Psychology of Education Notes Final Exam (Educ 210)

Module 1  What is educational psychology?  What are the different types of Research Design?  How does one interpret basic statistical information, such as “correlation”? Chapter 1  Diversity is more concentrated in largest cities  1\7 children live in poverty  Teachers’ sense of efficacy: a teacher’s belief that he or she can reach even difficult students to help them learn  HIGH sense of efficacy= harder work and persistent + less likely to experience burnout + more satisfied with their jobs  Sense of efficacy decline after first year of teaching (due to support provided for teachers)  HIGH efficacy = HIGH expectations for students + teachers receive help from principle  Efficacy grows from success with students  For a while, some researchers reported findings suggesting that wealth and social status, not teaching, were the major factors determining who learned in schools  Purpose of educational psychology is to go beyond individual experiences and testimonies and to examine the impact of teaching on lives of students by using designed research studies.  Quality of teacher-student relationship in kindergarten (level of conflict with child\dependency on teacher\ teacher’s affect with child) predicted a number of academis and behavioural outcomes through grade 8  Relationship predicted aspects of school success  2 factors helped children with lower skills in maths – 1. Higher level of instruction 2. Positive relationship with teachers  Students with significant behavioural problems in the early years are less likely to have problems later in school if their first teachers are sensitive to their needs and provide frequent, consistent feedback  Measures of teacher preparation and certification strongest predictors of student achievement in reading and mathematics, both before and after controlling for student poverty and English language proficiency  Higher the percentage of teachers who are teaching outside their field, the lower their students’ achievement tends to be  Teaching standards: 2  Point: School renewal depends on what the teacher knows and can do to enhance their student’s learning  Counterpoint: Teaching standards have more to do with punishing teachers rather than enhancing their professionalism. it is unfair to create standards as a set of responsibilities for teachers without also acknowledging the responsibility of employers (i.e., school and district administrators, governments) to ensure that conditions are met that enable teachers to meet the standards  Teachers must deal with a wide range of student abilities and challenges: different languages, different home situations, and different abilities and disabilities  Reflective- Thoughtful and inventive. Reflective teachers think back over situations to analyze what they did and why, and to consider how they might improve learning for their students  Good teacher: Teachers must be both knowledgeable and inventive. They must be able to use a range of strategies, and they must also be able to invent new strategies. They must have some basic research-based routines for managing classes, but they must also be willing and able to break from the routine when the situation calls for change. They must know the research on student development, “patterns common to particular ages, culture, social class, geography, and gender”, and they also need to know their own particular students, who are unique combinations of culture, gender, and geography. Personally, we hope you all become teachers who are both “sages” and “guides,” wherever you stand.  Students differ in knowledge of subjects, language, socioeconomic status, culture, race and ethnicity. Bring different strengths, abilities and challenges.  To take advantage of such differences, Differentiated instructions should be given to take advantage of the diversity, not ignore it  Elements of differentiation: students- seeking purpose, challenge, affirmation, power, and the chance to contribute. Teacher- views these different student needs as opportunities, not problems, and responds with invitation, investment, persistence, opportunity, and reflection. Curriculum and instructions- The teacher works to create curriculum and instruction for each student that is focused, engaging, demanding, important, and scaffolded  Cogs of differentiation: are interdependent and interlocking, like the inner workings of a clock. Each student’s needs interact and connect with the differentiated curriculum and instruction created by the teacher for that student.