• UNIT 10: INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY

    Key Unit competence: Justify the necessity of studying psychology and its related concepts to the profession of teaching.

    Read the following case study and answer the questions.

     In a classroom of primary, teacher Jeanette realised that her students are with different behaviours, personality, mental processes, intelligence, educational background and they are at different developmental stages. But, she has knowledge and skills of educational psychology learnt from TTC to manage her classroom.

     What are the other knowledge and skills that the teacher need to deal with all these individual differences in the classroom?

    10.1. Key concepts of psychology


    Referring to 2 children you have observed more than once in nursery schools or at home playing alone or with others describe the behaviours he/she manifested most. 

     a. Describe 2 actions the two children are involved in.

     b. Are the two children behaving in the same way? Explain

    Psychology

     Psychology was broken away from Philosophy and Physiology and emerged as a separated discipline just over 100 years ago. It is a term that was discussed and understood differently by different psychologists. However, they finally came up with a common definition which is known as modern definition of psychology (Wolffs, 1748).

    Traditional definitions of psychology

     The definitions of psychology evolved over time as follow: 

    Psychology as the study of mind: the word psychology has its genesis in Greek, where “psycho” comes from Greek “psyche” means soul, spirit, and mind. The second part of the word “logy” comes from the Greek word “logos which means doctrine, theory, science, study...,. Psychology was therefore defined as: science or study of the mind. This focus was particularly true of philosophers such as Plato, Aristotle, Descartes and Locke who raised provocative questions about human thoughts, feelings and behaviors

    Psychology as the study of conscious experience: Psychology has its formal beginning in Leipzig University (in Germany) where WILHELM WUNDT (1832-1920) established the first laboratory of psychology in 1879.Wundt is considered as the founder of psychology, limited the subject to the study of conscious experience. He defined psychology as “study/ science of consciousness”. The definition was also rejected because it didn’t talk about the subconscious and unconscious activities of the mind.

    Psychology as the study of observable behaviour: It was John Watson (1878-1958), an American psychologist, who is the father of behaviourism, the approach that limits its study to observable responses, to specific stimuli- response by using conditioning reflexes and other techniques for the study of learning processes. According to him consciousness cannot be scientifically tested or measured.

    Modern definition of psychology. 

     With research advances there was a shift in the meaning of psychology from traditional perspective to modern perspective. Such paradigm shift led a number of psychologists to have a common understanding of what psychology might mean.

    Today, most psychologists would agree that they have now find ways to study mental processes using scientific methods. Mental processes prefer the imagination, perception, feelings, sensations, etc.

    Generally, psychology is defined as “systematic scientific study of behaviour and mental processes in relation to their environment”. From the modern definition of psychology, we have 3 key terms: behaviour, mental processes and science.

    Psychology is considered as science because psychologists’ main concern is to understand people’s behaviour through carefully controlled observations. It is a positive science, because it uses only those methods

    that are strictly scientific and which give us knowledge that can be verified everywhere. It is therefore based on generalizations drawn on the basis of factual data analysed and compared. 

     Behaviour: It is also the response of the system or organism to various stimuli or inputs whether internal or external, conscious or subconscious, overt or covert, and voluntary or involuntary.

    Mental process is synonymous with cognitive operation and cognitive process which refer to the performance of some composite cognitive activity or an operation that affects mental contents.


    10.2 Some branches of modern psychology


    Using Internet search about branches of psychology.

    There are many branches of modern psychology, but this textbook is limited to the following:

     • Educational and school psychology: It concerns with application of scientific method to the study of the behavior of people in instructional settings. This branch studies all aspects of the educational process from techniques of instruction of normal learning to learning disabilities. It enables teachers to know what method of teaching can produce effective learning since children differ in their capacities to learn. Some are gifted and talented while others may be mentally disadvantaged.

    Developmental psychology: Is also known as child development or human development. It is the study of developmental processes involved in human physical, social, emotional and intellectual changes from conception through adolescence including numerous biological and cultural factors that influence these processes. Precisely, it is the study of progressive changes in behavior and abilities of an individual from conception to death.

    Guidance and counselling psychology: deals with helping people with mind non-medical problems of social and emotional adjustment such as in schooling, marriage, working in social group, choosing and sustaining school career, handling personal problems, etc.

    • Social psychology: This is the field of psychology that studies the nature and cause of people thoughts, feelings and behaviours in social situation. In other words, social psychology studies the behaviours of the individual as a member of a crowd, group or society.

    Community psychology: attempts to examine how the social environment institutions and physical structures can better serve individual human needs.

     • Clinical psychology: It is a branch of  psychology devoted to the study, diagnosis, and treatment of people with mental illnesses and other psychological disorders. 

    Medical psychology: It refers to the application of psychological principles to the practice of medicine, and is clearly comprehensive rather than primary drug oriented, for both physical and mental disorders.


    10.3. Importance of psychology in education


    Based on knowledge on branches of psychology and through observation of the picture below, interpret it and identify the importance of psychology in education and in everyday life in general



    Psychology is very important in education for the following reasons: 

    To know the student: psychology enables the teacher to know his/ her learner and identify his/her potentialities, capabilities, strength and weaknesses, and thereafter differentiate instruction according to diverse learners’ needs. 

    Psychology: Is needed for selecting and organizing the subject matter or learning experiences. When a teacher knows his students, then it becomes easy for him to select and organize learning experiences and also selects or develops learning materials.

    The knowledge of psychology: Enables to identify tools and techniques of teaching and learning: Such tools are essential for making his class more attractive, so that he can involve students in the teaching and learning process. To arrange learning situations or environments: Psychology helps the teacher to create or arrange appropriate learning situations for students. For example, the knowledge of group dynamics or group behavior gives the necessary art for teaching or learning in the group.           • Providing guidance services: The knowledge of psychology helps teachers in providing guidance services to the students. He can better diagnose his students’ abilities, interests, and aptitudes of his learners and guide them accordingly.

     • Solving classroom problems: There are innumerable problem like backwardness, truancy, bullying, cheating in the classroom situations which are to be faced by a teacher. psychology helps the teacher in this field also.

    Knowing about him-self: Knowledge of psychology helps the teacher to know about him/herself. His/her own behaviour pattern, personality characteristics, likes and dislikes motivation, anxiety, conflicts, adjustment etc.

     • Understanding how the body and mind work together: Psychology allows teachers to understand more about how the body and mind work together. This knowledge can help with decision-making and avoiding stressful situations. It can help with time management, setting and achieving goals, and living effectively. 

    The building of relationships: Psychology makes it easier to live with others at school by understanding them more and working with their behaviour.

    Improving communication: A greater understanding of how humans think and behave will help teachers and students communicate better. They will be more effective in understanding what a person really means by gestures and actions.

    Building self-confidence: By understanding more about yourself and your personality, you can gain more self-confidence. You will learn more about your weaknesses and can build on them. 

    Enriching careers: with psychology teachers will be able to understand their co-workers more and building a better friendship so that they will help each other to enrich their careers.



    1. Identify the branches of psychology which are judged necessary in education careers so that teachers can use them to ensure proper teaching and effective learning. 

    2. Explain why psychology is important for student teachers and how it can be used for solving classroom management and organizational issues.

     3. Think of a particular situation in which you have to deal with strange behaviours of learners and learning problems thereafter propose solutions to address those problem by using psychological knowledge you have acquired.












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