Psychological Pedagogy for Quality Teaching and
Learning
Professor Lucija Rutka,
Dr.psych, Mg.math.
University of Latvia
Aim of presentation
To acquaint in general with the personal
academic and research experience and to
discuss together the most effective ways of
achieving the learning outcomes in the
Educational Psychology Module
About me
• Professor, University of Latvia, Faculty of Education,
Psychology and Art
• Expert in education at the Council of Sciences of the
Republic of Latvia
• Since 2015 - National research programme „Innovative
Solutions in Social Telerehabilitation in the Schools of
Latvia in the Context of Inclusive Education”
• 2012 – 2013 – ESF project „Creating a Support System for
the Youth at Risk of Inclusive Education and Social
Exclusion, Preparing and Providing Necessary Personnel
and Improving Their Competence”
My courses in bachelor, master and doctoral study programs
• Developmental Psychology
• Theories of Developmental Psychology
• Communication Psychology
• Personalization of Pedagogical Process
• Teaching and Learning in University
• Development of the Personality in the Socialization
Process
• Educator's Personal Effectiveness
• Communication in the Study Process
• Communication Peculiarities between Doctor and Patient
• and others
Psychological pedagogy
My research area is Psychological
pedagogy, wich is new trend in our university.
The main research subject of psychological
pedagogy is psychological competence of
teachers (students)
Research area
The teacher’s psychological competence is
composed of the knowledge of psychology,
psychological thinking, the person’s qualities of
professional importance, abilities of self-
analysis, empathy, abilities of taking decisions,
skills of rendering psychological support, skills
of self-regulation and stress management.
(Lefrancois, 2000; Зинченко, 2002; Simikin, 2006;
Kepalaite, 2008; Rutka, 2012; Gregory, 2016)
Psychological competence develops in reflective
activity, during the process of thinking directed to the
awareness of one’s actions, behavior, language,
experience, emotions, abilities, character, attitudes,
conviction, analysis and understanding concerning
other people, one’s tasks and functions in search of
the solution of different problems (McCormick Davis,
2005; Loughran, 2006; Sense, 2007; Korthagen,
Verkuyl, 2007; Russel, 2007; Kepalaite, 2008; Rutka,
2012; Latkovska, 2014)
One of the home pages of psychological aid,
(http://www.teenfad.ph/beintheknowcontent.php),
considers psychological competence to be the most
important life skill and it is defined as the
individual’s ability and skill to cope with
everyday problems, to keep feeling fine and
demonstrate adaptive, positive behavior in
cooperation with other people in their cultural
environment. Psychological competence is important
in the preservation of one’s physical and mental
health, and it determines the individual’s sense of
feeling in the social environment as well.
Not only teachers’ psychological competence is
researched in the world but also the psychological
competence of other professionals, e.g., doctors,
lawyers, actors, businessmen (Кочубей, 2001;
Nastasi, Pluymert, Moore, 2002; Ambuel, Rappaport,
2005; Bluckert, 2007; Zanelti-Dalenbach, Tschudin,
Lapaire, Holzgreve, 2009)
One dimension of the study process –
educator’s psychological pedagogical
knowledge, skills and competence for
achieving the learning outcomes
Practical
part
We have a lot of questions
A discussion about
the ways how to
achieve the best
learning outcomes.
Program Intended Learning Outcomes
in Educational Psychology :
• Knowledge and Understanding
• Skills - cognitive (thinking), professional
(practical)
• Competence – autonomy, responsibility,
interaction (collaboration)
Knowledge and Understanding
• Advanced knowledge of STEM, involving a critical
understanding of learning theories and principles.
• Apply the appropriate strategies for enhancing students’
active and flexible learning through motivation, self-efficacy
and engagement.
• Broad, integrated and advanced knowledge about students’
diversity and its impact on teaching and learning processes
• Broad, integrated and advanced knowledge in adjoining
areas - educational psychology, involving a critical
understanding of learning theories and principles.
Skills
Cognitive (thinking)
• Demonstrate advanced cognitive skills including logical,
intuitive and creative thinking for enhancing students’
motivation, self-efficacy, and engagement
• Demonstrate advanced cognitive skills including logical,
intuitive and creative thinking for integrating STEM teaching
practices in classroom
Skills
Professional (practical)
• Demonstrate practical skills in application of different
learning theories in STEM classroom
• Demonstrate practical skills in classroom management and
classroom leadership
• Demonstrate practical skills in creating inclusive and
motivating learning environment in STEM classroom.
• Demonstrate practical skills in responding to students’
diversity and to diverse learning cultures
Competence
Autonomy
Demonstrate autonomy in managing class situations
through encouraging students’ engagement, mutual trust and
active learning.
Responsibility
Takes responsibility for responding to students’ diversity
and managing diverse learning cultures
Interaction (collaboration)
Demonstrate competence for enhancing students’ social
interaction in innovative learning environments
Which knowledge, skills and
competences are especially
important for university educators to
promote achievement of better
learning outcomes?
This will be important and useful both for
improving the Psychology module and
preparing the training in Riga.
Knowledge, skills and competences offered for
discussion:
To promote students’:1. Self-motivation
2. Critical thinking
3. Communication skills
4. Positive emotions and self-awareness
5. Self assessment and peer-to-peer assessment
6. Self-discipline
7. Ethical understanding
8. Respect for diversity
9. Mutual trust and mutual support
10. Initiative
11. Independence
12. Decision making
Procedure of practical activities
1. Please organise yourselves in groups of 3-4 people.
2. Each group receives an envelope with slips that have
psycho-pedagogical skills and competences written on
them. There are alsosome extra slips that you can use to
write your variants.
3. Each group receives 3 A4 sheets in 3 different colours.
4. Please discuss which of the formulated skills and
competences you are good? at and put them on the green
sheets.
5. Then discuss wich of the formulated skills you use in your
work, but you would like to improve them, and then place
these slips on the yellow sheet.
Procedure of practical activities
6. Finally, discuss wich skills or competences seem
important to you, but it is not clear how to aply them and
you would like to do it.
7. You can also add your variants and put them on the
coloured sheets.
8. The skills that you do not consider important put aside.
9. You have 10-15 minutes. At the end discussion each
group should give their feedback about the discussion.
10. I would like to take a picture of every grops coloured
sheets.
I am planning to use them in training in Riga next year.
Unfortunately, we can’t discuss the meaning
and content of every skill and competence
because it is very time consuming.
We will do it next year in Riga!
Thank you for your
attentions, active
participation and
feedback!
I look forward to
futher cooperation!