Course code EDU- 553
Introduction to Educational Psychology
Noman Hafeez (M. Phil Education)
For Correspondent: E-mail:
, Introduction to Educational Psychology
Course code EDU- 553 Credit Hrs: 3
Course objectives
The purpose of this course is to enable the students to
Understand what educational psychology is really meant for
Apply the learning theories & principles in instruction and help the students in showing
maximum learning output
Understand various concepts of intelligence and use this understanding in monitoring the
students’ class performance
Explore the individual differences among their students
Understand different phases of human development and apply that understanding in
handling the individuals
This course will cover the following topics:
1) Introduction to Educational psychology
a) Objectives of Educational psychology
b) Scope & importance of Educational psychology
c) Methods & techniques of Educational psychology
d) Recent developments in Educational psychology
2) Learning
a) Thorndike’s connectionism
b) Classical conditioning
c) Operant conditioning
d) Cognitive perspectives of learning
e) Social learning theory
f) Conditions of learning
g) Factors affecting the learning process
h) Gestalt theory of learning
3) Personality
a) Origin of personality development
b) Kinds of personality (by Jung & Springer)
c) Characteristics of personality
d) Personality theories
e) Moral aspects of personality
f) Complexities of personality patterns
4) Intelligence
a) Modern concept of intelligence
b) Theories of intelligence
i) Two factors theory
ii) Group factors theory
, iii) Multi factors theory
c) Tests of intelligence
d) Intelligence & school performance
5) Individual Differences
a) Types of individual differences
b) Effects & importance of individual differences
c) Grouping of students in school according to individual differences
6) Growth & development
a) Principles of growth & development
b) Characteristics of growth & development
c) Physical development
d) Cognitive development
e) Emotional development
f) Psychosocial development
g) Moral development
h) Educational implication
, CHAPTER NO ONE
1) Introduction to Educational psychology
What is Psychology?
The word, ‘Psychology’ is derived from two Greek words, ‘Psyche’ and ‘Logos’. Psyche
means ‘soul’ and ‘Logos’ means ‘science’. Thus psychology was first defined as the ‘science of
soul”.
According to earlier psychologists, the function of psychology was to study the nature,
origin and destiny of the human soul. But soul is something metaphysical. It cannot be seen,
observed and touched and we cannot make scientific experiments on soul.
What is Educational Psychology?
Educational psychology is the science that studies human behavior in educational
situations during the learning process with all its elements and conditions, such as studying the
psychological requirements for completing the educational process, understanding the
mechanisms of the learning process, motivations of behavior, mental processes, educational
guidance, individual differences, and other topics that all flow into the educational environment,
and everything that affects it.
a) Objectives of Educational psychology
Educational psychology aims at the harmonious growth and rightful conduct of the
children in too. It aims at the development of ‘wholesome personality’ and ‘continuous growth’.
It aims at helping the teacher in providing facts and generalization in his task of assisting the
child to develop the harmonious personality. A few of the specific aims and objectives are
discussed herewith.
(1) Educational psychology aims at developing right attitudes in the teacher about the
educational problems. An effective management of learning is a key problem in educational
psychology. From educational psychology the teacher knows the proper method of imparting
instruction. He also knows the amount of learning which can be acquired by the child.
(2) Educational psychology aims at assisting the teacher to organize the material which to be
taught to the child. The teacher studies the whole child and his mental make-up and chooses and
organizes the subject-matter properly.
(3) Educational psychology aims at studying heredity growth and maturation, environmental
influences, language, thinking, the development of language and the process of socialization in