Educational Psychology and Child Development
This domain tests how children learn and develop, and how teachers use that knowledge. Expect questions on Piaget, Vygotsky, Kohlberg, Erikson, Bandura, individual differences, motivation, and learner assessment. The best answers link a theory to a classroom response, not just a definition.
Core concepts
- Piaget: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, formal operational; schema, assimilation, accommodation, conservation.
- Vygotsky: social interaction, zone of proximal development, scaffolding, language as a tool.
- Kohlberg: preconventional, conventional, postconventional moral reasoning.
- Erikson: psychosocial stages, identity in adolescence.
- Bandura: observation, modelling, self-efficacy.
- Individual differences: readiness, learning styles are not a fixed prescription; use multiple modes and support.
Worked example
A 6-year-old says a tall thin beaker has more water than a short wide beaker, although both hold the same amount. Reasoning: the child focuses on height and ignores width; this is centration and lack of conservation, typical of Piaget's preoperational stage (about 2-7 years). The teacher should use pouring and comparison activities, not verbal correction alone.
Traps
- Confusing assimilation (fitting new experience into an old schema) with accommodation (changing the schema).
- Calling all preoperational thinking egocentric without checking the task.
- Mixing Kohlberg's preconventional (punishment/obedience) with conventional (social approval/law).
- Treating negative reinforcement as punishment; reinforcement increases behaviour.
- Assuming a theory explains every child; development varies.