Course syllabus

Course title Educational Psychology – an Introduction

Instructor’s name Małgorzata Foryś-Nogala, PhD Candidate, MA in Psychology, MA in English Studies

Contact details m.forys@uw.edu.pl; office hours to be announced (room 204)

Affiliation Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw

Course format Seminar

Number of hours 30

Number of ECTS credits 4 ECTS credits

Brief course description Educational psychology is concerned with understanding and enhancing the processes of learning and teaching. It combines many branches of psychology (including cognitive psychology, neuroscience, developmental psychology etc.) to seek answers to such questions as: What are the sources of learner and teacher motivation? How to improve learning in different contexts? What psychological and environmental factors promote or hinder learning? This course offers an overview of selected key issues in educational psychology. It focuses on theoretical and practical implications for modern education stemming from research on cognitive processes, emotion and motivation, social dimension of learning and many more.

Full course description Educational psychology is concerned with understanding and enhancing the processes of learning and teaching. It combines many branches of psychology (including cognitive psychology, neuroscience, developmental psychology etc.) to seek answers to such questions as: What are the sources of learner and teacher motivation? How to improve learning in different contexts? What psychological and environmental factors promote or hinder learning? This course offers an overview of selected key issues in educational psychology. It focuses on theoretical and practical implications for modern education stemming from research on cognitive processes, emotion and motivation, social dimension of learning, individual difference in learning, dealing with special educational needs. As for the form of the instruction, the class will consist of 40-minute lectures delivered by the course teacher intertwined with practical cooperative learning tasks done in small groups (e.g. puzzles, information gap activities) and group discussions.

Learning outcomes In terms of academic knowledge:

gaining comprehensive academic knowledge of selected key topics in educational psychology

In terms of academic skills:

ability to apply knowledge of psychological research and theory to confronting problems related to different dimensions of education

ability to restructure classroom activities to promote more robust learning

Learning activities and teaching methods

Cooperative learning activities done in groups of 2-4.

Group discussion moderated by the teacher.

Attentive listening and note taking: for some classes students will receive a pre-prepared "guided-notes" sheets.

2 short tests to check the comprehension of the more complex topics.

1 home assignment

List of topics/classes List of topics and obligatory readings:

1. The role of an educational psychologist in the modern world – an overview

of topics in educational psychology.

Woolfolk, Chapter 1: Learning, Teaching and Educational Psychology

2. Behavioral approaches to learning – Should they be of interest to modern

education?

Woolfolk, Chapter 6: Behavioral views of learning.

3. Applying the findings of cognitive psychology to educational practice –

Understanding memory processes.

Holmes J. & Gathercole S. E. (2014). Taking working memory training from the laboratory into schools, Educational Psychology, 34(4), 440-450. DOI: 10.1080/01443410.2013.797338

Woolfolk, Chapter 7: Cognitive views of learning.

4. Understanding complex cognitive processes - Learning strategies and

problem solving skills.

Cheema J. & Kitsantas A. (2016). Predicting high school student use of learning strategies: the role of preferred learning styles and classroom climate, Educational Psychology, 36(5), 845-862, DOI: 10.1080/01443410.2014.981511

Woolfolk, Chapter 8: Complex Cognitive Processes.

Short Test 1

5. Constructivist views on learning.

Buchs, C., Gilles, I., Antonietti, J.P., & Butera, F. (2016). Why students need

to be prepared to cooperate: a cooperative nudge in statistics learning

at university. Educational Psychology, 36(5), 956–974.

https://doi.org/10.1080/01443410.2015.1075963

Woolfolk, Chapter 9: The Learning Sciences and Constructivism.

6. Learner individual differences: intelligence, aptitude and cognitive styles.

Riding, R. J., Grimley, M., Dahraei, H., & Banner, G. (2003). Cognitive style,

working memory and learning behaviour and attainment in school

subjects. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 73(2), 149–169.

Woolfolk, Chapter 4. Learner differences and learning needs (part 1)

7. Teaching students with special educational needs (an overview).

Woolfolk, Chapter 4. Learner differences and learning needs (part 2)

8. Language diversity in the classroom.

Woolfolk, Chapter 5: Language Development, Language Diversity, and Immigrant Education

9. Empirical research on individual differences: Discussing the original research into ID in education. Pickering, S. J., & Gathercole, S. E. (2004). Distinctive working memory

profiles in children with special educational needs. Educational

Psychology, 24(3), 393–408.

Fryer, L. K., Ginns, P., Howarth, M., Anderson, C., & Ozono, S. (2018).

Individual differences and course attendance: why do students skip

class? Educational Psychology, 38(4), 470–486.

Inglés, C. J., Martínez-Monteagudo, M. C., Fuentes, M. C. P., García-

Fernández, J. M., Molero, M. del M., Suriá-Martinez, R., & Gázquez, J.

J. (2017). Emotional intelligence profiles and learning strategies in

secondary school students. Educational Psychology, 37(2), 237–248.

Short Test 2

10. Motivation in learning and teaching.

Aeschlimann, B., Herzog, W., & Makarova, E. (2016). How to foster

students’ motivation in mathematics and science classes and promote

students’ STEM career choice. A study in Swiss high schools.

International Journal of Educational Research, 79, 31–41.

Woolfolk, Chapter 11: Motivation in Learning and Teaching.

11. Counteracting negative affectivity in the classroom. Raufelder, D., Regner, N., & Wood, M. A. (2018). Test anxiety and learned

helplessness is moderated by student perceptions of teacher

motivational support. Educational Psychology, 38(1), 54–74.

Otwinowska, A., Foryś, M. (2015) They learn the CLIL way, but do they like

it? Affectivity and cognition in upper-primary CLIL classes.

International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 20(5),

457-480 .

12. Key issues in classroom assessment. Woolfolk, Chapter 15, Classroom assessment, grading and standardized testing.

13. Putting theory into practice (part 1).

This classes (i.e. part 1 and 2) will take a form of workshops consolidating the

issues discussed during the course. The workshops will involve case

studies and problem solving activities.

14. Putting theory into practice (part 2).

15. FINAL TEST

Assessment methods and criteria

The final test will constitute 70% of the final grade. It will include both multiple choice and open-ended questions. The latter will mainly concern the practical application of the knowledge gained during classes.

The short tests (classes 3 and 6) will constitute 20% of the final grade (10% each test).

The remaining 10% will be awarded for a short home assignment based on classes 4 and 5.

Additionally a student may be awarded extra points added to the final test score for exceptionally valuable contributions throughout the course (about 5% of the maximum score in the test).

In order to pass the course both the overall grade and the score for the final test need to be at least 60%.

Attendance rules 2 unexcused absences are allowed The overall number of absences (whether excused or unexcused) cannot exceed 4

Prerequisites Cognitive Psychology II / Psychology of Learning and Memory

Academic honesty Students must respect the principles of academic integrity. Cheating and plagiarism (including copying work from other students, internet or other sources) are serious violations that are punishable and instructors are required to report all cases to the administration.

Basket Academic / 5. Developmental and Educational Psychology

Remarks