Details for EDU343 Educational Psychology

Educational Psychology focuses on how key psychological theories and concepts inform pre-service teachers’
understanding of how students learn and the implications for effective learning and teaching. Topics include cognitive
and social development, memory processes, theories of motivation and learning, classroom management, individual
and group differences, problem solving, critical thinking, diagnostic assessment and evaluation all set against the
background of guiding children to discover their goals and calling. The external professional networks available to
schools to support children and families will also be explored.

Quick Stats

• Currently offered by Alphacrucis: Yes
• Course code: EDU343
• Credit points: 10

Subject Coordinator

Prerequisite

The following courses are prerequisites:

• EDU103 Foundations of Christian Education

Unit Content

Outcomes

1. Critically appraise the work of prominent
   educational psychologists and thereby develop
   understandings of how students learn and the
   implications for effective learning and teaching;
2. Evaluate the strengths and limitations of different
   teaching approaches, through a psychological
   lens, critically appraising how they inform
   understandings about how students learn and the
   implications for teaching;
3. Design work integrating higher order thinking
   processes associated with creativity and critical
   thinking;
4. Describe in detail how knowledge is constructed
   and its relationship with the human memory
   system for teaching and instructional design;
5. Describe in detail learning assessment techniques
   other than traditional testing, in terms of their
   strengths and limitations;
6. Produce advanced psychology-based solutions to
   teaching/classroom problems in order to improve
   student learning.

Subject Content

1. Erickson and the stages of Psychological Development;
2. Cognitive approach to educational psychology, the importance of the active learner, Piaget and
   Vygostky;
3. Piaget, Kohlberg and Gilligan’s Moral Development, Stages of Spiritual Growth, Moral Behaviour,
   Character Development;
4. Age-level characteristics, physical, social, emotional and cognitive characteristics. Middle schooling
   the challenges and rewards;
5. Measuring intelligence, David Wechsler Global Capacity, Robert Sternberg’s Triarchic Theory,
   Howard Gardener’s Multiple Intelligences and gender equity and bias;
6. Cultural and Socioeconomic Diversity, learning environments, the multiethnic classroom;
7. Differentiating the curriculum, ability groupings, to group or not to group, disabilities and optimal
   learning, accelerated instruction, gifted and talented classes;
8. Problem-solving, constructing real learning experiences, constructivist approaches, teaching
   problem solving;
9. Assessment of learning, tests written v performance, norm-referenced grading, criterion
   references grading, standardized testing; familiarization with psychologist reports and court orders
   regarding students; evaluation of learning – making the learning visible to the teacher – to inform
   planning and teaching; learning outcomes and evaluation; methods and strategies for evaluation
   including using student work to evaluate teaching; using assessments to determine how well
   students achieved outcomes; peer observation and review; self-observation, self-assessment, self-critical reflection; planning evaluation.

This course may be offered in the following formats

• Face to Face (onsite)
• E-learning (online)
• Intensive
• Extensive

Please check the timetable to see when this subject will next be offered at Alphacrucis University College.

Assessment Methods

1. Theorist Review (30%)
2. Oral Presentation and Write-up (40%)
3. Case Study (30%)

Prescribed Text