Scope of Educational Psychology: Meaning and Nature

The scope of educational psychology has turned into a separate discipline altogether as it presents itself in right now. The individuals who are interested in the teaching profession and the people who are already in it. Various eminent scholars and scientists have in the process contributed to the development of educational psychology as a major applied field within the setting of psychology.

Meaning of Educational Psychology

Educational Psychology is an important branch of Psychology.
This is made of two words-‘Education’ and ‘Psychology’.
It means Education related to Psychology.
For example, it is the scientific study of human behaviour in the process of Education and it uses Psychological principles to solve Educational issues.

The behaviour of man is changed by Education and Psychology is a science that concentrates on all the aspects of human behaviour. In this view, Education and Psychology, both are related to the development of human personality.

The basis of Educational Psychology, Psychology deals with the guidelines and facts of human lead. In the same way, Educational Psychology deals with the specific kind of individuals, the behaviour and direction of students either getting an education in school or outside school. Its scope is very narrow and specific.

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Educational Psychology uses techniques of General Psychology for the study of its subject. It deals with the qualities of kids, nature and their behaviour in educational situations and addresses the arrangement, analysis and explanation of education-related issues.

Educational Psychology concentrates on those processes that affect human behaviour. Psychology clarifies its principles, but it also lets us know how life could be made healthier and prosperous using its principles. Psychological principles are used in dealing with the various issues and situations of daily life.

Since the different principles and guidelines of psychology are applied in Educational situations, therefore, Educational Psychology is also called behavioural Psychology.

Scope of Educational Psychology

The following are included in the scope of Educational Psychology:

Human Behaviour

The scope of educational psychology concentrates on human behaviour in educational situations. Psychology is the study of behavior and education deals with the modification of behavior hence, educational psychology goes through in entire field of education.

Growth and Development

It concentrates on the growth and development of the kid. How a youngster passes through various stages of growth and what are the characteristics of each stage are included in the study of educational psychology.

Learning Process

The scope of educational psychology concentrates on the law of learning: learning is a major phenomenon in education. It concentrates on how learning can take place most successfully and economically.

Heredity and Environment

To what degree does heredity and environment contribute towards the growth of the individual and how this information can be used for bringing about the ideal development of the kid, from an important feature of the scope of educational psychology?

Personality

Education has been defined as an all-round development of the personality of an individual; personality development also suggests a composed personality.

Individual Difference

Each individual differs from another and it is one of the fundamental facts of human nature, which educational psychology uncovers. This one fact has changed the idea and process of education.

Intelligence and its Measurement

The scope of educational psychology also includes the study of intelligence’s nature as well as its measurement. This is of utmost significance for a teacher or an educator.

Guidance and Counseling

This is one of the main fields of study included in the field of educational psychology. Education is nothing but guiding the growing kid.

Learner

The need to know the learner and the techniques of knowing him well. The topics include the self-evident, secret, cognizant as well as oblivious behaviour of the learner.

The Learning Encounters

Educational psychology helps in deciding what learning encounters are desirable, and at what stage of the growth and development of the learner, so these encounters can be acquired with greater ease and satisfaction.

The Teacher

The teacher is an intense force in any plan of teaching and learning process. It discusses the job of the teacher. It illuminates the essential personality traits, interests, aptitudes, the characteristics of powerful teaching and so on to inspire him to become a fruitful teacher.

NATURE OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY

We can assemble the nature of Educational Psychology in the following ways:

Educational Psychology is a science.

Science utilizes certain objective methods for the assortment of data. It has its targets of understanding, explaining, predicting and controlling facts. Like any other science, the scope of educational psychology has also developed objective methods of assortment of data.

Educational Psychology is a natural science.

An educational psychologist leads his research, gathers his findings and reaches his conclusions in the same manner as a data scientist.

Educational psychology is a social science.

Like the sociologist, anthropologist, economist or political scientist, the scope of educational psychology concentrates on human beings and their sociability.

Educational psychology is a positive science.

Normative science like Rationale or Morals deals with facts as they should be. Educational psychology concentrates on the kid’s behavior as it is, not, as it should be. So it is a positive science.

Educational psychology is an applied science.

It is the application of psychological principles in the field of education. By applying the principles and techniques of psychology, it attempts to study the behaviour and encounters of the understudies. For example, educational psychology draws heavily from facts from such areas as developmental psychology, clinical psychology, abnormal psychology and social psychology.

Educational psychology is a developing or growing science.

It is worried about new and at any point new research. As research findings accumulate, educational psychologists get better insight into the kid’s nature and behaviour.

W.A. Kelly (1941) listed the nature of Educational Psychology as follows:

To give information on the nature of the kid

ii. To give an understanding of the nature aims and motivations behind education

iii. To give an understanding of the scientific methods and techniques which have been used in arriving at the facts and principles of educational psychology

iv. To introduce the principles and techniques of learning and teaching

v. To give training in methods of measuring abilities and achievement in school subjects

vi. To give information on the growth and development of kids

vii. To assist in the better adjustment of youngsters and to assist them with preventing maladjustment

viii. To study the educational significance and control of feelings and

ix. To give an understanding of the principles and techniques of correct training.

While general science deals with the behaviour of individuals in various circles, the scope of educational psychology concentrates on the behaviour of the individual in an educational circle as it were.

Aims of Educational Psychology

The aims are firmly related to the functional aspects of educational psychology. Hence the functional goals are:

To assess educational theories and apply the workable part of them;

To examine contemporary educational practices and propose the modifications required;

To critically examine and evaluate contemporary teaching methodology in the illumination of established principles of learning and motivation in varying conditions of different societies, different environments and different facilities gave.

To give methods to researchers who are scientifically studying educational issues.

To assess and modify the principles and practical operations according to the set values/convictions and attitude of a culture and also to maintain the scope for the changes with time.

Conclusion

We can conclude by saying that the scope of Educational Psychology is narrower than general psychology. While general psychology deals with the behaviour of the individual in a general way, educational psychology is worried about the behaviour of the learner in an educational setting.

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