Psychological research in education process

TEACHING PROFESSION is a bed of roses as well as a bed of thorns. A good teacher is always his/her students' guide, friend and philosopher. Teachers play a very vital role in the intellectual, moral, personal, social and personality development of the students.

One great trouble with many teachers is that they stand up vigorously for their rights, but fall down miserably in their duties. Swami Vivekananda lists out the three gifts of God as the human body, thirst after God and a teacher who shows the light.

To make teaching profession a bed of roses, to shine in teaching profession, to make teaching more and more effective, to build a bridge of love and friendship between the teachers and the taught and to mould the students according to the requirements of the society and the nation - a sound knowledge of educational psychology is essential.

Educational psychology is defined as the branch of psychology concerned with psychological researches applied to all aspects of educational processes and practices.

It is the science of education that helps the teacher understand the development of the student. It is the study of human characteristics and human behaviour applied to education, and deals with problems like reasoning, teaching and training. Class- room is the laboratory for the educational psychologists.

Educational psychology explains how individuals differ and how to individualise instruction. It deals with all aspects of personality. The inter-personal relationship between the teacher and the taught plays a vital role in teaching.

The subject matter of educational psychology revolves around three focal areas: the learner, the learning process and the learning situation.

The first area includes the study of abilities, needs, life- goals, or self-concept, of the learner and the differences that exist among individuals. This also includes the study of the development of the student, the environmental influences on his personality and the mental problems.

The second area includes the learning process and other various factors related to learning.

The third area deals with issues like class-room management, discipline, techniques for individualising instruction, or guidance and counselling. Learning situation includes the conditions like physical factors, the tone of the class or attitude and behaviour of the teacher.

This is called class-room climate. It is one of the important group variables which influences learning. Students, in a supportive climate, develop a high need for achievement that leads to their attaining a high standard of excellence.

Teachers should not adopt an authoritarian style of control in class-room management. The study of class-room climate, techniques of behaviour modification, programmed and well-planned teaching- learning and psychological approaches improve the interaction between the teachers and the taught.

Therefore, motivation, conflicts, professional growth, effectiveness, and the mental health, of the teacher should also be included in the scope of educational psychology. There is a difference between general psychology and educational psychology. General psychology gives a comprehensive view of human behaviour, whereas educational psychology highlights the behaviour of the learner.

The teacher should realise the fact that there are differences among the students; gifted, average and slow learners in the class. The class is heterogeneous, not homogeneous. Some teachers are very much anxious to tell their students what all they know.

The intention is good, but the effect is pernicious. Individualisation of instruction is an effective learning process. According to Aristotle, the mind is made up of different independent faculties like reasoning, memory, discrimination and imagination.

The students should pave the way for the development of such various independent faculties. The students' perception, thinking, reasoning, intelligence, remembering - all come under learning process. Above all, self-confidence is the first requisite to great undertakings.

Teachers should promote self-confidence. In the class-rooms, opportunities should be provided for a healthy competition. The most important outcome of education is to help students become independent of formal education.

Educational psychology is interested in means rather than ends. A sound knowledge of educational psychology is very much indispensable, because it helps the teacher to understand the developmental characteristics of learners.

According to the age and stage of the learners, characteristics vary. The teacher should understand the developmental characteristics of learners and mould them in accordance with the goals of education.

Students during adolescence period are like a glass that should be handled with great care. It is a period of emotional instability. During this period, the self-assertive instinct and the sex-instinct reach the maximum development.

They crave for recognition and love. When they are not bestowed with proper recognition, they feel wounded or insulted. It is a period of hero-worship. They do not want to be insulted in the presence of the opposite sex. It is the period of thinking and reasoning development.

During this period, teachers should not distance themselves from their students, but should make themselves easily approachable. They should not approach the students in a rude and crude manner.

To make teaching more effective, the teacher should understand the principles of learning and situational approaches to the learning process, problems of individual learners and remedial measures. Guidance and counselling play a vital role in bringing out individual differences and problems.

Educational psychology provides teachers with the knowledge of different approaches evolved to tackle the problems of teaching students of different age levels.

Above all, teachers are expected to have a balanced mind. Mental health of the teacher and the taught is very important for effective learning.

Needs of the pupils and those of the society, developmental characteristics of the learners, learning pattern - all these are to be incorporated in the curriculum.

The knowledge of educational psychology is essential for diagnostic and remedial teaching and measurement and evaluation. Educational psychology has contributed to our knowledge of heredity and environment.

The pattern of growth may be inherent in a seed, but the soil and the other environmental conditions determine the quality of its growth. As the soil, however rich it may be, cannot be productive without culture, the mind without cultivation can never produce good fruit.

Teaching should not be an art of imparting knowledge without possessing it. It is a noble profession. Teachers are the most responsible persons of the nation, as the future of the nation is in the hands of students.

To be a guide, friend and philosopher, every teacher should have a thorough knowledge of the principles of educational psychology.

M. A. MOHAMMED SAHUL HAMEED

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