Educational Psychology
Instructional practice
Teacher-centred approach
-Teacher determines content, gives directions, sets academic tone
= Has all the power during a lesson
Student-centred approach
Shift focus of instruction from teacher to student
Students-centered learning:
The power of student-driven learning (Ted Talk)
Includes students in planning, implementation and assessment
Students in the driving seat
-Greater engagement and students are motivated
-Students set higher challenges for themselves
-Students evaluate their work
-They become better at problem solving
Two mindsets “We can grow our brain's capacity to learn and to solve problems”
Can intelligence be developed?
When facing a problem, what do students do?
1. They think they are not smart enough and give up
–They have a fixed mindset
-Cheat instead of studying, as they believe they will fail again
-Find someone worse to feel better about themselves
-Run from difficulties
-They don’t want to learn from their mistakes
-They don't correct their errors
2. They try solving it
-They are not afraid of challenges
-They enjoy taking risks
-They don’t think of failure
-They believe their abilities can be developed
Diverse learners:
When using knowledge about cultural/language backgrounds of students, academic achievement of students can increase
There are many students whose first language is not English, and their teacher are middle-class Europeans and they don’t have the same cultural frames
Multicultural Education
-Teachers must understand each individual’s personal identity
-They must pay attention to how the topic should be emphasized when it is taught
-They must promote cultural identity but at the same time reduce prejudice toward ethnic minorities
Standardized Achievement Tests
-Administered to a large group of individuals
-Contains the same questions for all test-takers
-Administered under the same conditions and within a specific time for everyone
-It is scored in a systematic manner
-They are based on the learning objectives that should be common in all classrooms
-They are used in Canada by provincial governments
There are some people who do not like standardized testing:
Creating a positive learning environment
-Build a community where everyone feels safe
-Include students in classroom decisions such as rules, expectations etc.
-Know the students you teach
-Always keep in touch with parents/guardians
Effective Instructional Mechanism
Universal instructional design:
-Inclusiveness and equity are its core elements
-This design values and respects diversity (positive classroom environment)
-Provides students with clear expectations for learning
-Provide a variety of ways for students to demonstrate what they have learned
-Make appropriate use of technology
Direct Instructions
-Emphasizes well-developed lessons with clear learning objectives
-It eliminates misinterpretations
-Taught through lectures or demonstration
Assessing students progress -To measure students achievement
Diagnostic assessment:
-Complete before instruction to adjust teaching methods
Formative assessment:
-Teachers assess students understanding by asking questions as lessons are taught
-Students must have a clear understanding of the criteria by which their work will be assessed
Summative assessment
-Most of the times, right after the completion of a unit
-It is to see how well student have learned the material
Intelligence:
There is no universal agreed-upon definition for this term
-It can refer to the ability to learn from experience and the ability to adapt to one’s environment
-It can be seen as groups of intellectual behaviours
-Intelligence can be seen as different abilities such as: fluid intelligence, crystallized intelligence etc.
Intelligence, a structure or a process?
As a structure, Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences
-Eight separate intelligence structures
As a process, Sternberg’s triarchic theory of human intelligence
-A series of interdependent intelligence processes that people use to learn and solve problems