Educational Psychology

Part III

Draw and discuss the significant aspects of the model of the teaching/learning process presented in class (or discussed in one of the required readings), giving specific examples of the types of variables considered in educational psychology. Describe relationships among variables you discuss.

Developed by W. Huitt, 1999

Categories of Variables

ContextFactors outside of the classroom that provide the environment for the teaching and learning process

InputQualities/characteristics of teachers and students that they bring with them to the classroom experience

Classroom Processes

Teacher and student behaviors in the classroom as well as some other variables such as classroom climate and teacher/ student relationships

Output Measures of student learning taken apart from the normal instructional process

Model of the Teaching/Learning Process

The final category is context. This category includes all of those variables outside of the classroom that have an impact on teacher and student characteristics, classroom processes, and output.

These variables describe the environment within which teaching and learning takes place.

Model of the Teaching/Learning Process

The most immediate subcategories of context variables include school characteristics and school processes.

School characteristics includes variables such as:

• organizational structure and• school size.

School processes include factors related to activities such as:

• leadership,

• supervisory practices, and

• school climate.

Model of the Teaching/Learning Process

There are a wide variety of other context variables that influence the teaching/learning process. Some of the subcategories of these variables include:

• Home, • Religious Institutions, • Peer Groups,• Community, • Society, • Culture, and• International Conditions.

Model of the Teaching/Learning Process

Variables related to the home environment seem especially important and include such variables as:

• the education levels of parents,

• family income/socioeconomic status (SES), • other parental characteristics (such as age or marital status), and

• a group of miscellaneous variables which includes the amount of technology in the home, the number of books and magazines in the home, and so forth.

Model of the Teaching/Learning Process

One of the variables that best predicts student achievement seems to be the level of mother's education--especially if she did not graduate from high school (e.g., Campbell, 1991; Voelkl, 1993; Zill, 1992).

• Campbell, F., & others.(1991). Parental beliefs and values related to family risk, educational intervention, and child academic competence. Early Childhood Research

Quarterly, 6(2), 167-182. • Voelkl, K. (1993). Achievement and expectations among African-American students. Journal of Research and Development in Education, 27(1), 42-55. • Zill, N. (1992). Trends in family life and children's school performance. Washington,

DC: Child Trends, Inc. (ERIC Reproduction No. ED378257).

Model of the Teaching/Learning Process

This may be because the mother is the first educator of the child and the level of language usage she uses with the child is an important predictor of the child's language usage and school achievement.

Model of the Teaching/Learning Process

• Campbell, F., & others.(1991). Parental beliefs and values related to family risk, educational intervention, and child academic competence. Early Childhood Research

Quarterly, 6(2), 167-182. • Voelkl, K. (1993). Achievement and expectations among African-American students. Journal of Research and Development in Education, 27(1), 42-55. • Zill, N. (1992). Trends in family life and children's school performance. Washington,

DC: Child Trends, Inc. (ERIC Reproduction No. ED378257).

This may be because technology is such an important factor in today's society and the more familiar the child is with technology, the more likely the child will feel comfortable in the modern classroom.

It might also have something to do with the cognitive stimulation that results from interacting with technology.

A second important factor is the amount of technology in the home (Perelman, 1992).

Perelman, L. (1992). School's out: Hyperlearning, the new technology, and the end of

education. New York: William Morrow.

Model of the Teaching/Learning Process

One of the most important context factors affecting education today is the movement from the industrial age to the information age (Huitt, 1995, 1997). This is especially important because it is redefining the knowledge and skills that students need if they are to be successful in society. • Huitt, W. (1995). Success in the information age: A paradigm shift. Background paper developed for workshop presentation at the Georgia Independent School Association, Atlanta, Georgia.• Huitt, W. (1997). The SCANS report revisited. Paper delivered at the Fifth Annual Gulf South Business and Vocational Education Conference,

Valdosta State University, Valdosta, GA, April 18.

Model of the Teaching/Learning Process

As shown in the following graph, the number of people employed in the service and information sectors today is over 75% or approximately the same percentage as that accounted for by agriculture and industry in the 1870s.

Model of the Teaching/Learning Process

This model has been developed from the perspective of systems theory. It will be one of the main organizing features of this course.

There are a variety of other models that have been developed to organize the variables of interest in educational psychology. McIlrath and Huitt (1995) provide a review of previous models of the teaching/ learning process and compare it to this proposed model.

• McIlrath, D., & Huitt, W. (1995). The teaching/learning process: A discussion of

models. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University.

Model of the Teaching/Learning Process

In summary, some of the major organizing principles for the development of this model are:

So many variables have been identified as important to the teaching/learning process that a model is necessary to organize and simplify what we know;

Model of the Teaching/Learning Process

In summary, some of the major organizing principles for the development of this model are:

The identification of important outcome variables is critical in that all other variables are designed to predict them;

Model of the Teaching/Learning Process

In summary, some of the major organizing principles for the development of this model are:

No single category of variables accounts for all of the variance in desired student outcomes; and

Model of the Teaching/Learning Process

In summary, some of the major organizing principles for the development of this model are:

Identification of a small number of variables in each category can be used to predict student achievement.

Model of the Teaching/Learning Process

For example, the following important variables have been identified as examples of “best predictors in the category:”

ContextTechnology in the home

Model of the Teaching/Learning Process

Mother’s educational level

For example, the following important variables have been identified as examples of “best predictors in the category:”

Input

Model of the Teaching/Learning Process

Teacher efficacy

Student intelligence

Student prerequisite knowledge

OR

For example, the following important variables have been identified as examples of “best predictors in the category:”

Classroom Processes Teacher’s use of corrective

feedback

Academic Learning Time

Model of the Teaching/Learning Process

Teacher’s use of positive reinforcement

However, remember that these important variables have been identified because they predict student achievement on standardized tests of basic skills.

If another desired outcome is selected these may not be the most important.

Model of the Teaching/Learning Process