has also shown that good everyday teaching practices can do more to counter
student apathy than special efforts to attack motivation directly (Ericksen, 1978). Most
students respond positively to a well-organized course taught by an enthusiastic instructor
who has a genuine interest in students and what they learn. Thus activities you undertake to
promote learning will also enhance students’ motivation.
General Strategies
Capitalize on students' existing needs. Students learn best when incentives for learning in a
classroom satisfy their own motives. Satisfying such needs is rewarding in itself, and such
rewards sustain learning more effectively than do grades. Design assignments, in-class
activities, and questions to address these kinds of needs. (Source: McMillan and Forsyth,
1991)
Make students active participants in learning. Students learn by doing, making, writing,
designing, creating, solving. Passivity dampens students' motivation and curiosity. Pose
questions. Don't tell students something when you can ask them.
The following eight characteristics emerge as major contributors to student motivation:
•
Instructor's enthusiasm
•
Relevance of the material
•
Organization of the course
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•
Appropriate difficulty level of the material
•
Active involvement of students
•
Variety
•
Rapport between teacher and students
•
Use of appropriate, concrete, and understandable examples
Motivation and Learning
A man cannot live without work. If we think about the cause why man cannot live without
working, we can say that there is a feeling of want or need behind every work. When man
feels some need, some kind of discomfort arises within him. Man works to get rid of this
discomfort. Besides, doing some work helps him to achieve some goal. Thus, it can be said
that man works to fulfill some purpose or to achieve some goal. So, behind every work of man
there is some need on the one hand and a desire to achieve some goal on the other. Thus,
the effort, work or act which is determined by some need and governed by the purpose of
achieving some goal is called by the psychologists as ‘motivation’. Motivation, in other words,
is the act of human being which is determined and governed by some need and the urge to
satisfy that need.
The need behind, can be conscious or unconscious. Many of our biological functions are
governed by the unconscious needs. According to psychologists all human behavior is
motivated, while some of these motivations are conscious, some are unconscious.
Motivation Theories
There are different factors that motivate individuals to learn and perform. Similarly, children
also possess various reasons and motives that urge them to participate in classrooms, acquire
knowledge and attain satisfactory grades. Since every child may not share a common source
of motivation, it is crucial to contemplate certain Motivation Theories that discusses about
various aspects that can motivate individuals, including children. In order to comprehend a
child’s psychology, it is crucial for teachers to be aware of the factors that motivate students
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to learn. Knowledge of this can eventually allow the teachers to tap into specific emotions of
the child that will convince them to participate and pay attention towards learning.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Maslow (1943) asserted that every individual is motivated to fulfil a set of basic needs. He
structured the needs into a pyramid and the significance of each need decreased as one
crawls up the pyramid. He also believed that no two needs can be satisfied at the same time.
Individuals had to accomplish each step of need, before progressing to the next one.
According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, individuals first need to meet the physiological
need for basic food, clothing and shelter.
Once the basic needs are fulfilled, individuals are then motivated to work towards establishing
personal safety and security. Hence, one may be motivated to work overtime and effectively
contribute in the workplace in order to ensure job security.
Following the need for security, individuals may be motivated on the basis of social
belongingness and affection. A child keen on making new friends and belonging to friend
groups may be motivated to perform well and establish the image of a ‘smart’ kid. In fact,
teachers can motivate children to learn by putting them in groups and supporting teamwork.
This will satisfy and hence motivate the students seeking social participation, and lend them
with a sense of belongingness and connection.
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The need for esteem can be related to one’s inclination towards being respected and
recognized by others. Thus, a child may be motivated to participate and perform well because
they want to be appraised by the teacher in front the whole class. Consequently, teachers can
choose to appreciate the students’ efforts and recognise those who have performed well in
certain tests or team assignments. This can further motivate others to work harder and be
rewarded like their fellow classmates.
Lastly, the need for self-actualization can be defined as the need to excel in every way and
constantly enhance and maximize one’s ability. This stage is mostly aimed at self-satisfaction.
Relationship Building and Child Psychology
Learning is not just about conveying, acquiring and applying new information. The learning
process is in fact quite complicated. Although the learning process sounds very easy, it is not.
When a child is exposed to learning, their desire to learn is not just influenced by the content
being taught. Other external factors such as who is teaching, how it is being taught, and
relationships with the teacher also plays a significant role. The relationship between teachers
and students also shapes the interpersonal communication between them. If a child is too
shy, a lack of proper relationship can make it difficult for the child to express their feelings
and doubts to the teacher. A subsequent communication gap has the ability to hamper the
learning process.
Social Penetration Theory
Psychologists Altman and Taylor’s (1973) Social Penetration Theory explains the differences
in communication in relation to the depths of interpersonal relationships. According to this
theory, relationships develop and deepen through self-disclosure. As the child gets closer to
the teacher, they are more confident about revealing their true opinions and feelings. It is
important for a child to express themselves because not being able to do so will make them
uncomfortable and affect their learning psychology.
Orientation stage: This is one of the initial stages when the child will observe the teacher and
develop a first-impression about her/him. At this stage, it is critical for teachers to be friendly
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and supportive of the child’s perceptions. A negative attitude will rapture the child’s
confidence and instantly discourage the child from sharing any further.
Exploratory stage: At this stage, the child has already developed a positive first-impression of
the teacher and is ready to discuss some information about themselves.
Affective stage: By this stage, the child develops affection for the teacher and is more willing
to ask questions and clarify doubts. The relationship between the child and the teacher has
immensely strengthened by this point.
Depenetration: This stage can occur if the teacher fails to remain patient and understanding
of the child’s problems and feelings. At this phase, the child will stop communicating with the
teacher and lose their overall confidence. This can drastically affect their learning process and
performance.
A child’s psychology is strongly shaped by the kind of relationships and communication they
conduct with their teachers and classmates. Appropriate relationship building can thus
provide them with a psychological assurance and confidence. Teachers should not only
concentrate upon a child’s existing psychology, but also consider factors that can influence
their psychology in a classroom setting.
Bullying, Abuse and Child Psychology
Bullying involves a real or perceived power imbalance amidst school-going children from
different age groups. Bullying occurs when a group of children use their superior strength to
target someone by making threats, spreading rumours, physically and verbally attacking and
purposefully isolating someone. Bullying places significant effects on a child’s psychology,
which consequently affects their ability to focus in classes, participate in activities and
perform well in exams. Bullying has been a prevailing issue in schools all over the world, and
it can be responsible for eliminating a child’s interest, attention and motivation towards
learning. Some of the types of bullying are as follows:
Verbal Bullying: This includes teasing, name-calling, inappropriate sexual remarks and threats
to impose harm upon someone.
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Social Bullying: This involves damaging someone’s reputation and relationships by spreading
rumours, isolating someone, embarrassing someone in public and deliberately unfriending
someone. Such actions can particularly affect children who are motivated to fulfill their need
for socialization and relationships.
Physical Bullying: This mainly comprises of inflicting physical injuries and wounds upon
someone through violent fights. It involves actions such as tripping, pushing, mean hand
gestures and breaking someone’s things. Physical bullying is extremely dangerous as it can
affect a child both physically and psychologically.
Abuse
Child abuse happens when anyone under the age of 18 is being maltreated, harmed or not
properly looked after. Bullying is a form of abuse. A child can be abused by their family, friends
and even teachers. Any form of abuse can place disastrous psychological impacts that hamper
a child’s ability to focus and learn. It is very vital for teachers to study their students and look
for signs of abuse.
Abused children often tend to be silent, scared, and some may even have visible wounds and
injuries. Some types of child abuses are:
Physical abuse: This includes hitting, slapping, kicking, pushing, drowning, suffocating and
misusing medication.
Signs and symptoms include: unexplained injuries, burns, marks, covering injuries with
clothing even in hot weather.
Emotional abuse: This involves making a child feel inadequate and worthless, unfairly blaming
and bullying a child, and being made to feel frightened.
Signs and symptoms include: Reduced physical and emotional development, continual selfdepreciation and neurotic behaviour e.g. hair twisting or self-mutilation.
Neglect: This occurs when a child is deprived of basic facilities such as clothing, food, medical
care, hygiene and protection from physical harm.
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Signs and symptoms include: Constant hunger and tiredness, poor personal hygiene, poor
clothing and lack of social relationships.
Psychological Effects of Bullying and Abuse
Depression and anxiety: Persistent isolation, rudeness and verbal abuses can damage a
child’s self-confidence. This can cause depression and anxiety because the child will feel left
out and unimportant. They will suffer from increased sadness and loneliness, which will
subsequently diminish the child’s interest towards learning and participating in class
activities.
Decreased academic achievement: A loss in interest will keep the child from focusing on
studies. This will affect their overall academic performance. Lower grades can demotivate
them further and augment their depression and anxiety.
It is extremely vital for teachers to be aware of any form of bullying or abuse, and
instantaneous steps must be taken to address issues associated to bullying. Neglecting this
can affect the long-term psychological wellbeing and academic performance of many
students as they will become more paranoid and depressed.
The aforementioned topics focused on the various aspects related to a child’s
psychology, the theories attached to psychology, and the importance of understanding a
child’s psychology to develop pertinent curriculums. Hence, when attempting to study a
child’s psychology, tutors must be aware that a student’s silence, underperformance and
unprecedented behaviour can be a result of bullying.
In such contexts, teachers must amiably interact with the child, support their opinions and try
to extract the reasons behind the child’s unusual behaviour. This supportive approach will not
only render the child with psychological confidence, but also enable the teacher to discover
if bullying or abuse is occurring, and eventually inform the administration and employ
methods to tackle bullying in the school and classrooms.
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Teachers must also try to support a victim of bullying by encouraging more teamwork and
urging the child to interact more with others. Enabling the child to make new friends can help
lift them out of depression.
Therefore, it is evident that teachers in today’s era should not just impart knowledge, but also
be equipped with the ability to interpret a child’s psychology. Understanding a child’s
psychology, feelings and level of intelligence will permit the teacher to design relevant class
activities, assignments and curriculums. This will make learning easier and effective.
Multicultural Classrooms and Child Psychology
In simple terms, psychology can be defined as the characteristics of the mind. A child’s
psychology is connected to their beliefs, thinking, attitude and behaviour towards other
people, objects and ideas. Every child owns a different mental characteristic or psychology,
and no two children can always think and behave in an exactly similar pattern. Nonetheless,
an individual’s, including a child’s psychological construct may be directed by culture.
According to Geert Hofstede, culture can be defined as the “collective programming of the
mind distinguishing the members of one group or category of people from others.” Culture
comprises the beliefs, values, rituals, religion, dresses and food-habits that individuals acquire
from the older generations. These disparate values and beliefs also molds an individual’s
psychology and mindset.
Globalization can be defined as the integration of economies, businesses, workers and
cultures on a global platform. Globalization has enabled businesses to set up factories in other
nations, and have also permitted workers to migrate to other nations for better opportunities.
As a result of migration, students often visit schools in other countries.
Due to increasing globalization and migration, classrooms nowadays consist of students from
different countries and cultural backgrounds. Therefore, while teaching a multicultural
classroom, teachers must be informed that the children’s mental disposition and
psychological thinking will greatly differ.
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Geert Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions
Geert Hofstede surveyed IBM employees in different countries and noted six national cultural
dimensions that distinguish one national culture from another. Three of his dimensions are
relevant for teachers and children in a classroom setting.
Individualism vs Collectivism: Individualistic individuals will primarily focus on their own
performance and achievement, whereas collectivist individuals prefer to work and succeed in
groups. Hence, children from individualistic countries will not be inclined towards working in
groups, and would like to work by themselves. If the teacher forces them to work in groups,
then the students’ reluctance may keep them from making effective contributions.
Power Distance: This dimension studies the distribution of power between authorities and
subordinates. Children from a high Power Distance culture such as China or India are likely to
listen to their teacher’s orders and follow them without further questions. However, children
from a low Power Distance culture such as the United States will prefer expressing their
opinions instead of simply following the tasks set by the teachers. Therefore, when teaching
students from a low power distance culture, teachers must not try to be very commanding.
This can demotivate the students’ motivation to learn and perform.
Uncertainty Avoidance: This dimension is related to an individual’s attitude towards risks and
uncertainties. Children from countries with uncertainty avoidance will follow rules, constantly
ask questions and prefer having their doubts clarified. On the other hand, children from
cultures with low uncertainty avoidance will prefer learning new and difficult topics and be
more imaginative.
Although globalization has caused cultural integration, cultural differences still prevail as
many parents still expect their children to abide by the cultural values and traditions. This is
another vital component responsible for guiding a child’s psychology. Consequently, it is
imperative for teachers to study different cultures. Knowledge of different cultures will
prevent the occurrence of ethnocentrism (stereotyping a particular group of people on the
basis of the home culture’s characteristics).
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In order to be aware of other cultures, teachers must read more about other countries and
even attend cross-cultural training sessions for expanding their knowledge.
To sum it up, a child’s psychology is devised of numerous factors: intelligence, attention,
interest, motivation, culture and other environmental factors such as bullying.
A child’s lack of attention or underperformance can be a consequence of various reasons.
Teachers must learn a child’s psychology and unveil the sources influencing particular
behaviour. Instead of making quick assumptions and conclusions, awareness of the actual
reasons will allow the teacher to relevantly reach out to the child and offer them with an
effective and intriguing learning experience.
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