This document discusses theories of human learning and motivation as they relate to effective instruction. It covers several topics: - Educational psychology as the scientific study of teaching and learning processes, and how psychological theories can be applied to instructional decision making. - Different theories of learning like behaviorism, cognitive learning, and motivation theories. - Factors that influence individual differences in learning like personality, gender, culture and peers. - The importance of understanding students' backgrounds and perspectives to create culturally relevant pedagogy and avoid misunderstandings from cultural differences. - How students build their self-perceptions and develop a sense of identity over time based on various influences.

1. Motivation & Learning EDPS 457 – Fall 2010 1

2. Pedagogical theory is not an isolated entity. It is an axis of innumerable relationships. How Do Students Learn?

3. In other words…. What Motivates Students to Learn? 9/28/2010

4. The scientific discipline concerned with the development, evaluation, and application of principles and theories of human learning Educational Psychology 9/28/2010

5. Principles & Theories Theory Principles A scientific explanation for why events happen in a certain way and which helps make predictions about such event in the future 9/28/2010 Descriptions of established relationships between elements

7. Explain

8. Improve Educational Psychology 9/28/2010 A discipline which tries to the processes of teaching and learning

11. Is “Theory” Important? Who Cares?

12. Is “Theory” Important? YES!

13. Is Theory Important? Prospective teachers Your "intuitive theory of instruction” This course may confirm your intuitive theory stretch the limits of your intuitive theory conflict with your intuitive theory

15. We will focus on two types of knowledge that may help:

16. the instructional process

17. psychological knowledge that can be used in instructional decision makingIs Theory Important? 9/28/2010 How do theories come into play in teaching?

19. It is a psychological foundations course.

20. It should help you:

21. explain why you choose certain teaching methods for your instructional purposes.

22. decide how to adapt existing methods to your specific circumstances, or create new ones.

23. decide which approaches you might use to motivate and manage your students.

25. Types of Research Goal Research Questions Types of Research in Ed Psych

27. Increasing InterestAction Research 9/28/2010

28. Action Research Reflective teachers draw from educational theory and research hypothesize about effective classroom practices apply, evaluate, and revise as needed

29. Commonalities 9/28/2010 The principles of research emphasized in the Action Research process are the same underlying principles that guide student learning.

31. Individual Differences in Learning

32. Possible Sources of Individual Differences Personality? Gender? Cultural and Ethnic influences? Peers or Parents' influences?

33. Temperament and Personality Infants are different from one another from the start Some are fussy and cry a lot whereas some are easy going and cheerful. This is Temperament As children grow, they develop specific ways of behaving, thinking, and feeling. This is “Personality” How and why do these things develop the way they do? To what extent do individual differences influence temperament and personality? What are these individual differences? To what extent are nature, nurture, and constructivism influencing these differences.

34. Sense of self 22 Refers to an overall set of beliefs about who you are. It includes your beliefs about your personal attributes, strengths, and weaknesses Self-concept It also includes your overall beliefs about your worth. Self-esteem

35. Self-Esteem I like being myself and accept myself the way I am. Being myself is a guarantee that people will dislike me. I am afraid of being rejected by my friends. If I don't do as well as others, it means that I am an inferior person. I could disappear from the surface of the earth, and nobody would notice. I feel worthless. I will never amount to anything significant. I will never be as capable as I should be.

36. Factors influencing self-perceptions 24 Identify the sources of information that students use to help form their self-perceptions. Previous Performance Self-efficacy Behaviors of Others Feedback; modeling Group Membership Ethnic identity

37. Developmental trends in self-perceptions 25 Self-perceptions become increasingly abstract. Young kids tend to define themselves in terms of external, concrete factors. Self-perceptions become increasingly differentiated. Development of self-efficacy Self-perceptions become more integrated. Eventually we pull everything together to form an integrated whole about who we are. Children gradually base self-assessments on comparisons with peers Young kids base their self-assessments on their own improvement over time. As we grow, that changes. With age, self-concept becomes more stable.

38. Diversity in Personal & Social Development Gender differences Self-esteem Interpersonal behaviors Moral reasoning Socioeconomic differences Family challenges Cultural and Ethnic differences Ethnic identity Cultural heritage 26

39. Cultural Differences in Classrooms Students and teachers do not always have the same background. Teachers may have been raised in a different part of the state or country, and may be from a different culture or race. Such differences in background between teachers and students may cause problems. What problems may occur? 27

40. What Problems May Occur Cultural Artifact Analysis: The Office

41. Impact of Cultural Differences How might cultural differences cause problems in developing lessons for students? Failure to anticipate gaps in students’ knowledge/skill Failure to create examples matching students’ existing knowledge “Self-fulfilling prophecy”

42. Self-fulfilling prophecy Neo First Meets The Oracle: The Matrix

43. Impact of Cultural Differences How might cultural differences cause problems in evaluating or interpreting student responses or performance? Misunderstanding the relevance of student responses Mistakenly attribute student errors to laziness or stupidity Lead to incorrect approaches to dealing with the problem

45. Positive expectations and efforts

46. Developed students’ cultural competence:

47. Student culture as a foundation for learning

48. authentic learning

49. Developed a critical consciousness among their students to challenge the status.

51. I never teach my pupils. I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn.Albert Einstein