Dr. Moulay Tahar University, Saida

Faculty of Letters, Languages and Arts

Department of English Language and Literature

 

Educational Psychology

 

 

 

 

Teacher: Dr. Bouaricha                        Level: M1  

 

 

 

Academic Year : 2025-2026

 

         

 

 

Lesson: Definition of Educational Psychology

 

 

1. Introduction

Understanding the definition of educational psychology requires breaking down its two core components: psychology and education. By examining each term separately—conceptually and etymologically—we can better understand how educational psychology emerged as a scientific discipline focused on human learning, development, and teaching processes.

2. Defining the Components

2.1. Definition of Psychology

Etymology

• From Greek:
• psyche (ψυχή) = mind, soul, spirit
• logos (λόγος) = study, discourse, knowledge

Thus, psychology originally meant “the study of the soul or mind.”

Modern Definitions (with quotations)

1. American Psychological Association (APA, 2023):
   “Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes.”
2. Baron (1993):
   “Psychology seeks to understand human and animal behavior and the mental events that accompany this behavior.”
3. Hilgard (1980):
   “Psychology deals with the description, explanation, prediction, and control of behavior.”

Example

A psychologist studying how memory works in children is practicing psychology, not educational psychology. When they study how students remember vocabulary in a classroom context, it becomes educational psychology.

2.2. Definition of Education

Etymology

• From Latin:
• educare = to train, to mold
• educere = to lead out, to bring forth

Education therefore implies both instruction and development.

Modern Definitions

1. Dewey (1916):
   “Education is the reconstruction or reorganization of experience which adds to the meaning of experience and increases the ability to direct the course of subsequent experience.”
2. Taba (1962):
   “Education is a process of developing the cognitive, emotional, and social capacities of individuals.”
3. UNESCO (2015):
   “Education refers to organized and sustained communication designed to bring about learning.”

Example

Teaching students how to read is part of education; studying how they learn reading skills is educational psychology.

3. Merging the Two: What Is Educational Psychology?

Educational psychology arises from the intersection of psychology and education. It focuses on applying psychological knowledge to improve teaching, learning, and human development in educational settings.

4. Scholarly Definitions of Educational Psychology (With Years & Quotations)

Scholar	Year	Definition
Crow & Crow	1956	“Educational psychology describes and explains the learning experiences of an individual from birth through old age.”
Skinner, C.E.	1968	“Educational psychology deals with the application of psychological principles and techniques to human behaviour in educational situations.”
Gage & Berliner	1975	“Educational psychology is the scientific study of the behavior of learners and of teachers.”
Woolfolk	2004	“Educational psychology is the discipline concerned with teaching and learning processes, applying psychological methods and principles to understand how students learn.”
Santrock	2011	“Educational psychology studies how people learn, what motivates them, and how teaching can be improved.”

5. Comprehensive Synthesized Definition

Based on the above, educational psychology can be understood as:

“The scientific discipline that applies psychological theories, principles, and research methods to understand and improve teaching, learning, and human development within educational settings.”

This definition emphasizes three pillars:

1. Scientific foundation
2. Application of psychology
3. Focus on teaching, learning, and development

6. Examples to Clarify the Concept

Example 1: Motivation

• Psychology studies motivation in general.
• Educational psychology studies how to motivate students in classrooms.

Example 2: Memory

• Psychology examines how memory works.
• Educational psychology studies how memory affects learning vocabulary, retaining lessons, etc.

Example 3: Individual Differences

• Psychology studies personality.
• Educational psychology studies how personality differences influence learning styles.

Example 4: Classroom Application

• A teacher observing students’ concentration levels during a lecture is engaging in educational psychology.

7. Why Definitions Are Important

Definitions help teachers:

• understand how students learn,
• design effective lessons,
• differentiate teaching for diverse learners,
• manage the classroom using psychological principles,
• improve students’ motivation and engagement.

8. References (APA 7th)

American Psychological Association. (2023). APA dictionary of psychology.
Baron, R. (1993). Psychology. Allyn & Bacon.
Crow, L. D., & Crow, A. (1956). Educational psychology. American Book Co.
Dewey, J. (1916). Democracy and education. Macmillan.
Gage, N. L., & Berliner, D. C. (1975). Educational psychology. Rand McNally.
Hilgard, E. R. (1980). The trilogy of mind: Cognition, affection, and conation.
Santrock, J. W. (2011). Educational psychology. McGraw-Hill.
Skinner, C. E. (1968). Educational psychology. Prentice-Hall.
Taba, H. (1962). Curriculum development: Theory and practice. Harcourt Brace.
UNESCO. (2015). Education 2030: Incheon Declaration and Framework for Action.
Woolfolk, A. (2004). Educational psychology. Pearson.