Educational Psychology: Theory and Practice

Designed for Educational Psychology courses or Psychology of Learning courses at both undergraduate and graduate levels in departments of education and psychology. The sixth edition of this popular text from renowned educational psychologist Robert Slavin translates theory into practices that teachers can use in their own classrooms byintroducing the concept of intentionality. An Intentional Teacher, according to Slavin, is one who constantly reflects on his or her practices and makes instructional decisions based on a clear conception of how these practices affect students. To help readers become Intentional Teachers, the author offers a set of questions to guide them and models best practices through classroom examples. Firmly rooted in research, up-to-date theory, and classroom-tested applications, EducationalPsychology prepares teachers as no other text does. It teaches them to think about how students develop and learn, to make decisions before and during instruction, and to consider what constitutes evidence that their students are learning and succeeding. *The Intentional Teacher, a new feature in each chapter, helps preservice teachers internalize a set of questions to aid them in planning, teaching, and revising their practice in intentional ways. Each chapters proposed answers to these questions are illustrated with examples at all grade levels and in all subject areas. Thoroughly updated citations, more than one third of which are from 1995 or later, ensure that the text is grounded in the most current thinking. *Updated coverage of theory and research includes: new and greater coverage of the impact of educational research on educational practice (Ch. 1); school and community factors that affect the achievement levels of children from low-income groups (Ch. 4); research in techniques for increasing generalization of learned behavior (Ch. 5); automaticity in the information processing model (Ch. 6); teaching problem-solving strategies (Ch. 8); use of the Internet and World Wide Web to individualize instruction (Ch. 9); and recent laws, such as IDEA 97, that affect the education of students with disabilities (Ch. 12). * An emphasis on intentional teaching helps preservice teachers internalize a set of questions that aid them in planning, teaching, and revising their practice. Each chapter considers answers to the following questions from a new vantage point grounded in chapter content: * "What am I trying to accomplish?" helps teachers keep teaching goals in mind. * "What are my students relevant experiences and needs?" assists teachers in keeping their students needs in sight. * "What approaches and materials are available to help me challenge every student?" reminds teachers to vary their methods and aim to challenge students. * "How will I know whether and when to change my strategy or modify my instruction?" reminds teachers to be flexible in order to reach their goals. * "What information will I accept as evidence that my students and I are experiencing success?" helps teachers reflect on their practice. * Chapter opening vignettes present classroom applications of key concepts to make content come alive and bridge theory and practice. * A "Self-Check" feature after each major heading helps students ensure that they have met the objective of the section. * A "Self-Assessment" feature provided at the end of each chapter, as well as in the Instructors Resource Manual and Student Study Guide, helps students assess their mastery of chapter content. * "Answer Feedback" to "Self-Check" and "Self-Assessment" questions is provided in the Instructors Resource Manual and Student Study Guide. * More than 40 "Theory into Practice" sections provide proven strategies for implementing effective practices in the classroom, from cooperative learning to grading, from interpreting standardized tests to writing IEPs, from applying Vygotskian principles to implementing multicultural education. * A "Case to Consider" in each chapter poses questions that encourage students to reflect on issues affecting classroom practice and to apply chapter concepts in proposing problem-solving strategies. * "Teachers on Teaching" in each chapter features essays by two practicing teachers who address the same chapter-related topic in depth. * Student annotations provide glossary definitions and cross-references. * Photo captions in the form of questions call for interpretations of chapter concepts.

Table of Contents:
1.Educational Psychology: A Foundation for Teaching. What Makes a Good Teacher? What Is the Role of Research in Educational Psychology? What Research Methods Are Used in Educational Psychology? 2.Theories of Development. What Are Some Views of Human Development? How Did Piaget View Cognitive Development? How Is Piagets Work Viewed Today? How Did Vygotsky View Cognitive Development? How Did Erickson View Personal and Social Development? What Are Some Theories of Moral Development? 3.Development During Childhood and Adolescence. How Do Children Develop During the Preschool Years? What Kinds of Early Childhood Education Programs Exist? How Do Children Develop During the Elementary Years? How Do Children Develop During the Middle School and High School Years? 4.Student Diversity. What Is the Impact of Culture on Teaching and Learning? How Does Socioeconomic Status Affect Student Achievement? How Do Ethnicity and Race Affect Students School Experiences? How Do Language Differences Affect Student Achievement? What Is Multicultural Education? How Do Gender and Gender Bias Affect Students School Experiences? How Do Students Differ in Intelligence and Learning Styles? 5.Behavioral Theories of Learning. What Is Learning? What Behavioral Learning Theories Have Evolved? What Are Some Principles of Behavioral Learning? How Has Social Learning Theory Contributed to Our Understanding of Human Learning? 6.Cognitive Theories of Learning: Basic Concepts. What Is an Information-Processing Model? What Causes People to Remember or Forget? How Can Memory Strategies Be Taught? What Makes Information Meaningful? How Do Metacognitive Skills Help Students Learn? What Study Strategies Help Students Learn? How Do Cognitive Teaching Strategies Help Students Learn? 7.The Effective Lesson. What Is Direct Instruction? How Is a Direct Instruction Lesson Taught? What Does Research on Direct Instruction Methods Suggest? How Do Students Learn and Transfer Concepts? How Are Discussions Used in Instruction? 8.Student-Centered and Constructivist Approaches to Instruction. What Is the Constructivist View of Learning? How Is Cooperative Learning Used in Instruction? How Are Problem-Solving and Thinking Skills Taught? 9.Accommodating Instruction to Meet Individual Needs. What Are Elements of Effective Instruction beyond a Good Lesson? How Are Students Grouped to Accommodate Achievement Differences? What Is Mastery Learning? What Are Some Ways of Individualizing Instruction? What Educational Programs Exist for Students Placed at Risk? 10.Motivating Students to Learn. What Is Motivation? What Are Some Theories of Motivation? How Can Achievement Motivation Be Enhanced? How Can Teachers Increase Students Motivation to Learn? How Can Teachers Reward Performance, Effort, and Improvement? 11.Effective Learning Environments. What Is an Effective Learning Environment? What Is the Impact of Time on Learning? What Practices Contribute to Effective Classroom Management? What Are Some Strategies for Managing Routine Misbehavior? How Is Applied Behavior Analysis Used to Manage More Serious Behavior Problems? How Can Serious Behavior Problems Be Prevented? 12.Learners with Exceptionalities. What Are Learners with Exceptionalities? What Is Special Education? What Are Mainstreaming and Inclusion? 13.Assessing Student Learning. What Are Instructional Objectives and How Are They Used? Why Is Evaluation Important? How Is Student Learning Evaluated? How Are Tests Constructed? What Are Portfolio and Performance Assessments? 14.Standardized Tests and Grades. What Are Standardized Tests and How Are They Used? What Types of Standardized Tests Are Given? How Are Standardized Tests Interpreted? What Are Some Issues Concerning Standardized and Classroom Testing? How Are Grades Determined? References. Name Index. Subject Index.