Educational Psychology Promotes Teaching and

Learning

Psychologists working in the field of education study how

people learn and retain knowledge. They apply psychological
science to improve the learning process and promote
educational success for all students.

Understanding Educational Psychology

Todays educational system is highly complex. There is no single learning approach or style that
works for everyone.
Thats why psychologists working in the field of education are focused on identifying and
studying learning methods to better understand how people absorb and retain new information.
Educational psychologists apply theories of human development to understand individual
learning styles and inform the instructional process. While interaction with teachers and students
in school settings is an important part of their work, it isnt the only facet of the job. Learning is
a lifelong endeavor. People dont only learn at school, they learn at work, in social situations and
even doing simple tasks like household chores or running errands. Psychologists working in this
subfield examine how people learn in a variety of settings to identify approaches and strategies
to make learning more effective.

Research in Action

Undoing Dyslexia via Video Games

Technologies such as functional magnetic resonance imaging help us better understand
impairments in the dyslexic brain.

See more Research in Action

Educational Psychology Applied

Psychologists working in education study the social, emotional and cognitive processes involved
in learning and apply their findings to improve the learning process. Some specialize in the
educational development of a specific group of people such as children, adolescents or adults,
while others focus on specific learning challenges such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
(ADHD) or dyslexia.
No matter the population they are studying, these professionals are interested in outcomes,
teaching methods, the instructional process and different learning styles.
How much does the time of day when new information is introduced influence whether a person
retains that information? What does culture have to do with how we process new ideas? How
does age affect our ability to develop new skills, like language? How is in-person learning
different from remote learning using technology? How does the choice of a media platform make
a difference in learning?
These are all questions that educational psychologists are asking and answering in settings
as diverse as government research centers, schools, community organizations and learning
centers.