Psychology plays an important role in what we do on a day-to-day basis, and this is especially true for students. How we learn and incorporate information is directly influenced by psychology, whether we know it or not. Educational psychology is the study of how humans learn in educational settings, the effectiveness of educational interventions, the psychology of teaching, and the social psychology of schools as organizations. It is concerned with how students learn and develop, often focusing on subgroups such as gifted children and those subject to specific disabilities. Understanding the various theories of learning as well as your personal learning style can help you better understand information and develop positive study habits.

Psychology in the life of a student

How we learn and incorporate information is directly influenced by psychology.

Education and Theories of Learning

Within the realm of psychology, there are several theories that help explain the ways in which people learn. By understanding these concepts, students are better able to understand and capitalize on how they acquire knowledge in school. Behaviorism is based on both classical conditioning (in which a stimulus is conditioned to create a response) and operant conditioning (in which behavior is reinforced through a particular reward or punishment). For example, if you study for your psychology test and receive a grade of A, you are rewarded; in theory, this makes it more likely that you will study in the future for your next test.

Cognitivism is the idea that people develop knowledge and meaning through the sequential development of several cognitive processes, including recognition, reflection, application, and evaluation. For example, you read your psychology textbook (recognition), you ponder what the ideas mean (reflection), you use the ideas in your everyday life (application) and then you are tested on your knowledge (evaluation). All of these processes work together to help you develop prior knowledge and integrate new concepts.

Constructivism is the concept of constructing new ideas based on previous knowledge. For example, our prior experiences with a situation help us to understand new experiences and information. Piaget is most famous for his work in constructivism, and many Montessori schools are based on the constructivist school of thought.

Types of Learners

People also learn in a variety of ways. Styles of learning are generally grouped into three primary categories: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. Although most people are a combination of these three types, we tend to have a particular strength in one area. Knowing your strongest learning type can help you learn in the most effective way; depending on your learning style, you'll want to tweak your study skills to get the most of your education.

• Visual learners usually use objects such as flashcards or take and reread lecture notes. Visual learners will highlight important passages in books or draw pictures/diagrams of ideas to help better understand the concepts.
• Auditory learners understand concepts best by listening; many will record a lecture and play it back to further understand the lesson. Many auditory learners will read aloud and tend to do well on oral, rather than written, exams.
• Kinesthetic learners (related to kinesthesia) do best when they act out or repeat something several times. Role-plays, experiments, and hands-on activities are great ways for kinesthetic learners to understand and remember concepts.