BECOMING AN EFFECTIVE

CLASSROOM TEACHER
EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
1ST WEEK
Oleh:
Dr. Zakiah Mohamad Ashari

Beginning Teachers
Concerns of Beginning
teachers

enthusias
m

idealism

Motivating
students

optimism

Special
needs

Classroom
discipline

Assessmen
t and
grading

COMPLEXITY OF THE TEACHING

PROFESSION
Teaching is never routine

Teaching has multiple goals

Teaching is done in relationship with a diversity of
learners
Teaching requires the integration of several knowledge
about child development

What makes a good

teacher?
Warmth, enthusiasm, caring
Knowledge of the domain
Responsibility for Self and Actions
High Perceived Self-Efficacy
Ability to Delay Gratification
High Aspirations for Self and
Students
An intentional teacher plans
actions based on the desired
outcomes
An intentional teacher plans
actions based on the desired
outcomes

Mastering a variety of teaching

skills to encourage critical
thinking, problem-solving, and
performance skills

WHAT IS EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY?

is a branch of psychology that

specializes in understanding
teaching and learning in educational
settings.

Education

the process by which

society transmits to new
members
the
values,
beliefs, knowledge, and
symbolic expressions to
make
communication
possible within society. In
this sense, education is
serving a social and
cultural function.

developing the capacities

and potential of the
individual
so
as
to
prepare that individual to
be successful in a specific
society or culture. From
this
perspective,
education
is
serving
primarily an individual
development function.

PSYCHOLOGY:

the scientific study of mind

and behavior or behavior and
mental processes, especially
as it relates to individual
human beings

Educational Psychology
Combination of psychology and
education
A distinct scientific discipline within
psychology that includes both
methods of study and a knowledge
base

Educational Psychology:
Concerned primarily with understanding the
processes of teaching and learning that take
place within formal environments and
developing ways of improving those methods
Important topics include learning theories;
teaching methods; motivation; cognitive,
emotional, and moral development; and
parent-child relationships

Teaching
One persons interpersonal
effort to help others acquire
knowledge, develop skill, and
realize their potential

Learning:
can be compared with the
other primary process
producing relatively
permanent change-maturation--that results from
biological growth and
development

A relatively permanent change in behavior or

knowledge as a result of experience
Depends on many factors:

the

quality of instruction
student motivation
student engagement
students developmental readiness to learn

Teaching Efficacy

A teachers judgment of, or confidence

in, his or her capacity to cope with the
teaching situation in ways that bring
about desired outcomes
Beginning teachers generally have lower
teaching efficacy than do veteran
teachers

Teaching Efficacy Categories

Efficacy for classroom
management
Efficacy for student
engagement
Efficacy for instructional
strategies

Two Modes of Teaching

Technical teaching
Teaching situation is predictable and calls for
routine action
Classroom experience Constructive
learning experience
Reflective teaching
Teaching situation is surprising and calls for
conjectures, information gathering, and decisionmaking.
Knowledge about the teaching and learning
situation Constructive learning experience

Model for Reflective Teaching

RIDE
Reflection

Decision making

Information
gathering

Evaluation

Your Turn

Ms Newby is nervous about

teaching and feels that she will not
be able to handle students
misbehaviors

How might she solve this problem

using the RIDE model?

7 MINUTES

Rest

Why is Research Important?

Provides evidence that
assists teachers make
appropriate choices in the
classroom
Based on the scientific
method, researchers
Revise research conclusions
and theory
Collect data
Theory
Hypothesis
Conceptualize the problem

THE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

APPROACH
The scientific
research approach is
objective, systematic,
and testable.

STEP 4
Revise Research
Conclusions & Theory

STEP 3
Draw Conclusions

STEP 2
Collect Information
STEP 1
Conceptualize the Problem

RESEARCH
METHODS
Descriptive
studies

Correlational
studies
Experimental
studies
Action
research

DESCRIPTIVE STUDIES
A

research method used to describe the educational situation as it

naturally occurs what typically happens, how teachers teach, and how
students learn and develop
Example research question: How do Ms. Newby organize the physical
layout of her classroom?
Observations
Laboratory
Naturalistic observation
Participant observation
Interviews and questionnaires
Standardized tests
Case studies
Ethnographic Studies
Focus Groups
Personal Journals and Diaries

CORRELATIONAL STUDIES
A

research method used to measure

two naturally occurring variables
and summarize the nature and
magnitude of their relationship in
numerical form
Example research question: How is
measured intelligence related to
school achievement?

POSSIBLE EXPLANATIONS OF
CORRELATIONAL DATA
Observed
Observed correlation
correlation

As permissive
teaching
increases,
childrens
self-control
decreases

Possible
Possible explanations
explanations for
for this
this correlation
correlation
Permissive
Permissive
teaching
teaching

causes Childrens
Childrens lack
lack
of
of self-control
self-control

Childrens
Childrens lack
lack causes
of
of self-control
self-control

Permissive
Permissive
teaching
teaching

Other
Other factors,
factors,
such
such as
as genetic
genetic
tendencies,
tendencies, cause
poverty,
poverty, or
or
both
sociohistorical
sociohistorical
circumstances
circumstances

Permissive
Permissive
teaching
teaching
and
Childrens
Childrens lack
lack
of
of self-control
self-control

EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES
A

research method used to test for a

cause-and-effect relationship
between two variables
Example research question: Is
reading program A better than
reading program B for teaching first
graders to read?

EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH
A study of the effects of time management on
students grades
Participants
Participants randomly
randomly assigned
assigned
to
to experimental
experimental and
and control
control groups
groups

Experimental
Group

Control Group

(time
(time management
management
program)
program)

(no
(no time
time management
management
program)
program)

Students
Students
grades
grades in
in school
school

Correlational
Research

Experimental
Research

Measures the strength

of a relation between
two variables
Does NOT establish
causal relation

Random assignment
Experimental vs.
control groups
Independent vs.
dependent variables

ACTION RESEARCH
A

research method carried out by

teachers in their own classrooms to
inform and refine their personal
theories of teaching and classroom
learning
Example research question: Do I ask
boys more questions than I ask
girls?

STEPS FOR CONDUCTING ACTION

RESEARCH
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Identify a problem
Formulate a plan to address the
problem
Collect and analyze data to see if the
plan worked
Reflect on what has been learned
Use the new- and improved personal
theory of teaching
Repeat steps 2, 3, 4, and 5 as needed

WHAT KIND OF RESEARCH?

I want to decide if boys in the 6th grade benefit
more from cooperative learning than girls?
I want to decide if completion of homework is
associated with better achievement
I want to examine the number of errors present in
the 8th grade science book
I want Maria to tell me about her experiences in
solving a math problem?

Q & A session

WHAT MAKES AN EFFECTIVE TEACHER?

Effective
Teachers

Professional
Knowledge
Content Knowledge
Pedagogical
Knowledge
Knowledge about
learners
Knowledge about
curriculum

Professional
Skills
Planning skills
communication skills
Motivation skills
Classroom
management skills
Assessment skills
Technology skills

REFLECTION & OBSERVATION

What were the

characteristics of the most
effective teachers in your
educational experience?

PROFESSIONAL, KNOWLEDGE AND, SKILLS

Exhibit subject matter
competence

Implement appropriate
instructional strategies

Communicate well with

students and parents

Use effective strategies to

promote students
motivation to learn

Manage classrooms for

optimal learning

Create developmentally
appropriate instructional
materials and activities

Set high goals for

themselves and students
and plan for instruction

Pay more than lip service

to individual variations

Integrate technology into

the curriculum

Work effectively with

students from culturally
diverse backgrounds

Have good assessment

skills

EFFECTIVE TEACHING
COMMITMENT AND MOTIVATION

Have a good attitude

Care about students

Invest time and effort

Bring a positive
attitude and
enthusiasm to the
classroom

Characteristics of Best
Teachers

Characteristics of Worst
Teachers

THANK YOU