SARHAD INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION & RESEARCH LAKKI MARWAT
Mid Term Exam 2021
B. Ed 1.5 1st
Human Development & Learning
Q No.1 Define educational psychology. Elaborate Method educational psychology
with examples.
Educational Psychology
Psychology is a science of behavior. But Educational Psychology cannot be
described as such. Instead, it is an applied branch of general psychology that studies
the behavior of an individual in the learning situation and its problems.
It mainly deals with the problems of the students and of the teachers in their
respective situations of learning and teaching.
Peter Sandiford while defining Educational Psychology says, “Its subject matter is
the behavior of human beings undergoing the process of education.
Generally speaking, it deals with the young rather than the old, and with the learning
situations of the school rather than those of the wider environment.
In brief, we can say that Educational psychology is a psychology of learning. Human
learning is a complex process that involves the study of physical, mental, emotional,
and social development.
Methods of Educational Psychology
1. Introspection Method
This method is peculiar to Educational Psychology and one of the older methods. It
means looking into the working of our own minds. it is a method of “self-observation
“— observation by an individual of his own mental states directly. This kind of self-
observation, therefore, is not a vague. The method has many advantages. It enables
us to understand one’s mental state at a certain time and thus throws light on
behavior, which is reflective of mental experience.
Example
A student has been asked to answer a question. He has to recall certain facts learned
by him to organize them in a particular manner and then to report what way he tried
to recall, what he thought and felt when trying to recall.
2. The Experimental Method:
Experimental method throw light on different ways of memorization, the effect of
different factors on learning, mental fatigue, image and imagination, span of
attention, the effects of giving children practice on intelligence tests, transfer of
training, the role of maturation in learning and the like. According to Chapin “An
experiment is an observation under controlled conditions.”
Example
we want to study the effect of a period of intellectual activity after memorizing a
prose passage, on the amount of material remembered. We can have two groups of
students. Both these groups will be then given the task of memorizing a prose
passage. The passage having been memorized, group ‘A’ will be given some rest-
pause for a certain period whereas group ‘B’ will be given some other intellectual
tasks, say, of working out some mathematical problems during this interval.
At the end of the interval, the two groups will be compared in regard to the amount
of material they can remember from the passage originally learned. Group ‘A’ is the
control group and group ‘B’ is the experimental group.
3. The Observational Method
It is one of the most popular of methods used in psychology for collection of data.
This method is also called the method of ‘objective observation’ as against
introspection which is a method of self-observation. The individual’s behavior is
observed by somebody other than that person himself. The behavior observed may
be expressed in the form of bodily changes, bodily action, gestures, facial expression
and speech.
Example
This method is called “time sampling” that is the behavior is sampled for a short
period of time and it is regarded as representative of the behavior in general covered
by the various analyzable elements together. This device has been used by Iver
James Robertson in his study. “A Two-year Old Goes to Hospital”. He has observed
the reactions of a hospitalized child to various situations and persons of suitable
intervals, for a short period every time, with the help of a carefully drawn-up
proforma to be filled in by the observer.
4. The Clinical Method
The clinical method is also called case study method. It is used by clinical
psychologists, psychiatrists, psychiatric social works and teachers in child guidance
clinics or mental hygiene centers or in ordinary school situations. Generally, we use
this method when we want to understand the causes and sources of people’s fears,
anxieties, worries, obsessions, their personal, social, educational and vocational
maladjustments.
Example
A couple of students in your class are showing poor scholastic achievements. You
want to understand the causes so that you may plan some treatment procedures. This
method will be useful in such conditions. It may be noted that the clinical methods
are not designed to discover general behavioral trends, laws or relationships. Rather
they are concerned with a unique individual who is trouble in. The starting point of
a clinical investigation is an individual who needs or seeks help and the procedure
ideally terminates with the better adjustment of the individual.
5. The Testing Method
The testing methods comprise psychological tests, educational measurements, rating
scales, checklists and questionnaires. We know that the use of questionnaires as a
form of the introspective method. Rating scales and checklists are often used as
important devices of observing and evaluating personality or behavior traits.In rating
scales, we rate or judge an individual on the possession or absence of certain traits.
Example
If we want to rate teacher- trainees on their sociability we might ask three or four
supervisors to point out the place of each teacher trainee on the scale which may be
as follows:
Q No.2 Define human development. Explain development principles and role
of teacher in it.
Definition of Human Development
Human development is about providing more freedom and opportunity to the people
for living their lives as they wish. For this, people should be able to improve and use
their capabilities.
Human development is a multidimensional concept. The three variables used by UN
in Human Development Index (HDI) constitutes the key dimensions of human
development. These key dimensions are: a long and healthy life, being
knowledgeable and have a decent standard of living.
Devlopment's Principles
Principle 1. Development is Continuous:
The process of growth and development continues from the conception till the
individual reaches maturity. Development of both physical and mental traits
continues gradually until these traits reach their maximum growth. It goes on
continuously throughout life.
Principle 2. Development is Gradual
It does not come all on a sudden. It is also cumulative in nature.
Principle 3. Development is Sequential:
Most psychologists agree that development is sequential or orderly. Every species,
whether animal or human, follows a pattern of development peculiar to it. This
pattern in general is the same for all individuals. The child crawls before he creeps,
stands before he walks and babbles before he talks.
Principle 4. Rate of Development Varies Person to Person:
Rate of development is not uniform. Individuals differ in the rate of growth and
development. Boys and girls have different development rates. Each part of the body
has its own particular rate of growth.
Principle 5. Development Proceeds from General to Specific:
Development proceeds from general to specific. In all areas of development, general
activity always precedes specific activity. For example, the fetus moves its whole
body but is incapable of making specific responses.
Principle 6. Most Traits are Correlated in Development:
Generally, it is seen that the child whose mental development is above average, is
also superior in so many other aspects like health, sociability and special aptitudes.
Principle 7. Growth and Development is a Product of Both Heredity and
Environment:
Development is influenced by both heredity and environment. Both are responsible
for human growth and development.
Principle 8. Development is Predictable:
The difference in physiological and psychological potentialities can be predicated
by observation and psychological tests.
Principle 9. Development:
Development brings about both structural and functional changes.
Principle 10. There is a Constant Interaction Between All Factors of
Development:
Development in one area is highly related to development in other areas. For
example, a child who has a good health can be active socially and intellectually.
Role of Teacher in Human Deveolpment
Human Development involves development of humans through the parameters of
health, income and knowledge. On the other hand, development in cognitive areas
such as educational, social, emotional, spiritual etc. rest on teacher educator.
Students are makers of future society. Teachers are the one who are expert in the
development of students’ personality. Teacher is the one who removes the darkness
from the mind of young. Student tries his level best to follow the guidelines as well
as make teachers their role model. They emulate their teachers. Students learn much
from imitation method so that teachers should always carry themselves in a dignified
manner. Teacher can mold the students according to changing need of society.
Various Indian and Western thinkers have given importance to teacher for
personality development of child.
According to various eminent Indian and western thinkers, teachers, no doubt,
played an important role in shaping up the society. Ancient period witnessed that
Guru is the one who remove the darkness from the child. Todays, most of our
teachers are indulge in private tuition and coaching which defame their prestige in
the society. It is the need of hour that teacher must discharge his duties to best of his
ability. Government must realize the importance of teachers and should not divert
them from teaching by giving other types of task.
