education psych

Educational Research

Research that provides evidence-based solutions to improve teaching, learning, and student relationships.

Evidence-Based Practice

Using research findings to guide educational decisions and classroom instruction.

Research-Practice Gap

The disconnect between educational research and what teachers actually implement in classrooms.

Infrastructure for Educational Change

Organizational support, resources, and time needed to successfully implement educational reforms.

Sensitive Period

A developmental period when learning occurs most easily, but is not strictly limited to that time.

Long-Term Effects of Early Experiences

Early positive or adverse experiences can significantly influence later development.

Developmental Differences

People develop at different rates and in different ways.

Orderly Development

Development follows a predictable sequence, with some skills developing before others.

Gradual Development

Development occurs progressively over time rather than suddenly.

Limbic System

Brain region involved in emotions and reward; develops earlier than the prefrontal cortex in adolescents.

Prefrontal Cortex

Brain region responsible for planning, reasoning, and impulse control; develops later in adolescence.

"High Horsepower, Poor Steering"

Description of adolescents' strong emotions and weak impulse control due to brain development.

Jean Piaget

Developmental psychologist who proposed stage-based cognitive development and constructivism.

Lev Vygotsky

Developmental psychologist who emphasized social interaction and culture in learning.

Piaget's Four Stages

Sensorimotor, Preoperational, Concrete Operational, and Formal Operational stages of cognitive development.

Constructivism

Theory that learners actively build knowledge through experiences.

Zone of Actual Development (ZAD)

Tasks a learner can complete independently.

Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)

Tasks a learner can complete with guidance from adults or peers.

Scaffolding

Temporary support provided to help students complete tasks within their ZPD.

Disequilibrium

Cognitive conflict that motivates learners to modify their thinking.

Conservation

Understanding that certain properties remain unchanged despite changes in appearance.

Social Speech

Communication with others.

Private Speech

Self-talk used to guide thinking and behavior.

Inner Speech

Internalized private speech used for thought.

Piaget vs. Vygotsky

Piaget emphasized developmental stages and individual discovery; Vygotsky emphasized continuous learning through social interaction.

Cultural Bias of Piaget

Piaget's tasks underestimated cultural influences and assumed formal operational thinking was universal.

Cooperative Learning

Learning through collaboration with peers, consistent with Vygotsky's theory.

Cognitive Acceleration

Teaching methods designed to accelerate students' cognitive development.

CASE

Cognitive Acceleration through Science Education; emphasizes reflection and metacognition.

Metacognition

Thinking about one's own thinking and learning processes.

Productive Challenge

Learning tasks should be difficult enough to stimulate cognitive growth without overwhelming students.

PREVNet

Canadian initiative promoting healthy relationships to prevent bullying.

Bullying

Repeated abuse of power intended to harm another person.

Prevention

Reducing risks before problems occur.

Promotion

Enhancing positive relationships and healthy development.

Healthy Relationships

Respectful, supportive interactions that reduce violence and bullying.

Adult Modeling

Adults influence children's relationships through their own behavior.

Teacher Training

Explicit instruction for educators to effectively promote healthy relationships.

Authentic Professional Communication

Respectful, genuine communication while maintaining professional boundaries.

Logical Consequences

Consequences directly related to students' behavior.

Verbal Hint

Indirect cue (e.g., saying a student's name) to redirect behavior.

Choice Giving

Offering students acceptable behavioral options to encourage responsibility.

No-Lose Method

Collaborative conflict resolution where teacher and student work toward mutually acceptable solutions.

Paraphrase Rule

Students summarize another person's ideas before responding.

Conflict Resolution Steps

Define problem → Generate solutions → Evaluate → Decide → Implement → Evaluate outcome.

Joint Attention

Adult and child focus on the same object while the adult labels or describes it.

Child-Directed Speech

Simplified, expressive speech adults use with young children to support language learning.

Receptive Vocabulary

Words a child understands properly

Expressive Vocabulary

Words a child can correctly use.

Pragmatic Language

Appropriate use of language in social situations.

Emergent Literacy

Early skills that prepare children for reading and writing.

Sheltered Instruction

Teaching English learners using contextual supports and multiple strategies.

Conversational vs Academic Language

Everyday communication develops faster than academic language proficiency.

Bilingual Advantage

Bilingual individuals often show stronger executive functioning skills.

Poverty's Impact

Long-term poverty negatively affects cognitive, social, academic, and physical development.

Cultural Influence

Culture shapes how disorders, behaviors, and learning are expressed.

Academic Streaming

Grouping students by perceived academic ability.

Homogeneous Grouping

Placing students with similar abilities together.

Setting

Subject-specific ability grouping.

Destreaming

Removing ability-based course pathways (basic, general, advanced)

When was streaming abolished?

1999, due to education reform under the Harris government

post 1999 education system

students in grade 8 choose (with assistance from parents and teachers) between “academic,” “applied,” “essential,” or “open” courses

Stigma in streaming

stigma attached to students in low streams is likely to have “negative long-term consequences, including lowered self-esteem and aspirations of students and lowered teacher expectations for them

Streaming perpetuating inequalities

low-income students, students in special education, and students whose parents do not have a university education have significantly less access to socially valued educational opportunities

Growth Mindset

Belief that intelligence and ability can improve through effort.

Neuroplasticity

Brain's ability to change and develop through learning and experience.

Effects of Streaming

Often reinforces social inequality, lowers expectations, and limits opportunities.

Creativity

Producing original and useful ideas.

Critical Thinking

Evaluating information using reasoning and evidence.

Divergent Thinking

Generating multiple possible solutions to a problem.

Creative Problem Solving Stages

Preparation → Incubation → Illumination → Verification.

Torrance Tests

Widely used assessments of creativity.

Fluency

Producing many ideas.

Flexibility

Generating ideas from different perspectives.

Originality

Producing unique ideas.

Elaboration

Adding detail to ideas.

Relationship Between Creativity & Critical Thinking

Creativity generates ideas; critical thinking evaluates and improves them.

Continuous Reinforcement

Reinforcing every correct response while learning a new behavior.

Intermittent Reinforcement

Reinforcing only some responses to strengthen long-term behavior.

Interval Schedule

Reinforcement based on time intervals.

Ratio Schedule

Reinforcement based on number of responses.

Fixed Schedule

Reinforcement delivered predictably.

Variable Schedule

Reinforcement delivered unpredictably.

Extinction

Gradual disappearance of a learned behavior when reinforcement stops.

Antecedent

Event occurring before a behavior that signals consequences.

Cueing

Providing a signal before the desired behavior.

Prompting

Temporary assistance that is gradually removed.

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)

Using behavioral principles to systematically change behavior.

Effective Instruction Delivery (EID)

Clear, concise, and specific instructions that communicate expectations.

Self-Regulation

Ability to recognize, manage, and recover from stress while maintaining focus.

Stressors

Internal or external factors that interfere with learning and behavior.

Social Learning Approach

Teaching that builds social engagement by reducing stress and providing support.

Sensory Processing

How individuals respond to sensory information; may be over- or under-sensitive.

Play-Based Learning

Learning through play that supports cognitive, emotional, and social development.

Inquiry Learning

Student-centered learning through exploration and questioning.

Social Scaffolding

Adjusting supports to gradually build independence and social competence.

Social Cognitive Theory

Learning occurs through observing others and considering cognitive processes.

Observational Learning

Learning by watching others.

Attention

Focusing on important information during learning.

Retention

Remembering observed behaviors.