Educational psychology is the study of how humans learn within an educational setting. It examines the effectiveness of various educational interventions, the psychology of teaching, and the social aspect of schools. School psychology applies educational psychology, along with the principles of clinical psychology, to treat children's learning and/or behavior problems.

Educational psychology

Educational psychology aims to provide the best education for all students, regardless of ability, by studying how humans learn in educational settings. School psychology is essentially the application of educational psychology in schools.

Goals and Tenets of Educational Psychology

There are four main goals of educational psychology:

1. To understand and treat children with learning disabilities.
2. To foster the intellectual growth of gifted and talented children.
3. To teach pro-social behaviors.
4. To promote safe, effective, and supportive learning environments.

Educational psychology aims to understand a child's cognitive development and learning characteristics. The practice is based on the belief that every child has an individual capacity and style of learning that results from predisposition, experience, and development. The principles of educational psychology are used to provide children struggling with learning and/or behavior problems with the help necessary to achieve an education similar to their peers. 

Some of the more common theories used in educational and school psychology are Jean Piaget's theory of development and Lawrence Kohlberg's stage theory of moral development. Each looks at how children progress through learning stages as they age. Educational and school psychologists can use these stages to assess how children learn and what interventions are necessary to help them progress most effectively.

Origins of Educational Psychology

Educational psychology dates back to the early 20th century. It was highly influenced by functional psychology, which considers mental life and behavior in conjunction with a person's adaptation to his or her environment. Lightner Witmer, considered the founder of school psychology, opened the first psychological and guidance clinic in 1896 in Pennsylvania. It was at this first clinic that children with learning and/or behavior problems were assessed and treated to help improve their educational potential. Arnold Gesell is noted as being the first official school psychologist; he evaluated children and made recommendations for the special education of exceptional children.