Educational Psychology, Child Development and Pedagogy
Educational Psychology, Child Development and Pedagogy links learning theory to classroom decisions. Questions ask you to identify a stage, a theory, or the best teacher response.
Core rules and concepts
- Piaget: sensorimotor (0-2), preoperational (2-7, egocentrism), concrete operational (7-11, conservation), formal operational (11+, abstraction).
- Vygotsky: social learning; Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD); scaffolding by a more capable other.
- Kohlberg: pre-conventional, conventional, post-conventional moral reasoning.
- Erikson: psychosocial stages; identity vs role confusion in adolescence.
- Learning theories: behaviourism (Pavlov, Skinner), cognitivism, constructivism (learner builds knowledge).
- Individual differences: intelligence is multidimensional (Gardner's multiple intelligences); inclusive teaching adapts to diversity.
Worked example
A 9-year-old can solve conservation of liquid tasks but cannot solve abstract algebra. Which Piagetian stage? Reasoning: conservation is mastered in concrete operational (7-11); abstract hypothetical reasoning appears in formal operational (11+). The child is in the concrete operational stage.
Traps that cost marks
Egocentrism is preoperational, not concrete operational. ZPD is the gap between independent and assisted performance - not simply what the child cannot do. Formative assessment guides learning; summative assessment certifies it. Do not label a slow learner as 'unintelligent'; look for language, attendance or home factors.