Relevance Of Educational Psychology For Teachers

Educational psychology has contributed immensely to the development of the modern education system. The knowledge of educational psychology helps the teacher in the following ways:

1. Understanding the stages of development: Psychology has clearly shown that human life passes through different stages of development before reaching adulthood. They are infancy, childhood, adolescence and adulthood. Psychologists have also explored in depth the typical patterns of behaviour during these different stages of life. Their knowledge of such stages with the blend of different bundles of characteristics and qualities of development in their body, mental spheres and emotions helps educationists to a great extent in creating curriculum for children at different levels while making prescriptions regarding the right techniques of instruction.

2. Know the learner: The child or the learner is the most important actor in the teaching-learning process. Thus, the scope of educational psychology is concerned with helping the teacher to know the following: Interests and attitudes on the part of the teacher or the learner, abilities and, more importantly any other acquired and innate capacities, or the level of his needs socially or emotionally, intellectually, physically as well as aesthetically, including the level to which his aspirations have been developed – and conscious as well as unconscious behaviour motivations and his group behaviour All these bring within themselves conflicts – desires etc.; and hence mental hygiene among others. so that proper guidance and support can be given and constructive attitudes towards the learner can be developed.

3. Understanding the nature of learning in the classroom: Educational psychology helps the teacher to adapt and adjust his teaching according to the level of the learners. A teacher is teaching in a class but a large number of students do not understand the subject-matter being taught. He should know the principles of the learning process, laws and various approaches towards the factors governing it in order to teach the pupils in the class more effectively. And only then he can apply corrective measures in the learning process.

4. Understanding Individual Differences: No two individuals are alike. Pupils differ in intelligence, aptitude, likes-dislikes and other tendencies and abilities. These include gifted, backward, physically handicapped and mentally challenged children. Therefore psychology becomes informative for teachers as it conveys the knowledge related to the presence of individual differences about pupils and the class along with appropriate procedures, methods, techniques, etc., which are involved for efficient functioning.

5. To solve classroom problems like absenteeism; harassment by someone; peer influence in cases of inter-caste/racial ill-will; examination malpractice; etc. Through educational psychology study, the characteristics of problematic children are obtained and how the group dynamics affect his behaviour along with the characteristics of adjustment.

6. Skills and interest required in teaching: Educational psychology helps the teacher to acquire the necessary qualities and skills so that he can handle the problems posed by the students, maintain a healthy atmosphere in the classroom and show concern about the child’s progress.

7. Understanding the methods of effective teaching: Educational psychology has discovered many new approaches, principles, methods and techniques of teaching which can be very useful in today’s teaching-learning process. Educational psychology tells us how big is the difference between play and entertainment for the child and how their learning becomes such an interesting and fun task.

8. Understanding the role of heredity and environment in the child: Educational psychology makes the teacher understand that the child is a product of heredity and environment. They are two sides of the same coin. Both play a vital role in the all-round development of the child. While the child comes into this world with many hereditary traits, the environment enables them to modify them according to the need of the society.

9. Understanding the mental health of a child: Educational psychology teaches the teacher what factors are active that are causing the mental health and maladjustment of that student, and thus it helps in suggesting improvements in the same. Moreover, it equips a teacher with very valuable insights to improve his mental state to be better prepared with the situation.

10. Understanding the process of curriculum development: Curriculum is an integral part of the teaching-learning process. The curriculum should be child-centred and meet the motivational and psychological needs of the child as the abilities of children vary with the stages. Educational psychology guides the teacher to give suggestions to the curriculum makers to develop an effective and balanced curriculum for children.

11. For guidance and counselling: In today’s modern life, it is necessary to guide the child at every stage of life as the psychological abilities, interests and learning styles are different for everyone. Similarly, what courses of study the child will have to pursue in the future also becomes a serious matter. All this can be addressed well if the teacher knows something about the psychology of children.

12. To understand the principles of assessment and evaluation: Assessment is a component of the teaching-learning process. What method is to be adopted to assess the potential of the child depends on the techniques of assessment. The creation of various types of psychological tests for the assessment of the individual is an independent contribution of educational psychology.

13. To provide positive and constructive discipline: The slogan of the old teachers was “spare the rod and spoil the child.” Beating the child was the basic tool. Educational psychology has replaced the system of repression with the preventive system. Now teachers use collaborative and scientific method to change the behaviour of students. Creative and constructive activities promote self-discipline.

14. Educational Psychology and Research: Here research work is done by educational psychologists to make the behaviour of human beings positive in the educational situation. In this regard, it helps in devising tools and instruments to measure the performance further and suggests remedial measures for it.

15. Self-knowledge: Through educational psychology the teacher comes to know about himself. His own behaviour pattern, personality characteristics, likes-dislikes, motivation, anxiety, conflict, adjustment etc. All this knowledge helps him to grow as a successful teacher.

16. Educational Psychology Helps in Professional Development, Changing Attitudes and Innovative Thinking: Inside the classroom, educational psychology has enabled the teacher to achieve proper conditioning of the pupils by receiving and directing the classroom programmes on human life. Not only this, educational psychologists are engaged in finding innovations in the field of education. These innovations will lead to professional development of the teacher.

We can well say that educational psychology as a science has contributed the most in the creation of the modern education system. In teaching, we work on three factors- teacher, student and subject. Educational psychology has rendered its valuable service in the development of the role of teachers, principals, administrators, inspectors, workers, guidance and counseling, impartial and sympathetic approach of social and welfare.

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