Educational Psychology Diploma Course

Students will have an improved understanding of human behaviour and mental processes within an educational context. The course covers the following aspects of educational psychology: history, learning theories, student development theories, motivation, and some classroom management skills. We look at the history of the subject, including where thinking is now, topics and specialisms within this area, and the importance of Educational Psychology. The process of learning can be physical, social, or emotional as well as cognitive, the results of which are a permanent change in behaviour, skills, knowledge, or attitude. We will explain various theories and guide you through well-practiced processes. Students will learn about childhood growth and developmental experiences in relation to the teaching process. Providing an overview of the stages of development, we then look at each stage individually, before moving on to some specific areas of development. We look at the differences in motivation and how to tune into student's choices, desires, and attitudes, to aid their motivation. The module discusses 7 major theories about motives and their sources, these are:

1. Motives as behaviour change
2. Motives as goals
3. Motives as interests
4. Motives as attributions about success
5. Motives as beliefs about self-efficacy
6. Motives as self-determination
7. Expectancy-value theory

We illustrate the ways students can be different, and how these differences are reflected in how they learn. We cover topics such as: the way in which individuals prefer to learn, different intelligence types, gifted students, cultural expectations, and gender differences. Looking at special educational needs. We include how to recognise the signs of certain conditions and how to adapt learning to fit those with additional needs, be they physical, intellectual, sensory, learning or behavioural, so that they may still reach their full potential. The course discusses the three somewhat complex forms of thinking that are commonly pursued in classroom learning: critical thinking, creative thinking, and problem-solving. The course then goes on to explain how these are stimulated, using two types of instruction: Teacher-Directed and Student-Centred.