Educational Psychology and Child Development
What this domain tests
Educational Psychology and Child Development tests how children grow, learn and differ, and whether you can choose an intervention that fits the stage, need and context. Expect definitions, theory-to-scenario matching and short classroom applications.
Core concepts
- Piaget: sensorimotor (0–2), preoperational (2–7), concrete operational (7–11), formal operational (11+). Key ideas: schema, assimilation, accommodation, conservation, egocentrism.
- Vygotsky: zone of proximal development (ZPD), scaffolding, social interaction, language as a tool.
- Erikson: psychosocial stages; school-age (industry vs inferiority) and adolescence (identity vs role confusion) are common exam scenarios.
- Kohlberg: preconventional, conventional, postconventional moral reasoning.
- Learning theories: behaviourism (reinforcement), cognitivism (information processing), constructivism (learner builds meaning), social learning (modelling).
- Motivation and differences: intrinsic vs extrinsic, Maslow, attribution, special educational needs, inclusive practice.
Worked example
A nine-year-old can sort stones by size and explain that the amount of water is unchanged when poured into a taller glass, but cannot solve x + 3 = 7 abstractly without counters. Which Piagetian stage? Reasoning: conservation and classification are present, but abstract/hypothetical reasoning is not; this fits concrete operational, not preoperational (conservation would be absent) or formal operational (abstract reasoning would be present).
Traps
- Assigning stages by age alone rather than by evidence in the scenario.
- Confusing assimilation (new experience fits an old schema) with accommodation (schema changes).
- Calling every group activity Vygotskian; scaffolding must be temporary and calibrated to the ZPD.
- Treating reinforcement as always extrinsic; praise can support intrinsic motivation if it is specific and informational.