Educational Psychology

• Educational psychology is the systematic study of human development from birth to death through the social process of education.
• The central focus is on human learning and how individuals grow and change within educational settings.
• It deals with the teaching-learning process based on scientifically proven principles and human behaviour facts.
• The goal is to understand, predict, and direct behaviour toward achieving educational and developmental goals.

Major areas include:

• Learner’s developmental characteristics
• Individual differences
• Intelligence and personality
• Mental health and adjustment

In extension education, educational psychology helps bring desirable changes in the values and attitudes of rural people.

Extensionists use principles of educational psychology to educate rural learners and promote adoption of innovations.

Educational psychology is a distinct discipline with its own:

• Theories
• Research methods
• Techniques and problems

Educational psychologists study how people think and act during teaching and learning in different environments.

They contribute to the development of instructional methods and materials for both academic and workplace training.

Also involved in research related to education, counselling, and learning difficulties.